Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 33, No. 5

CREATING A MORE POSITIVE REHOBOTH

Celebrate PRIDE

Summer Solstice

Outdoor Fun

June 16, 2023

Volume 33, Number 5 camprehoboth.com

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth welcomes submissions. Email editor@camprehoboth.com.

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EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Matty Brown

DESIGN AND LAYOUT Mary Beth Ramsey

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Tricia Massella

DISTRIBUTION Mark Wolf

CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Rich Barnett, Matty Brown, Ed Castelli, Pattie Cinelli, Wes Combs, Michael Cook, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, David Garrett, Sarah Bricker Hunt, Fay Jacobs, Tom Kelch, Leslie Ledogar, Tricia Massella, Sharon Morgan, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Richard Rosendall, Mikey Rox, Nancy Sakaduski, Romeo San Vicente, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Leslie Sinclair, Mary Jo Tarallo, Laurie Thompson, Eric Wahl, Debbie Woods

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth is published 11 times per year, between February and December, as a program of CAMP Rehoboth Inc., a non-profit community service organization. CAMP Rehoboth seeks to create a more positive environment of cooperation and understanding among all people. Revenue generated by advertisements supports CAMP Rehoboth’s purpose as outlined in our mission statement.

The inclusion or mention of any person, group, or business in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth does not, nor is it intended in any way, to imply sexual orientation or gender identity. The content of the columns are the views and opinions of the writers and may not indicate the position of CAMP Rehoboth, Inc.

© 2023 by CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. All rights reserved by CAMP Rehoboth. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the editor.

Dragon Boat Festival. See page 34.

Photo: Lucia Hernández, Unsplash

CAMP REHOBOTH MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE

MISSION

CAMP Rehoboth, which stands for (Creating A More Positive) Rehoboth, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit LGBTQ+ community service organization. It is the largest and only organization of its type serving the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware. CAMP Rehoboth is dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth Beach and its related communities. It seeks to promote cooperation and understanding among all people as they work to build a safer community with room for all.

VISION

We create proud and safe communities where gender identity and sexual orientation are respected.

PURPOSE

Promoting the health and wellness of our community through a variety of programs including HIV testing and counseling, mental health support, fitness classes, mindfulness classes, support for LGBTQ youth, and building community and support.

Promoting artistic expressions and creative thinking, and giving aid to artists and craftspeople with an emphasis on the works of LGBTQ people.

Advocating for our community to build a safe and inclusive community through voter information, education, and registration; and analysis of issues and candidates.

Education and outreach to the larger community, including sensitivity training seminars, and printed materials to promote positive images of LGBTQ people and our allies.

Networking resources and information by publishing a newsletter, and functioning as an alternative tourist bureau and information center.

From the Editor

BY MARJ SHANNON, EDITOR

Happy Pride Month!

I hope you’re finding lots of ways to celebrate—CAMP Rehoboth can help with that, if you need some ideas. Just browse the list in Community Connections, or head to camprehoboth.com/pride2023. We’d love to see you at any program or event (or wine tasting or dinner or performance or…) that holds appeal.

We have lots of Pride-related content to celebrate right here in this issue, too. Michael Gilles and Fay Jacobs (and cast) will soon bring Voices from Stonewall to the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center stage—you can read about the show’s derivation on page 40. Eric Peterson reminds us that our community has a long history of making “good trouble” in the face of social injustice, and that Pride is a great deal more than rainbow-themed parties (fun though those are).

More Pride: Nancy Sakaduski profiles Marsha P. Johnson—a Stonewall-era activist who famously said, “No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” Booked Solid offers several Pride-related book suggestions.

Other things to celebrate? Well, there are Drag Boat Festivals playing out on various dates and waterways throughout the Mid-Atlantic and (well) beyond: Dragon boat racing is being introduced as part of the 2023 Gay Games, to be held in Hong Kong in November. Mary Jo Tarallo tells us all about it (page 34).

Other (perhaps less strenuous!) outdoor pursuits—both Terri Schlichenmeyer and Richard Rosendall have been “going to the birds.” Maybe you’d like to, too? Looking for something serene and contemplative? Pattie Cinellli recounts her 2022 experience—and looks forward to her 2023 one—celebrating the summer solstice. Eric Wahl points the way toward creating an appealing feature in that low, wet place in your yard that you’ve been seeing as just a problem area.

Of course, it wouldn’t be summer without some tasty treats — “almost Thrasher’s” fries, anyone? Ed Castelli has the recipe. David Garrett considers the possibilities of fried chicken; it might go well with those fries. Leslie Sinclair and Debbie Woods point us toward some delectable meals at a local eatery; Rich Barnett suggests a Cosmo is the perfect Pride accompaniment to that meal….

Also in this issue: a glance back at the fun that was Sundance (and later, SUNFESTIVAL)—say, that on-stage proposal before an intimate crowd of oh, maybe 700? And then there was the gigantic floral arrangement that collapsed minutes before the doors opened…. Not to mention the music, the dancing, the full-on community celebration. Come Labor Day weekend 2023, you’ll have the chance to make (or add to) your own memories of this wonderful event. Hope to see you there!

CAMP REHOBOTH

37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 tel 302-227-5620 | email editor@camprehoboth.com www.camprehoboth.com

the law. A copy of our exemption document is available for public inspection.

PRESIDENT Wesley Combs

VICE PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar

SECRETARY Mike DeFlavia

TREASURER Jenn Harpel

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS

Amanda Mahony Albanese, Pat Catanzariti, Lewis Dawley, Lisa Evans (non-voting), David Garrett, Teri Seaton, and Jason D. White

Advocating at Legislative Hall

of the four pillars of CAMP Rehoboth is advocacy and outreach, and the Board took its advocacy up a notch when it sent Board VP Leslie Ledogar to Legislative Hall in Dover to testify in favor of a bill that would ban the gay panic defense. Sponsored by Representative Eric Morrison, House Bill 142 would put an end to a legal strategy that allows a defendant to argue that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity was the reason for a defendant’s violent reaction. This defense strategy has been used for decades in violent cases across the country, up to and including murder trials. ▼

Kicking Off Summer

OnMemorial Day weekend, The Lion’s Den Candle Company raised over $2,600 for CAMP Rehoboth with its BigLove Benefit Pool Party. The party raised funds from a raffle for VIP tickets to Madonna’s Celebration Tour in Philadelphia. Congratulations to the winners, Stacey Jennings and Brad Driver!

As company owner Jacob Anthony said, "What better way to show BigLove than to support CAMP Rehoboth!”▼

Broadwalk Supports the DBCC

As one of Women’s FEST signature events, the Broadwalk on the Boardwalk raises funds for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition (DBCC). This year, the Broadwalk once again triumphed—despite poor weather conditions—raising $3,017 for DBCC.

In May, CAMP Rehoboth hosted a check presentation with representatives from the Broadwalk and DBCC. ▼

L-R: Andrea Miller, Karen Laitman, Connie Holdridge, and Meredith Rothstein

Signs and Symptoms: mpox

AccordingOneto the CDC, the risk of new mpox (monkeypox) outbreaks could increase as people gather this summer for festivals and other events with high potential for skin-to-skin contact or increased sexual activity. Healthcare providers and public health partners need to help ensure disproportionately affected populations have access to vaccines, testing, and treatment.

Here are signs and symptoms to look out for regarding the virus:

• Mpox can cause a rash that may look like pimples or blisters on or near the genitals or anus and other areas including hands, feet, face, chest, or mouth.

• Other symptoms can include: fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headaches and backaches, exhaustion, or respiratory symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough.

Regardless of race, gender identity, or sexual orientation, anyone who has been in close personal contact with someone who has mpox is at risk.

For more information, including referrals for vaccines, email tara@ camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620. ▼

National HIV Testing Day

On Tuesday, June 27, CAMP Rehoboth encourages the community to recognize National HIV Testing Day by getting tested during walk-in hours at CAMP Rehoboth’s new Health Suite, located in the rear corner of the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard. Check page 31 for details. ▼

TRAVELS WITH LETTERS

AMERICAN QUEEN VOYAGES CRUISE

L-R: Geri Dibiase, Deb Knickerbocker, Deni Boyer, Sandy Sullivan, Marie Martinucci, Loretta Imbrogna, Jackie Goff, Lorie Seaman, Mary Vogt, Liz Wheeler, Ruth Morse, Michele Boyer, Pam Kozey, Mardel Miller

GALWAY, IRELAND

Clockwise from left, Cheryl Buxton, Karen Feuchtenberger, Christine Bielenda, Sharon Miken

Pictured above: Ledogar testifies on the House floor during a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee.

Photo by Rep. Sherry Dorsey-Walker.

SPEAKOut

The Pink Party

OnSunday, July 2, from 12:00-6:00 p.m., Mike DeFlavia and Tony Sowers’s pool party returns as The Pink Party at 6 Futcher Drive in Rehoboth Beach. For a suggested donation of $20, this fundraiser for CAMP Rehoboth promises a day of fun on the holiday weekend. The rain date is July 3.

"We missed having a community-wide fun event—supporting a great cause and organization—that everyone looked forward to," said party host Mike DeFlavia, CAMP Rehoboth’s board secretary, on the decision to bring the party back. Previously, DeFlavia and Sowers vowed that 2019’s party would be the last.

Make a splash and be sure to join the festivities. For more information and to make a donation, visit camprehoboth.com. ▼

Steve Elkins Memorial Journalism Fellow Named

The Washington Blade recently announced this year’s summer fellowship recipients; they include Joel Lev-Tov (they/them), who was awarded the Steve Elkins Memorial Journalism Fellowship. Lev-Tov is a senior at the University of Maryland College Park studying journalism, and also serves as president of the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists at College Park. The fellow covers issues of interest to the LGBTQ community in Delaware.

“I’m extremely excited to start reporting about my community for my community,” Lev-Tov said.

“The Blade is offering me a special opportunity that I’m very grateful for. I can’t wait to start reporting!”

Isabella Kravis (she/they) also was named as a summer fellow; Kravis will focus on DC LGBTQ+ issues.

Kevin Naff, editor of the Blade, welcomed Kravis and Lev-Tov to work.

“We’re all excited to work with Isabelle and Joel this summer,” Naff said. “There’s never been more news to cover and they will add an important, fresh perspective to our work.” ▼

ON THE COVER Murray

Archibald’s Drag Revolution (or Don’t Tread On Me…Bitch!) graces the cover of this issue. The work was purchased by the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover as part of their “A Vision of Pride” initiative, in which it commits to purchasing a work by a Delaware LGBTQ+ artist each June.

Archibald says that the work is a satirical poke at the absurd idea that there is a need to regulate drag queens. “Drag queens occupy a unique place in the world,” Murray said in a statement to the Biggs. “Their campy, larger-than-life personalities allow them to move outside the boundaries of our cultural norms— and to boldly speak the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”

Drag Revolution will be on display in the CAMP Rehoboth gallery as part of Archibald’s Mask Hysteria show through June 30. See page 90 for more. ▼

Pride Month has never meant more to me than it does this year. Across America, our community is under attack.

Recently, the United States Department of Homeland Security reported that threats of violence against the LGBTQ+ community are on the rise and intensifying. Last year, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) tracked a record number of hate crimes targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community. Those hate crimes— more than ever—targeted LGBTQ+ individuals of color and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

Currently, the HRC is tracking several hundred anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures. So far this year, 14 states have passed such legislation. We are also witnessing ridiculous and repulsive attacks on members of our drag community. This is especially troubling to me because I performed as a female impersonator for almost 25 years.

Delaware is largely a very welcoming place for LGBTQ+ individuals. I’ve been deeply involved in Delaware’s LGBTQ+ community for 30 years, and I’ve seen how far we’ve come. But our work is never done. Recently, I introduced legislation banning the “LGBTQ+ panic defense” in Delaware. In 2013, the American Bar Association passed a resolution urging the federal government and state governments to ban this defense. Seventeen states have done so, and several states are currently considering it.

In 2020—along with Senators Sarah McBride and Marie Pinkney—I was proud to be one of the first openly LGBTQ+ individuals elected to the Delaware General Assembly in its 244-year history. In 2022, two more openly LGBTQ+ individuals were elected—Representatives DeShanna Neal and Kerri Evelyn Harris. In just two election cycles, our community representation increased from zero to five in a general assembly composed of 62 legislations. Representation matters.

To everyone in our community and to our wonderful allies…Happy Pride Month!

– Eric Morrison

he/him/his

Delaware State Representative, 27th District

Send letters to the editor (up to 300 words) to editor@camprehoboth.com

President’s View

PRIDE—A Season of Change

To borrow from the inimitable words of Ethel Merman, in springtime, “everything’s coming up roses and daffodils.” But there’s also the splendid emergence of rainbows in June during Pride season.

You can’t miss it. Because almost anywhere you go, the colors of the rainbow appear on store merchandise, window displays at local businesses, and on public transportation—like the recently-debuted rainbow-wrapped Metro trains and buses in Washington, DC. Even LEGO launched its first LGBTQ-themed set in 2021; it comes with 11 monochromatic figures, each with an assigned color, and its 346 pieces create a rainbow cascade.

Local public officials also join the bandwagon, including Rehoboth Beach’s mayor Stan Mills and Delaware Governor John Carney, who recently signed proclamations recognizing June as Pride Month. While largely ceremonial, these public acts are reminders that we live in a state where our local elected officials are committed to ensuring and protecting LGBTQ+ equality.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for those who live in states like Florida and Montana, where extremist politicians have successfully passed new legislation that criminalizes inclusion of LGBTQ+ issues in school curricula, bans public drag performances where minors are present (including at bars and Pride festivals), and requires transgender people to use a bathroom that corresponds to their gender assigned at birth.

According to data reported by the Human Rights Campaign, this anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment is growing at an alarming pace. As of May 2, over 540 anti-LGBTQ+ bills

TRANSITION Since becoming Board President, I’ve made it a priority to increase transparency about how the board makes decisions. When the transition was announced last May, I said achieving our collective success required aligning stakeholders on the vision, seeking input from them during the process, and communicating progress along the way. That’s why I’ve

have been introduced in state legislatures, with 220 bills specifically targeting transgender and non-binary people. This has resulted in 45 anti-LGBTQ+ laws being enacted so far this year.

Fearing legal repercussions ranging from fines to revoking an establishment’s liquor license, Tampa announced it was cancelling its annual Pride on the River event altogether. In other cities, like Wilton Manors, they are refusing to prevent drag performers from participating in their events. But they must make adjustments like limiting access to those ages 21 and over at certain events in order to comply with all applicable federal, state, county, and municipal regulations.

Not surprisingly, voices within these communities reacted negatively to both approaches, saying these leaders failed to fight against this attack on hard-fought constitutional rights and freedoms by making any compromise.

A similar situation is arising in corporate America as conservative media outlets have been calling for boycotts against companies that promote LGBTQ+ visibility and equality. Citing safety concerns for employees after Pride displays were knocked down in some stores and shoppers made threats on social media using videos taken in stores, Target announced it was removing some Pridethemed products from stores and in some cases moving these displays to the back of the store.

When Anheuser Busch decided to feature transgender TikTok celebrity Dylan Mulvaney on a special edition of its Bud Light cans, a very vocal number of right-wing consumers sparked a nation-

dedicated a portion of my column since then to keeping the community updated on CAMP Rehoboth’s leadership transition process.

The board’s selection of Kim Leisey as CAMP Rehoboth’s next Executive Director, effective July 10, marks the successful end to the search phase. I am also pleased to report the board will soon be wrapping up the data collection

BY WESLEY COMBS

wide boycott of the company’s brands for “going woke.” CEO Brendan Whitworth released a tepid statement, saying in part that he is “responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew” and the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people” by featuring Mulvaney in a marketing campaign. You can probably guess that yet again, both sides were not satisfied with responses from two companies widely recognized as best places to work for LGBTQ+ people.

What these leaders fail to understand is that creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities, workplaces, and marketplaces is an intentional act. Building trust and credibility with stakeholders is not possible when organizations selectively and inconsistently make decisions aligned with their values and stated commitments to equity and equality.

We at CAMP Rehoboth know something about the importance of staying true to your mission. Since its inception, CAMP Rehoboth has been dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth Beach and its related communities. Thanks to your support, we will remain laser-focused, promoting cooperation and understanding among all people, as we continue our work to build a safer community with room for all. Our collective futures depend on it.

In this season of Pride, be kind to one another and be safe.▼

phase of the strategic planning process.

Because we have completed these two important milestones, this is the last issue featuring transition updates. Moving forward, the board and staff remain committed to communicating consistently and transparently about our work, our progress, and measures of success. As always, feel free to contact us with any question you have. ▼

Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

BY LESLIE LEDOGAR

Strategic Planning Update

Visioning from a Position of Abundance

Much hard work has occurred since I introduced CAMP Rehoboth’s 2023 strategic planning process last February, so it’s high time to share an update on our progress.

To refresh, strategic planning involves both strategic visioning and strategic road mapping. It begins with data collection and research, involves visioning (suspending our knowledge of “reality” and thinking from a position of abundance, to answer the question, “If resources were not a limiting factor, where would we like to be?”), and ends in creative cartography (mapping how we are going to get from where we are to where we want to be).

What better time of year to suspend our knowledge of “reality” and think from a position of abundance than the start of the summer season? Not only is June Pride Month, but Letters editor Marj Shannon reminds us that International Juggling Day is almost upon us (June 17), Ice Cream Soda Day follows swiftly thereafter (June 20), and International Picnic Day falls in between the two. Only in the summer do we have such a happy confluence of events to inspire our imagination of exactly what abundance looks like, from both a personal and an organizational perspective!

CAMP Rehoboth Community Center, including the Board of Directors, staff, and myriad volunteers, is becoming practiced in shooting for the moon, as evidenced by the outpouring of time, treasure, and good will during the historically successful Women’s FEST this past April, and the successful recruitment of new Executive Director Dr. Kim Leisley this past May. But as proud and thankful as I am about these two incredible milestones, I also realize they are just the beginning.

Accordingly, this past spring, the Strategic Planning Task Force, guided by strategic planning consultant Dr. Michela Perrone of MMP Associates, has been laser-focused on completing the organizational scan. This first phase of strategic planning involves collecting the data needed for the Board to gain a shared

understanding of the status quo, namely, what folks think CAMP does well, how we can better serve the community, and what are key recurring themes and concerns.

Not only have we completed extensive research about organizations which are operating in the same or concurrent spaces (the landscape analysis), but we have also conducted an extensive array of focus groups and one-onone interviews (many thanks to all who have participated thus far). Dr. Perrone reported from the interviews she conducted that, “The interviews went extremely well. You certainly have committed and insightful donors!” Now that’s good news.

We now need one last set of data, and this, Dear Readers, is where you come in. In the next days and weeks, we will be distributing a community-wide survey in which you will have a chance to participate! Professionally crafted by MMP Associates, the survey will be distributed to everyone who is a subscriber to the CAMP Rehoboth listserv. Participants will have a month or so to respond, and it’s critically important that we receive as many responses as possible.

So, while you are celebrating June by participating in Pride festivities, practicing your juggling skills on the beach, or sipping on that ice cream soda while picnicking in the summer sun, won’t you consider participating in the community survey?

Be sure that you are on CAMP’s listserv by contacting Communications Manager Matty Brown (matty@camprehoboth.com), and when your survey hits your inbox, fill it out. Think from a position of abundance and help us expand on our current trajectory of visioning even bigger for the future of CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.

Leslie Ledogar is a retired administrative attorney, current Vice President of the CAMP Rehoboth Board, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Task Force.

In the next days and weeks, we will be distributing a community-wide survey in which you will have a chance to participate!

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

BY LAURIE THOMPSON

Show Your Pride

CAMP Rehoboth is celebrating Pride Month and this year we will collaborate with more than 15 organizations throughout Delaware to lift up and shine a light on the LGBTQ+ community. We are grateful to all the people and organizations who have chosen to partner or host events/activities with us throughout the month. Some of these include:

• Delaware Historical Society: Pride Window Displays—throughout June, CAMP Rehoboth is partnering with the Delaware Historical Society on window displays that touch on the programming and history of CAMP Rehoboth. Displays can be viewed at 505 N. Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware.

• Rehoboth Beach Film Society: Pride Film Festival—CAMP Rehoboth partnered with the Film Society to present the Pride Film Festival that ran June 9-11 at the Cinema Art Theater in Lewes.

• Sussex County Habitat for Humanity: Pride Build—members of CAMP Rehoboth were on-hand to help with the June 16 Pride Build sponsored by Sussex County Habitat for Humanity.

• Delaware Pride: CAMP Rehoboth was there to mix and mingle at this June 10 event—the largest LGBTQ event in the state of Delaware. We celebrated both the chance to get together with others in our community and the opportunity to reach out to the broader Delaware community.

• The Lodge at Truitt Homestead: Summer Solstice Luau—June 17 marks the

third year for this white party fundraiser, benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.

• Browseabout Books & the Lewes Library: Book Talk & Signing—CAMP Rehoboth is collaborating with these organizations to present a June 21 book talk and signing with Jeffrey Dale Lofton, author of Red Clay Suzie

These are just some of the many collaborations and partnerships that benefit CAMP Rehoboth during Pride Month and beyond. You can find an up-to-date list at: camprehoboth.com/ pride2023.

Pride Month is filled with opportunities to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. Choosing to attend a Pride parade or event, becoming an LGBTQ+ ally or advocate, volunteering your time and talent, or donating to financially support an organization like CAMP Rehoboth all are ways to help create a more inclusive society.

• DiFebo’s Restaurant Rehoboth: Pride Drinks of the Day—DiFebo’s is running this drink special throughout the month of June. Fifty percent of proceeds will be donated to CAMP Rehoboth.

• Big Chill Beach Club: Dine & Donate— on June 25, the Big Chill Beach Club is holding a Dine & Donate night, benefiting CAMP Rehoboth.

• Bin 66 Fine Wine & Spirits: “Crunchie Roastie” Wine Tasting—Bin 66 is hosting this June 17 event, featuring Crunchie Roastie, a California wine. All profits on Crunchie Roastie sales throughout June will benefit CAMP Rehoboth.

• Big Chill Surf Cantina: Tuesday Drag Shows—a portion of the sales for each Tuesday’s show will be donated to CAMP Rehoboth throughout the month of June.

• Northbeach: Wenzday Drag Shows: Drag show benefits for CAMP Rehoboth will run weekly throughout the summer.

June is a perfect time to show your Pride by making a commitment to support CAMP Rehoboth by becoming a Rainbow Member. We offer memberships at all levels of support, and you have the option to make a one-time or a recurring gift.

Show your Pride and join today to ensure that CAMP Rehoboth continues to serve the needs the of the LGBTQ+ communities in Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, and throughout Delaware, both now and into the future.

Wishing you a Happy Pride Month! ▼

Laurie Thompson is CAMP Rehoboth’s Development Manager, overseeing all development, fundraising, and donor relations. She can be reached via email at laurie@camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.

CAMP REHOBOTH THANKS OUR 2023 ANNUAL SPONSORS

Pride Month is filled with opportunities to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.

CROP Visits the Food Bank

Afine “CROP” of six volunteers showed up at the Food Bank of Delaware in Milford on May 9. This time, they packed 1,728 backpack buddies to go home with students living in food-insecure homes so they have healthy food options for the weekend. Great job! The next outing to the Food Bank will be July 11. Sign up at camprehoboth.com/volunteers or email volunteer@camprehoboth.com to get added onto the volunteer email list.▼

CAMP Rehoboth Is Hiring CAMP

Rehoboth is seeking a full-time Health & Wellness Specialist to provide HIV testing and counseling services in western Sussex County.

Candidates must be extremely well-versed in HIV risks and prevention. Candidates must have sensitivity to and awareness of concerns related to at-risk populations, including those who are LGBTQ+, Indigenous, and people of color. Candidates who meet the above criteria and are creative, collaborative team players, open to “thinking outside the box,” have strong organizational skills, and work well independently, are encouraged to apply. Please see CAMP Rehoboth’s website for more information about how to apply.

Bachelor’s (preferred) or Associate’s degree in related field required. Bilingual preferred. Must have own transportation. ▼

New Roof at CAMP Rehoboth

This spring, CAMP Rehoboth is completing several major repair projects, including both a new roof on the front of the building and a flat roof on the back. Solar panels will be installed shortly on the flat roof in an effort to be more eco-friendly.

These repairs are made possible by the state of Delaware, as part of the bond bill’s Community Reinvestment Fund. ▼

CAMP Rehoboth’s Display at the RB Library

► CAMP Rehoboth thanks all the businesses, organizations, and volunteers helping to celebrate Pride Month in a big way this year. For the latest events, updates, information, and (if applicable) tickets, please check the website—camprehoboth.com/pride2023.

Continuing Celebrations for PRIDE

Meanwhile, here’s one way to celebrate this weekend: CAMP Rehoboth Chorus’s Out for the Summer! concerts: June 16 and 17 at 7:00 p.m. and June 18 at 3:00 p.m. All concerts are at Epworth United Methodist Church.▼

ThroughJune, visit the Rehoboth Beach Library to see CAMP Rehoboth’s Pride display. CAMP’s resident librarian, Glenn Lash, selected a variety of books from CAMP Rehoboth’s lending library, located on the second floor of the community center. Thanks to the Rehoboth Beach Library for showing support! ▼

HOSTED JOURNEY JOIN

Murray Archibald, the founder of CAMP Rehoboth, on an incredible journey in Australia & New Zealand

FEBRUARY 2024

Our custom designed hosted journey starts in New Zealand when we meet our Abercrombie & Kent guide. Multi-night stays in New Zealand and Australia include Rotorua, Queenstown, Melbourne, Uluru (the Outback), and Sydney to give you both time free and amazing experiences with our professional guide (all included). Our planned itinerary includes the Hobbiton Movie Set, cultural performances, the opportunity to experience a working kiwi nursery and hatchery, Waitomo Glowworm Caves, art galleries, wine tastings, walking tours, a wildlife conservation park, a private behind the scenes tour of the Sydney Opera House and time at the world famous Bondi Beach. Awe-inspiring scenery and wildlife will provide amazing photo opportunities and memories that last forever on this unique tour! Rich in history and culture this hosted journey is sure to sell out quickly.

For more information please contact Sofia Hedman, Group Travel Manager

sofia@accentontravel.com | 302-703-0115 PLENTY

IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT THE LOVE

It started with two guys and a dance party, but it grew to be one of the largest events in the region—the two-day Labor Day extravaganza now known as SUNFESTIVAL. It was supposed to be a pool party, so they called it Sundance, but rain forced partiers inside to The Strand nightclub on Rehoboth Avenue.

For more than three decades now, Rehoboth Beach has been the place to be on Labor Day Weekend, but it all started when Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins, who went on to found CAMP Rehoboth, decided to host a dance to raise money for AIDS, which had killed many of their friends.

The first Sundance raised about $6,000. The next year, organizers added an auction, which brought in an additional $3,500. With the addition of sponsorships from businesses and individuals, a move from The Strand to the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, and the work of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of attendees who came year after year, Sundance/SUNFESTIVAL grew and grew.

MURRAY ARCHIBALD: The first Sundance was a 10year anniversary party for my husband Steve and me—and an AIDS fundraiser. Over the next 30 years it continued to be a celebration of love—for the whole community. It will forever occupy a special place in my heart, and along the way, I’m happy to say, we raised more than $2 million for the AIDS community and for CAMP Rehoboth.

Sundance was always a place for creating memories. For some, it was a year in planning—where would they stay, who would come, what would they discover.

LEWIS DAWLEY: Some of my favorite memories are from Sundance back in the early 2000s. Like many, we were in a group beach house in the Pines and joined friends and neighbors from other group houses and went together. It is events like this where CAMP Rehoboth brings the community and friends together, old and new.

For many, Sundance marked significant changes in their lives. Few who were there will forget this incident from the Sundance in 2011:

700 other people, were gathered at the convention center when I climbed up on stage, got down on one knee, and proposed to Eric in front of everyone. It was so romantic and beautiful. I had wanted to propose in a big and celebratory way, giving Eric a moment in the spotlight. At that time, not many people had witnessed a same-sex couple in a public proposal, but they did that night! Of course, Steve and I cried more than anyone, and most importantly Eric said yes. I’ll treasure that memory always...my favorite Sundance memory!

By 2013, there had been enough Sundances to create a quilt made from the annual t-shirts. That year, at Rainbow XXVI—Circus of the Summer Sun, long-time Sundance auctioneer Lorne Crawford handled the bidding as people relived the memories each t-shirt represented.

silent auction closed, the bid sheets were gathered and brought in. It was our job to sort the sheets to determine who was the winning bidder, and what was the high bid. Folks were waiting eagerly to see if they won, so speed and accuracy were key! Our all-woman team put our heads down, and within less than an hour, we had an accurate tally of the hundreds of items that were offered for sale. Teamwork and Natalie’s tallying system made it a whole lot of fun!

The logos and even the names for each year’s Sundance were works of art on their own. In 2012 (the 25th anniversary of Sundance), it was “The Legend of the Silver Rainbow.” Other names included “The Love Dream - Return to Xanadu” (2014), “The Super Magic Rainbow Glitter Ball” (2015), and “Ultraviolet Disco Day-Glo” (2019).

CHRIS BEAGLE: That May, Delaware had legalized same-sex civil unions. Steve Elkins and I had been heavily involved in the efforts to pass the bill, and both of us testified for its passage at Legislative Hall in Dover. Later that summer I had an idea. I invited my parents and best friends to join Eric and me at that year’s Sundance. They, and about

Over the years, the auction has been legendary for its wide array of dazzling and unique items. One year, a banner from a Sotheby’s auction of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s estate was up for bid. The banner had been thrown in the trash but was fished out and later put up for auction at Sundance. Another memorable auction item was a poster from the movie Brokeback Mountain, signed by the cast.

LESLIE LEDOGAR: Natalie Moss always ran the silent auction counting room, and Marilyn and I were on her team for many years. The counting room was always very intense. The minute the

There may be people who came to Sundance just to see the spectacular lighting, decorations, and set design. It was that good. Each year, the styles, colors, and props changed; the only thing that remained the same was the

Sundance was born from the love and creative partnership of Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins, and it has become the flagship event for CAMP Rehoboth.

jaw-dropping, gobsmacking reaction one felt when entering the venue.

a single weekend. It took enormous energy, resources, commitment, and dedication. But the Academy Award may go to the volunteers who in 2016 took an abandoned shopping mall and turned it into a top-tier dance club (the convention center was closed for construction)…and then did it again in 2017.

MURRAY ARCHIBALD:

“One of my favorite stories and still my favorite Sundance line after all these years, (and yes, I’ve recounted it in these pages before) comes from Robert Kovalcik of South Pacific Florist. A couple of hours before the doors opened on the auction night, one of the gigantic flower arrangements towering over the bar imploded. “Oh my God,” Robert exclaimed dramatically when summoned to make repairs, “it collapsed under the weight of its own beauty!”

Sundance was always a labor of love—a tremendous undertaking each year. Volunteers sold tickets on the beach, in the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard, and even on the streets of Washington, DC. Like the crew for a major motion picture, the CAMP team had to convert the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center into a first-class auction venue and then transform it again into a high-energy dance club, all within the space of

TERI SEATON: SUNFESTIVAL/Sundance is such a mainstay in this community; I look forward to this event each year. The auction and the participation from so many are ultimately what motivated me to volunteer. Being part of the SUNFESTIVAL team has always been a passion of mine. The energy, commitment, and teamwork that go into producing this event is amazing. The creativity and motivation from a diverse group of people is incredibly rewarding. Bringing this event to the community has always been one of my most valued volunteer opportunities.

Then came 2018, the first year without beloved Sundance (and CAMP Rehoboth) co-founder Steve Elkins, who had died that March at the age of 67 after a hard-fought battle with lymphoma. Elkins was an inspirational figure who touched so many lives. Initially, it seemed unimaginable to have a Sundance without him, but Steve wouldn’t have wanted that.

So, on what would have been Murray and Steve’s 40th anniversary, an overwhelming crowd gathered for Sundance 2018—Rainbow XXXI: In the Name of Love, which was

dedicated to Steve’s memory.

The pandemic brought new challenges. And in 2020, CAMP Rehoboth responded to the unprecedented needs of the community during COVID-19 by turning Sundance into a week-long, United in Love celebration, fundraiser, and community-building experience.

In 2021, Sundance became Sun Festival (changed to SUNFESTIVAL the following year), recognizing that although the heart of the event was and probably always will be the dance, the event had become more. The idea was to build more participation, more excitement, more options, and ultimately, more funds for CAMP Rehoboth.

JON KAPLAN: One of my fondest memories of Sundance is when the DJ would get the group dancing and singing to the song “Love is in the Air.” That song is just the epitome of Sundance and culmination of a fantastic summer.

Sundance was born from the love and creative partnership of Murray Archibald and Steve Elkins, and it has become the flagship event for CAMP Rehoboth. Their love and the love of the community are with us as we carry it forward to SUNFESTIVAL 2023.

MURRAY ARCHIBALD: “The longevity of Sundance has given it meaning. It has become the way we end the summer—the way we welcome the fall season. For some, I’m sure, it is just another auction, just another dance. For others of us, it is the last dance of the summer season; a time when we gather our beach house families and friends together for one final summer celebration.”

Whether this would be your first time attending the event or your 31st time, you are not going to want to miss SUNFESTIVAL 2023. Tickets and information are available at camprehoboth.com/sunfestival2023. ▼

Become a SunFestival 2023 Sponsor

When you become a sponsor of SUNFESTIVAL 2023, you are demonstrating your support of CAMP Rehoboth and its important work in our community.

Sponsor Benefits

Sponsors will have their name and/or logo listed on SUNFESTIVAL promotions (placement varies by sponsor level) including: digital banners in the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, SUNFESTIVAL webpage, thank you ad in Letters.

THERE ARE A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, SO ACT NOW!

CAMP Supporter: $500

• 3 tickets to Saturday Entertainment and LIVE Auction (Seating in Section 1)

• 3 tickets to Sunday Dance

• Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food BOTH NIGHTS

• 3 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

RUBY: $2,500

• 8 tickets to Saturday Entertainment and LIVE Auction (VIP table seating)*

• 8 tickets to Sunday Dance

• 8 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

• Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food BOTH NIGHTS

• Meet & Greet with the performers Saturday night

• Full page ad in one issue of Letters September 2023 – April 2024 publications

Emerald: $1,250

• 4 tickets to Saturday Entertainment and LIVE Auction (VIP table seating)*

• 4 tickets to Sunday Dance

• 4 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

• Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food BOTH NIGHTS

Sapphire: $5,000

• 12 tickets to Saturday Entertainment and LIVE Auction (two VIP tables of four people, four tickets to Section 1)*

• 12 tickets to Sunday Dance

• 12 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

• Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food BOTH NIGHTS

• Meet & Greet with the performers Saturday night

• Two Full page ads in your choice of Letters September 2023 – April 2024 publications

Diamond: $10,000

• 20 tickets to Saturday Entertainment and LIVE Auction (three VIP tables of four people, Eight tickets to Section 1 front row)*

• 12 tickets to Sunday Dance

• 12 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

• Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food BOTH NIGHTS

• Meet & Greet with the performers Saturday night

• Public announcement recognition Saturday night

• Three full page ads (total) in your choice of Letters September 2023 – April 2024 publications

To learn more, or to sign-up to be a sponsor, visit www.camprehoboth.com/sunfestival2023 or contact CAMP Rehoboth at SUNFESTIVAL@camprehoboth.com

*List of confirmed attendees to the Saturday show and Sunday dance are due to CAMP Rehoboth by August 19th.

Aging Gracelessly

Toward a More Civil Union

On May 18, I went to a meaningful event at the University of Delaware (UD) where a Civility in Public Service Award was bestowed. Civility. That’s something we sure could use more of these days.

And to be in the room for this event, representing CAMP Rehoboth along with CAMP Rehoboth Board Vice-President Lesley Ledogar, was rewarding on its own. To be there with our two US Senators, Carper and Coons, plus the two senators being honored and a room full of attendees, was indeed a privilege.

The award, from the UD’s Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, went to US Senator Tammy Baldwin and US Senator Susan Collins. Baldwin, an out and proud gay woman representing Wisconsin is a Democrat, and Collins, a long-time senator from Maine, is a Republican.

That they were honored for sponsoring and ushering through Congress (no easy task) the Respect for Marriage Act codifying both gay and interracial marriage is clearly an act of bipartisan civility. Bravo to them.

Their efforts sprang forth right after the Supreme Court vacated Roe v. Wade, giving states the right to rule on abortion however they wished. The court had nullified its own 1973 ruling on the national right to abortion.

They could do so since the court’s 50-year-old ruling legalizing abortion country-wide had never been codified (put into law) by Congress. In the half century since the ruling, no one got a bill through Congress that wrote the legalization of abortion into US law. They trusted the Supremes not to reverse what they called “settled law.” Oops.

Fearful that the Supreme Court’s 2015 legalization of gay marriage could crash the exact same way, Baldwin and Collins sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act. They wrote the law to include codification of both gay and

interracial marriage (that having been “settled” by the Supreme Court in 1967) and away they went trying to get it passed in Congress.

I have to say, I have often disagreed with positions Senator Collins has taken, most recently, her confidence that the Supreme Court would not tinker with settled law on the Roe v. Wade decision.

BY FAY JACOBS

But to her credit, when they disappointed her by overturning the abortion ruling, she actually did something about it. She and Baldwin sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act and against formidable odds, got the law passed.

Both she and Senator Baldwin spoke about how they won this one. “We listened,” said Collins, “asking senators what they needed to vote yes.” When some said “assurances religious institutions would not be forced to conduct marriages against their tenets,” the authors wrote those protections into the bill. Some opposed the bill because they thought it would legalize polygamy or other practices, said Baldwin. Again, they went one-by-one for the votes they needed and answered their colleagues’ specific questions. It was grass-roots politics at the highest level, with the senators and their allies working the phones, walking the halls of Congress, and securing the votes they needed.

Senator Collins told of a moment on Thanksgiving Day, just as she was basting the big bird, when a phone call

from Baldwin presented a problem. Luckily the two senators worked out a solution well before the sweet potatoes could get cold.

“We never gave up,” Collins said, finally coming up with 12 Republican votes and passage of the bill.

“And we were able to repeal that ugly Defense of Marriage Act” (from the Clinton era), Baldwin said.

Collins and Baldwin were two generals from opposite sides who used civility and great political skills to get the Respect for Marriage Act passed—an accomplishment which may just prove invaluable to the LGBTQ and interracial marriage communities in the future.

Thankfully, gay marriage is now protected, the senators were lauded for civility, and we go on from here.

But to where? We all know there has been increasing incivility, with anti-trans and LGBTQ hatred in state legislatures, on the streets, and all over social media. I myself just heard about a comment made on a local golf course: “I don’t mind homosexuals. I just don’t want them to flaunt it.”

Flaunt it? What is this, 1987? What does that ancient comment even mean anymore? If it means I can’t talk about my wife and schnauzer when you talk about your husband and collie, we are in deep poop. If that line is making a comeback in anti-gay rhetoric, we are all on notice.

If we must, we’re all going to celebrate Pride Month (thank you City of Rehoboth for proclaiming it so) and then get back in the trenches, win people over one-by-one, and bring back all manner of civility. On your mark, get set…. ▼

Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sit-down comedy show, Aging Gracelessly.

It was grass-roots politics at the highest level, with the senators and their allies working the phones, walking the halls of Congress, and securing the votes they needed.

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

Stuff and Nonsense

We have too much stuff. I don’t really know how this happened— well, I do, but it’s kind of a dilemma. You see, we need to downsize. When Sandy retires in a couple of years, the current plan is to get a smaller place. So we’ve got to get rid of A LOT of stuff.

There’s a line from the late comedian George Carlin about stuff: “That’s all your house is: a place to keep your stuff. A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.” Yep, it’s true.

When we bought our current home in 2007, we needed a lot of room. We had two German shepherds and kitties. We had Sandy’s mom, and later, my father and brother living with us. And all their stuff. So, we bought a farmhouse-style, twostory four-bedroom. We loved it then and still do, but it’s a lot to manage. Upkeep that will get harder to maintain as we get older. Over the years, our parents have passed on and my brother moved into his own house. But they left a lot of stuff here.

We have two sets of crystal, silverware, and china. We have lots of musical instruments—drum kits and dozens of guitars, and sound equipment from my playing days. We have bookshelves of CDs and albums from us both. We have crafting stuff from Sandy’s mom, an old tent from my brother, old bicycles, tools, train sets, and did I mention, clothes? How about books? That’s what I can think of off the top of my head. There’s a ton of other stuff I can’t remember. Thank heavens the attic is only accessible through a crawlspace or there would be stuff in there, too, piled to the rafters. It’s overwhelming.

Aside from the CD’s, albums, and some of the guitars, I wish I could find a giant garbage bag to toss all this stuff into and just get rid of it. But a lot of our stuff is not junk. Some of it is valuable. Some of it could help others. Which means we’ve got to go through it. If I could rent a dumpster that would be great, but…HOA rules. Don’t get me started on that nugget of constant frustration.

One bright note: a few years ago, when we had the carpets throughout the house ripped out and replaced with vinyl flooring, we had to clear all the closets out and box stuff up. I made sure my family photos, which dated back to my parents’ wedding in

1952, were in a box clearly labelled “Family Photos” on all four sides.

A few months later, when I was looking for a particular photo, I couldn’t find the box. I searched everywhere, even in the basement and garage, looking for that box. I was heartbroken. It didn’t make sense; they had to be somewhere in the house. Recently, two years post-loss, I searched again. In a closet in what is now a guest room, I had put them in a different, smaller box that was not labelled. It was tucked in the back. I was overjoyed to find the photos again and I now know exactly where they are.

Before I moved to Delaware in 2005, I didn’t accumulate too much stuff because I moved around a lot. Something like 13 times over a 10-year period, I calculated once. My Brooklyn apartment was large by today’s standards, but I didn’t become a true pack rat until I moved here. Stuff became inexplicably important to me in my 40s. And I had a house large enough to accommodate it all. But at nearly-63, stuff is no longer important to me. Today, stuff is just an albatross. I envy millennials and Gen Z’rs for their disinterest in accumulating stuff.

So (heavy sigh) the time is drawing nearer to just deal with it. We’ll figure out how; we’re two smart women. We’ll repurpose and donate the stuff we think others might use. We’ve managed so far, and we’ll do so again. So long as nothing weird or unexpected happens. We may age in place in this house, modifying it as needed. After all, our mortgage rate is reasonable. We could sell this house and get a pretty penny, but finding a smaller house is just not in the cards for now.

The mixed news: we have no heirs, so I’m not sure what will happen to our smaller amount of stuff when we’re gone. The truth is, I don’t really care. And good news: July 15 is National Give Something Away Day. Anyone care for a dumpster full of stuff? ▼

Beth Shockley is a retired senior writer/editor living in Dover with her wife and furbabies.

Thank heavens the attic is only accessible through a crawlspace or there would be stuff in there, too, piled to the rafters.

Honoring Memorial Day

Over Memorial Day, Rehoboth Beach held a wreath-laying ceremony, honoring the fallen women service members. The event took place at the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand. ▼

Rehoboth Art League’s Cottage Tours

This year the CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) was presented with a unique opportunity: to participate as docents in the July 11 and 12 Rehoboth Art League (RAL) Cottage Tour. RAL supports the arts and culture, as does CAMP Rehoboth; CROP is excited to be among those serving as docents. Other community organizations also supporting the Cottage Tour include Boardwalk Builders, Lewes in Bloom, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

There are 10 homes on the tour, and CROP has been assigned a very special one in Canal Corkran. Shifts run from 9:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. each day; volunteers can sign up for one or both days.

Sign up at camprehoboth.com/volunteers. ▼

Rehoboth Beach Then and Now

Take a self-guided walking tour on the Built Story mobile app! Tour-takers can explore downtown Rehoboth Beach and learn about the 19th century religious summer camp, how fires and storms shaped the community, the transformative impact of the railroad, and the illustrious citizens who made Rehoboth Beach what it is today.

The Built Story app is available—free—from both the Android and iPhone app stores. The 15-stop tour of downtown (available for in-app purchase at $10) focuses on how the city evolved from its 19th century roots as a rural community, the arrival of the summer religious camp in the 1870s, the arrival of the railroad, and the “battles” between the “saints and sinners” that influenced the later development of the community.

Tickets for individual tours are good for 30 days and may be viewed more than once. Half of the proceeds from this tour benefit Rehoboth Beach Main Street. For more information, call the RBMS office at 302-227-2772. ▼

Celebrate Pride Month by Exploring Delaware’s LGBTQ+ history

ThisJune, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is celebrating Pride Month by diving deeper into Delaware’s LGBTQ+ history.

Since last fall, a small team has been working on “Delaware’s LGBTQ+ Community: A Research & Digital Engagement Project,” which aims to be Delaware’s first holistic effort to capture the stories and important moments in LGBTQ+ history across the state. In-depth research, oral histories, and assistance from queer organizations within and outside of Delaware, as well as members of the queer community, will inform a digital resource that is expected to be available to the public in late summer.

“Queer history is held by the community, which is why we’re making sure to engage with the community to help tell that history,” said Megan Hutchins, project lead and the Division’s engagement and collections manager. “Once this project is publicly available, we hope that it will be a resource for people.”

The project examines state-focused LGBTQ+ history, and highlights more than a dozen Delaware-specific people, places, and objects important to those stories, many of which intertwine with the national historical record. Some of those notable local figures include Barbara Gittings (1932-2007), a Wilmington resident known by some as the “Mother of the Gay Rights Movement’’ for her early activism; The Renegade in Rehoboth Beach, which served as a longtime social center for the area’s LGBTQ+ community; and a collection of objects from DeShanna and Trinity Neal, local advocates for transgender rights and respect in the First State, including a rainbow wig and the children’s book My Rainbow

“As a queer Delawarean, it has been extremely meaningful to identify and research these stories that have been either forgotten or purposely excluded from the historical record,” said the project’s researcher, Carolanne Deal.

The digital platform itself will be a work-in-progress and is designed to be easily updated over time. It will include an overview of history, photographs, and maps, among other resources and tools identified during the research process. It will be a first-of-its-kind resource that experts hope will pave the way to uplifting and highlighting the histories of other marginalized communities in Delaware that have not been fully told before. It is the division’s mission to practice inclusive history and embrace uncomfortable truths, differing perspectives, and difficult narratives.

While funding for this phase of the project currently expires at the end of the fiscal year, Hutchins hopes that it will continue into the future. To share information that you think will be helpful to the project, contact the team by emailing carolanne.deal@ delaware.gov.

Join Deal for a special Pride Month program, “Delaware’s Queer History: We Have Always Been Here,” at the John Dickinson Plantation at 10:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 17. ▼

Pictured, L-R: Commander (Ret) Jeanette Shimkus, DO, MSG (Ret) Tama Viola, Colonel (Ret) Deborah Knickerbocker, Colonel (Ret) Debbie Harrington, Ed.D, and Colonel (Ret) Lisa Weidenbush

The Innkeeper’s Tale

The Warmest of Welcomes

First of all—you have to understand—as an innkeeper, I met a lot of people. In the summer, we would host about 30 people daily on their vacations, and sometimes it could be difficult to remember who was who. Granted, we did have an unusually high return customer rate, and making friends, connecting with people, was what I believed my job was all about. This tale is about someone I got to know very well, extra-quick, and I don’t think we will ever forget each other.

I was in my early 30s and it was the first single summer of my adult life. I was ready to let loose and have a good time. After spending 15 years in a very bad and controlling relationship, I wasn’t on the hunt for anything serious. I just wanted to have a good time, and experiment with as many new guys as I could. I was resolved: I had to make up for a lot of lost time and opportunities.

It was beautiful summer night and I was finishing up work soon. I was just waiting for my last guests to arrive so my own adventures could begin. I was shopping on Grindr for the evening’s entertainment, and the menu was providing many tempting options. I started chatting with a very attractive guy who had messaged me about this being his last night of vacation. I thought, “Perfect! He will be heading out early, I can get some sleep, and I won’t have to deal with any feelings in the morning when I introduce him to the door.”

He wasn’t interested in long conversations or spending hours discussing everything that could happen once we met. He was looking for a quick decision and a friend with whom he could have some fun on his last night. We traded a few pics back and forth and both decided we were on board. He said he wasn’t too far away, and that it wouldn’t take very long for him to get ready. I agreed and gave him my address.

I hopped in our outdoor shower to freshen up. Then, I figured I’d better straighten up my apartment and get things ready, so I headed into the house. When I got into the living room/lobby, I was completely taken by surprise—there he was! He already had arrived and was waiting for me. He was very attractive, and I remember thinking, “wow those pictures didn’t do him justice….” He gave me a big smile, and I immediately felt warm

BY TOM KELCH

and comfortable. I smiled right back and excitedly grabbed him by his hand.

In retrospect, I feel like I basically dragged him into my apartment. I pulled him real close and started to kiss him. I reached down to ummm...help him with his belt, and all of a sudden, in a panicked sort of way, he said with a French accent, “Sir, sir, sir! Excuse me—but is this normally the check-in process!?”

I was instantly mortified. I had mistaken the guy online with the last guest whose arrival I’d been awaiting! I stood frozen, very unsure of how I was going to get myself out of this embarrassing mess. Then he said, “Well, it’s okay, I like it. I just want to ask two questions first. Where should we park the car, and can I get my boyfriend? He would probably very much like to participate.”

We went outside, I met the very nice and handsome boyfriend who was patiently waiting in the car, and I got them unloaded and parked. I am pretty sure I was beet red during the entire checkin process. I was so embarrassed. When we got to their room, Pierre took the reins and began where I had left off in my apartment. We had a wonderful time and quickly became close friends. I learned—of all jobs!—he just happened to be a sex therapist in Canada.

The online guy I was supposed to meet was (ooops!) totally forgotten. It was clear the next day, when I was reading his messages, he was not very happy about it.

Pierre and Jacques have become good friends, and we still laugh to this day about their first visit to Rehoboth. I feel like it was a job well done on my part: they tell me Rehoboth was the most welcoming city they have ever visited. ▼

Tom Kelch is a former Rehoboth Beach innkeeper who enjoys sharing his stories with Letters’ readers.

“Sir, sir, sir! Excuse me— but is this normally the check-in process!?”

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BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

The Final Gurl

“I’ll just look up your account number.” Before the bank teller can do this, I recite it for her. She looks at me, surprised. “Wow. Nobody ever knows their account number.”

I snort. “Then how do they expect to buy their way out of an underground black market murder playground?”

Only after a long silence do I realize the young woman is staring at me, eyes wide. “I take it you’ve never seen Hostel 2,” I say.

She has not. But I have. And because of this, I always memorize my bank account numbers. See, in that movie a woman who has been kidnapped and sold at auction to a man who wants to experience torturing and killing her turns the tables by offering to buy her way out of the situation by paying the organizers of the murder club more than he did. And the only way she can do this is because she’s memorized the numbers on her accounts.

This is an important life lesson. And yet another one brought to us by a Final Girl.

One of the most popular tropes in horror, the Final Girl is often the only character who survives whatever ordeal the movie’s Big Bad is inflicting on the cast. The most famous example is probably Sally Hardesty from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, who after enduring a series of horrible events leaves the murderous Leatherface shaking his titular weapon in rage as she escapes in the back of a passing pickup truck. Other famous Final Girls include Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise and Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode in the Halloween movies.

The problem with early Final Girls is that often they survived simply by accident or luck. Also, they were usually virgins, and it was implied that this somehow made them worthy of saving. The girls who had sex always died first, often while actually having sex. This was a problem, and so filmmakers started giving Final Girls a little more credit for their own survival.

Hostel 2 is a really terrible movie, with absolutely nothing to recommend it apart from the moment when Lauren German’s Beth survives because she can recite her bank digits. Incidentally, German herself apparently learned a thing or two from other Final Girls because earlier in her career she appeared in the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre where, unfortunately, her character was not the Final Girl and fared poorly. But she took that lesson, learned from it, and triumphed in her next outing.

turns out to contain a family of inbred cannibals, the Final Gurl will point out that the oldest brother would actually be kind of hot if his beard was tamed a bit and suggest that maybe we can argue about who was right when we get out of the cellar and are on our way again.

My friend Josh, another Final Gurl, and I talk about this a lot while watching horror films. “Gurl,” he’ll say, “I know reading the spell in the book bound in what is possibly human skin and written in blood is probably a bad idea. But I’d do it anyway.”

“Gurl,” I’ll say back. “I support you in this decision. You absolutely should. Besides, we can handle the demons. How bad can they be? Anyway, we both know our bank account numbers.”

Now, I do not expect to ever find myself waking up tied to a chair in a murder carnival. (Does anyone, really?) However, it’s always good to be prepared. And so I am determined to always live my life as if I am a Final Girl, but with a queer twist. The Final Gurl, if you will.

Like their straight, female counterparts, Final Gurls are determined to survive. We are no pushovers. Nor do we purposely blunder into situations that are clearly going to lead to us ending up impaled on a meat hook. However, we strive to be a little more, shall we say, willing to be adventurous.

Where a Final Girl is almost always the one to sensibly point out that taking the road through the spooky forest instead of the well-lit major highway is not a great idea, the Final Gurl will suggest that perhaps taking the forest road will result in the discovery of a charming coffee shop or antique store.

And where the Final Girl will take the opportunity to remind everyone that she told them this was a bad idea when the creepy old farmhouse they go to for help

In the 1985 film A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, the fear of queerness plays a huge part in the arc of main character Jesse Walsh. As a still-closeted 17-year-old watching the film in a theater with my straight college friends, I felt the same terror Jesse (and not-yet-out actor Mark Patton) did at what my feelings might mean for my life. (For an excellent exploration of this film and its not-so-subtle take on queer fear, see the excellent documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street.)

As we have reclaimed so many other things, queers are no longer the victims we have so often been portrayed as in movies. Like the girls who died because they refused to adhere to ridiculous rules about virtue, we refuse to be victims because of who we are. But more than that, we choose to embrace who we are and make our differences our strengths. So come at us with that chainsaw if you want to. But we’ll be the ones giving you the finger from the back of the pickup truck.▼

Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.

“I know reading the spell in the book bound in what is possibly human skin and written in blood is probably a bad idea….”

BY SHARON MORGAN

Ra, Apollo, and I

No sun outlasts its sunset, but it will rise again and bring the dawn. —

Maya Angelou

Iworship the sun. Now, a healthy fear of vampires plays no small part in that adoration but give me a sunny day and I am unstoppable. No single galactic body has been more revered than the sun and no wonder: without the sun’s energy, life on earth would not exist. The sun guides the seasons, the climates, and the auroras. Such phenomena, although inexplicable then, were not lost to ancient cultures, who revered the sun as a deity. According to The Nine Planets and Britannica’s sun worship entry, the Egyptians revered the sun god Ra; the Sumerians linked it with their god of justice, Utu; and the Roman’s December 25th feast of Sol Invictus (unconquered sun) was embraced by the Christians as Christmas.

To this day, many Plains tribes annually perform the Sun Dance, renewing the bond humans have with all life and the earth’s bounty. The sun has been associated with enlightenment and wisdom: kings ruled by and claimed descent from the sun.

This central star, however, is more than just a celestial dance partner; the sun also has several healing properties. The most well-known benefit is its ability to boost our bodies’ vitamin D supply. According to the National Institutes of Health, unlike other vitamins that have food sources, vitamin D is only synthesized through exposure to the sun’s UVB radiation. Vitamin D is critical to properly developing bones in children and is key in preventing osteoporosis as we age.

Although prolonged sun exposure is linked to skin cancer, the sun can minimize other disease processes. For example, several studies have linked living at higher latitudes (where people have less sun exposure) with increased risks of hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. When exposed to sun-like effects through tanning

beds, researchers saw a statistically relevant increase in subjects’ vitamin D levels, with concurrent drops in systolic/diastolic pressures. Immune responses, generally lower during winter, also can be bolstered by vitamin D supplementation.

The sun plays a key role in mitigating seasonal affective disorder (SAD), defined as depression caused by a disruption in the body’s diurnal rhythm. Humans are naturally outdoors during

Those rooms with less natural light had more bacteria. The authors noted that periodic sun exposure could help alleviate bacterial exposure.

The downside to prolonged sun exposure, however, is—as noted—skin cancer. That said, the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates daily use of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen could reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by around 40 percent, and that of melanoma by 50 percent. The Foundation recommends an ounce of a broad-spectrum sunscreen (protects against UVA/ UVB rays) applied to all exposed skin while outdoors. Initial application should be done 30 minutes prior to going outside, with reapplication every two hours. (This includes cloudy days, where an estimated 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation still reaches earth.) Swimmers may benefit from using a water-resistant product, where the sunscreen’s effectiveness can last 40-80 minutes while in the water.

the day and at home at night. The hormone melatonin is produced at night and acts as the body’s natural sleep aid. Exposure to sunlight or very bright artificial light early in the day results in melatonin production occurring sooner, enabling someone to enter sleep more easily.

Serotonin, a melatonin precursor, is made during the day and converted to melatonin at night. The hormone in and of itself is linked to positive mood and a calm, focused outlook. Low levels are therefore a double whammy, with lower mood and less melatonin production. SAD and insomnia disorders are not only associated with seasonal changes but can occur due to work changes or extended wakefulness while indoors. Ensuring quality sun time can abate these disruptions.

Another reason to go outdoors is sunlight kills bacteria people might acquire from indoor dust. A 2018 Microbiome study replicated a variety of indoor scenarios, measuring bacteria levels.

The type of product is personal choice. Sunscreens with mineral ingredients, such as zinc oxide, block and scatter the rays before they infiltrate the skin. Chemical sunscreen ingredients, like avobenzone absorb UV rays before they can damage skin cells. In the past decade, however, several studies have indicated both the chemical sunscreen ingredients oxybenzone (BP3) and benzophenone-2 (BP-2) may be harmful to humans and fragile ecosystems, particularly coral reefs.

Sunscreens by law should remain effective for three years but do monitor expiration dates. In addition, protect the product from intense heat; store the sunscreen container in a cooler while in hot temperatures.

So go ahead and chase Apollo’s chariot as it crosses the sky. Just remember to lather up…and you may want a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. ▼

Sharon A. Morgan is a retired advanced practice nurse with over 30 years of clinical and healthcare policy background.

…the Skin Cancer Foundation estimates daily use of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen could reduce the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by around 40 percent, and that of melanoma by 50 percent.

Programs & Events

For more information about any of these events, please visit camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620. Meetings are in-person and take place at CAMP Rehoboth unless noted otherwise. Zoom links can be found on our website or in the Monday email newsletter. Do you have a suggestion for a new program? We want to hear from you! Send any questions or ideas to tara@camprehoboth.com.

Walk-in HIV Testing— Know Your Status!

HOME TESTS AVAILABLE!

National HIV Testing Day—

Expanded HIV Testing Hours & MPox Vaccine | June 27

Free, rapid, walk-in HIV testing from 10 AM-6 PM. and free mpox vaccines from 12-4 PM. Registrations requested at camprehoboth.com.

Regular Schedule

Free, rapid, walk-in HIV testing and counseling at CAMP Rehoboth and in western Sussex County. For other appointment times or to request a home test kit, contact tara@ camprehoboth.com.

CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 302-227-5620

Mon-Tues: 12-4 PM

Wed-Thurs: 1-4 PM

Fri: 9 AM-12 PM

ACE Peer Resource Center, 20707 Dupont Blvd, Georgetown, DE 302-585-4963

Tues: 9 AM-12 PM

ACE Peer Resource Center 547 N. Bradford St., Seaford, DE 302-628-3016

Thurs: 9 AM-12:30 PM

Addiction Medical Facility 1309 Bridgeville Hwy, Seaford, DE 302-629-2300

Mon, 6/26, 6-10 AM

Laurel State Services Ctr. 31039 N Poplar St., Laurel, DE 302-227-5620

Please call to make an appointment. Laurel Library, 101 E Fourth St., Laurel, DE 302-875-3184

06/21, 1-3 PM with Tidal Health Screening

06/23, 1-3 PM with Christiana Care Health Screening

Yoga & Meditation

Yoga Over 50: Thurs: 8:30 AM In-person at CAMP (and Zoom!)

Mon-Sun: 8:30 AM (Zoom) Mon-Wed-Fri: 4 PM (Zoom)

Sue brings compassion, humor, and encouragement to her teaching. She weaves mindfulness, breathwork, and meditation into her classes. To register, email tara@ camprehoboth.com.

Morning Mindfulness: Tues: 8 AM (Zoom)

Erin leads a mindful exercise or morning meditation for 30 minutes.

Chair Yoga: Tues: 9 AM (Zoom)

Erin guides you to synchronize conscious breath with mindful movement.

Men’s Yoga Sat: 8:45 AM

Instructor Tim Rennick welcomes all levels, and everyone is given the opportunity to modify or advance their practice, based upon their preferences.

Bi-weekly & Monthly Events

Ask Your Pharmacist: 3rd Weds, 3 PM. 06/21, 07/19, (Zoom)

Cape Pharmacy pharmacist Joli Martini, PharmD, BCGP, answers your questions about medications and side effects. Confidential. Register at camprehoboth.com.

CAMP Rehoboth Book Club: Last Mons, 5:30 PM 06/26 (Zoom)

The Book Club is a queer-facilitated discussion group dedicated to reading novels about queer topics and/or books by queer authors. The June selection is Red Clay Suzie; the author will join the discussion

Flaming Knitters: 2nd & 4th Mons, 6:30 PM, 6/26, 7/10 Flaming Knitters is an engaging and supportive space for connecting and conversing while working on fiber-related crafts with queer- and trans-affirming peers.

Women in Circle: 1st & 3rd Sats, 10 AM, 06/17, 07/01, 07/15, at Unity Spiritual Center in Millsboro Women in Circle is a gathering of LGBTQ+ women. It is a welcoming, inclusive, and positive place to meet, connect, and share with other women.

CAMP FAMILIES

CAMP Families is a network of LGBTQ+ inclusive families, who are committed to building community, supporting each other, and creating great and meaningful memories with each other.

For more information about CAMP Families’ next event, or to propose a new one, email tara@camprehoboth.com.

Funland and Bonfires, Oh My!

06/18, 07/16, 7 PM, CAMP Families Funland

07/08, 08/12, 7 PM, CAMP Families bonfires on the beach

09/28, 6 PM: “Keeping the Love You Find” Singles Imago Workshop. To register, email tara@camprehoboth.com.

09/29-10/01: “Getting the Love You Want” Couples Imago Weekend with Maya Kollman. Register here: mayakollman. com.

PTK (Parents of Trans Kids): In person/Zoom: 7:00 p.m. 1st Thursdays: Zoom; 2nd Tuesdays: Lewes; 3rd Thursdays: Wilmington

Parents of Trans Kids (PTK) is a support group for parents and caregivers of transgender and gender expansive children. PTK offers separate meeting spaces for adults and youth (ages 12-19). Email ptkdelaware@gmail.com for more information.

YOUTHUP AND YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMS

Contact julian@camprehoboth.com or call 302-2775620 to register, for more details, and to share your ideas! We want to hear from you!

YouthUp Monthly Social: 07/13, 08/10, 7 PM

The YouthUp Monthly Social is a discussion and activity group for 13- to 18-year-old LGBTQ+ youth to get together with each other and a supportive adult moderator.

Young Adult Discussion Group: 06/22, 6 PM (Zoom

The Young Adult Discussion Group is for 18- to 25-year-old LGBTQ+ young adults.

YouthUp Book Club: 06/29, 07/27, 7 PM (Zoom)

The YouthUp Book Club meets to discuss youth-selected LGBTQ+ YA books. June’s book is Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith. To receive a free copy of the book email julian@camprehoboth.com.▼

Cosmo: The Perfect Pride Cocktail

Afriend at a local watering hole asked me recently if there was a particular cocktail for celebrating Pride. “You’re drinking it,” I responded. “Vodka, ice, and very little, if any, sugar.”

Despite my snarky reply, I was intrigued by the question. A google search turned up dozens of LGBTQ+ Pride-inspired cocktails. You can go the colorful route with a Rainbow Margarita, a Rainbow Mojito, or a Rainbow Mule. You can Bend over Johnny or try a Ménage à Trois, a Hot Lesbian, or a Sugar Daddy. On the more serious side, you can celebrate with Love Wins, Out and Proud, an Equality Martini, or, of course, a Rainbow Martini.

Unimaginative names aside, the drink recipes seemed trite and overly sweet. The Sugar Daddy, for example, calls for vodka, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, Cointreau, lime juice, and muddled raspberries served in a chilled martini glass rimmed with pink sugar. Seriously?

If that’s your idea of what a sugar daddy drinks, well then you can forget that Cartier tank watch you’ve had your eye on.

None of these gimmicky drinks were what I had in mind for a Pride cocktail. No sir. I was in search of a drink that tasted good, looked festive, and had a real gay pastiche. A cocktail like…the Cosmo!

The origin stories of cocktails are usually shrouded in rumor and notoriously difficult to prove. The Cosmopolitan is no different. From what I can tell, bartenders have been serving cocktails made with rail vodka, triple sec, Rose’s lime juice and sometimes cranberry juice since the 1930s. These were riffs on the Kamikaze cocktail and not always served in a stemmed glass and not always called a Cosmopolitan. I can find references to these early Cosmo-type cocktails in gay bars in Provincetown and San Francisco, but it was in New York in a Tribeca restaurant called Odeon where the drink we think

of as the modern-day Cosmo was created and took root.

Odeon in the 1980s was the hippest hangout in Manhattan for writers, artists, gallery owners, filmmakers, and celebrities. It was the place to see and be seen and notables like Madonna,

chilled martini glass and garnished it with a lemon twist for color and flourish. To his surprise it was an immediate hit with Odeon regulars and subsequently at bars all over Manhattan, including G Lounge, the city’s first gay bar to seriously embrace contemporary style and design, where it quickly became the most popular drink served.

It’s about this time that writer Candace Bushnell discovered the Cosmo. Candace was writing her weekly “Sex in the City” column for the New York Post under the nom de plume Carrie Bradshaw and the Cosmo soon became Carrie’s signature cocktail. After her book of columns came out in 1996, Candace introduced the Cosmo to her gay friend Darren Star, who went gaga for the cocktail. Darren had created Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place with Aaron Spelling and he would turn Candace’s book into the Sex in the City series.

…it was in New York in a Tribeca restaurant called Odeon where the drink we think of as the modern-day Cosmo was created and took root.

Sandra Bernhardt, Andy Warhol, John Belushi, Tom Wolfe, and Warren Beatty noshed and table hopped at the establishment. Odeon featured heavily in Jay McInerny’s classic novel Bright Lights Big City—and even on the cover. You get the picture.

A bartender at Odeon in the late 80s by the name of Tony Cecchini is credited with refining the Cosmopolitan, a drink he heard about from a girl who learned about it from a gay bartender at another place. One night he mixed Absolut Citron (which was brand new), fresh lime juice, Cointreau, and a splash of cranberry juice to give it a demure blush. He shook the mixture long and hard, so it became opaque and frothy. He poured it into a

The Cosmo, of course, played a significant role in the series, representing sophistication, fun, and independence, and serving as a symbol of the characters living—and celebrating—their nontraditional lives. Someone did the math and the drink appeared in 27 of the 94 episodes. And we all know what happened after that: the Cosmo went on to become one of the world’s most popular cocktails.

Some mixologists claim the Cosmopolitan is the last great cocktail of the 20th century. Others call it passé, although the bartenders at Aqua will dispute that assertion. I say it’s the perfect Pride celebration cocktail. It tastes good and packs a punch. It has an interesting backstory. And don’t you think the pink cocktail looks rather subversively sexy in the hands of a man with great arms?

Happy Pride! ▼

Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

BY MARY JO TARALLO

Beyond this Place There Be Dragons

Dragon boat racing sounds a bit like an amusement park ride, but it is a real sport practiced by passionate people. Its origins are based on the 2,300-year-old legend of Qu Yuan, who is considered the first prominent Chinese poet. He committed suicide in the Mei Lo River protesting the political corruption of the era. Local fishermen quickly paddled their boats into the river and thrashed

the water to prevent fish from eating his body. Sounds a bit gruesome but the act of thrashing has evolved into dragon boating.

The “official” Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday which occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar (June 22 in 2023). But the sport has spawned regattas and festivals in communities large and small in many parts of the world. Organizers

include clubs, non-profit organizations, and cultural exchange groups who stage competitive races, fundraisers for various charities, and entertainment. Major festivals are attended by hundreds of spectators, and non-festival racing takes place throughout the year.

Dragon boat racing is being introduced as part of the Gay Games held in Hong Kong in November 2023. Hong Kong claims the title “world capital for Dragon Boating,” so Games organizers felt it was fitting to include the sport. The annual Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) was first celebrated in China during the Ming dynasty.

Lewes, Delaware no longer organizes its dragon boat event, but plenty of people who visit Sussex County from Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Annapolis, and New York City are familiar with the sport. All five have active Dragon Boat Clubs.

Catholic Charities hosts its Festival to raise funds for its various programs and has raised more than $5 million dollars since the event’s inception in 1998. The organization celebrates its 100th anniversary this year during its September 9 event in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. They partner with the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club on logistics and training paddlers. It relies heavily on teams from local corporations, many of whom have not previously been involved with dragon boat racing so training is important.

Training is also a priority for the 80-member DC Dragon Boat Club. “It’s neat to see the skills start to click in,” said member Katherine Norton, a member of its coaching staff. The club’s festival celebrated its 20th anniversary on May 20 on the Potomac River, with a backdrop of monuments, the Kennedy Center, and The Wharf. Running a Dragon Boat Club is costly so the non-profit focuses much of its energy on raising money to keep the operation going.

Norton, who has travelled all over the world for work, notes that dragon boat racing is a great way to meet new people and network. “It’s easy to drop down

anywhere and find a club,” she says. She claims that being a club member opens the door to new friends in various parts of the world.

Although they did not compete this year, the Out2Paddle Dragon Boat team in the DC area caters to the LGBTQ community and won a gold medal during the DC Festival in 2022. They have a Facebook page.

The Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association (PDBA) hosts the annual Independence Dragon Boat Regatta (IDBR). According to the association’s Team Coordinator, Bob Mina, the group was established in 1983—the first dragon boat team in the United States—and now boasts an active membership of about 200 men and women ranging in ages from their 20s to 60s.

Their “elite” team won the 2021 US Club Crew Championships. “We ‘get’ racing because it’s what we do at the highest level,” Mina said. “Bringing someone new into the sport is always fantastic!” Mina works full time for Christiana Care. Their regatta, held this year on June 3, helps fund the US National Team (men and women).

Members of the Annapolis club competed in the New Zealand Festival this past April.

Most people discover dragon boat racing as adults. Not Katrielle Byland, who now lives in France but grew up in the Philly area. “I got interested in dragon boat racing through my mom and family,” she said. “It made sense to me once I was old enough to try it. I enjoyed it and I stuck with it, and now I help run a youth team called The Lonely Dragons. Dragon boating is a wonderful sport, that I always enjoyed because it was a chance to get away from reality and school.”

There are many ways to learn the sport. Stephanie Harmelin, who was Camp Director at Lewes’s Children’s Beach House from 2016-18 (and performed in two CAMP Rehoboth Theatre productions—Stop Kiss and Last Summer at Bluefish Cove) was introduced to it last year. Having moved back to Philly,

she came to dragon boat racing through Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park Conservancy programs.

The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York claims to be the oldest, largest, most traditional Dragon Boat Festival in the US. Dragons, multicultural performers, traditional arts and crafts, and international foods highlight the 31st celebration in Flushing Meadows Corona Park August 12 and 13 during the Year of the Rabbit. The event gets substantial support from several Hong Kong economic, trade, and tourism offices.

Dragon boat clubs welcome newcomers, according to DC Club member Francis Lira. Many clubs offer beginners free lessons in hopes that they will join. Teams are determined according to gender and age groups ranging from 20s to 70s and even beyond.

And here is a parting tip for those still working, according to Lira: Many of the skills you learn—such as building community and synchronized alignment— are transferable to the office. ▼

Mary Jo Tarallo is a former journalist and public relations professional for various non-profits including a ski industry trade association. She won a Gold Award for a United Way TV program starring Oprah Winfrey.

Photos, opposite page: DC Dragon Boat Club members, Photo: Josh Rubenstein.

Above, clockwise: Dragon boaters at NY Dragon Boat Festival 2021, photo: Rick Ho, Sing Tao. DC DBC - Team Out2Paddle Club members. Boater at NY Dragon Boat Festival 2021. Photo: Rick Ho, Sing Tao.

Many of the skills you learn—such as building community and synchronized alignment—are transferable to the office.

BY PATTIE CINELLI

Celebrating Summer Solstice

It was a comfortably warm evening last June, when a friend and I parked in the lot of the Unitarian Universalists of Southern Delaware (UUSD) building. With our chairs, drums, and firewood in hand we walked around to the back of the building where we found our spot and settled in with the others who came together to recognize the summer solstice.

“We celebrate the abundance of the earth and all it gives to us. We gather together to honor the generosity of the earth,” said Sue Greer, an energy medicine practitioner and an ordained minister in Lewes, who lead the ceremony. We listened, drummed, threw our wood into the fire, set an intention, and recognized the sacredness of the world in which we live. “We’ve lost touch with nature and the rhythms within ourselves and our environment. We need to be more in touch with our connection to the earth,” said Greer.

As a kid, I looked forward to the summer solstice. It signified school was about to end. I knew it was the longest day of the year which translated to more time after dinner to play outside with neighborhood kids. Until last year when I attended the celebration, I never knew the historical, spiritual, or practical meaning of the day.

Summer solstice is the longest day (in the northern hemisphere), because we receive more daylight on that day than any other day of the year. It marks the start of astronomical summer and the tipping point at which days start to become shorter and nights longer.

Solstice celebrations around the world are joyous ones. “It’s about community, fertility, joy, celebration of life, and abundance. We are honoring the earth,” said Greer. This natural event has been acknowledged and celebrated by Pagan and Christian cultures for thousands of years.

Many Native American tribes took part in solstice rituals, some of which are still practiced today. Some scholars believe that Wyoming’s Bighorn Medicine Wheel, an arrangement of stones built several hundred years ago by Plains Indians that aligns with the summer solstice sunrise

and sunset, was the site of that culture’s annual sun dance.

“The central channel of a domed building in Newgrange Ireland, which was built 5,200 years ago, is flooded by sunlight at the exact time the sun rises on the summer solstice,” said Greer. “It was obviously very important to acknowledge and honor the solstice all those years ago.”

Stonehenge, in the south of England, may be the most well-known ancient structure constructed to align with sunrise on the summer solstice. Each year, thousands gather at Stonehenge and often celebrate all night.

Observing the solstice, said Greer, helps to align yourself with the cycles of the earth that we’ve lost touch with. “It’s really about honoring the earth which sustains us,” she said. “We get oxygen, abundant amounts of food, and so much more. It’s about acknowledging and listening to

the earth for all that she gives us.”

You can commemorate the solstice alone or with family or friends right in your own home or neighborhood. A ritual as simple as listening to trees and the sound of wind can connect you to the earth’s magnificence. “You can sit on your balcony and watch the sun set,” Greer said. “Acknowledging the solstice helps us become more in balance with nature. We all know the sun sets at a certain time, but we don’t take it as important. It’s the moment of transition. It’s when the earth turns on its axis.”

Another way you can commemorate the solstice is by taking a music- and podcast-free walk on the beach, letting the only noise be the sound of the water lapping against the sand. You can plant a garden or just plant a flower. If you like to entertain, have a dinner party where you prepare all fresh foods. Both meditation and yoga can help you get grounded, reduce stress, neutralize free radicals, improve sleep, and think more clearly. Make a list of your dreams. Focus on a few and commit to enacting meaningful changes. Think of this time as a new beginning. Rearrange your furniture or refocus your eating habits to include more fresh, local foods and fewer processed ones.

The solstice happens at the exact same moment—in 2023, at 10:58 a.m. EDT, Wednesday, June 21—everywhere on the planet. (In the northern hemisphere it’s the summer solstice and in the southern hemisphere it’s the winter solstice.)

The realization that I am connected to the world at this one moment in time is amazing. I’m looking forward to celebrating with others at UUSD again this year. The ceremony there begins at 6:00 p.m. on the solstice. ▼

Pattie Cinelli is a writer who examines ways to enhance the quality of your life. She focuses on non-traditional methods to stay healthy, get fit, and be well. Please contact her at: fitmiss44@ aol.com.

Photo: Hulki Okan Tabak, Unsplash

Stonehenge, in the south of England, may be the most well-known ancient structure constructed to align with the summer solstice.

VOICES FROM STONEWALL

Stonewall Is a Call to Action…Again!

It was 1969. Engaging in gay behavior (holding hands or kissing someone of the same sex) in public or “masquerading” as a member of the opposite sex was illegal in New York. Police often raided gay bars and harassed patrons, saving the most vicious and degrading treatment for drag queens, trans people, butch lesbians, and others who cross-dressed. Even the rich and famous were not immune. If you got arrested at a gay bar, you lost everything.

It could happen again.

“We have to do something, and this may be a start,” says Fay Jacobs about Voices from Stonewall, a play she and Michael Gilles conceived and wrote. The play brings the events of the Stonewall uprising to life by having actors deliver the words of people who were there.

Stonewall is considered the match that lit a fuse for the gay liberation movement. It was a six-day event that included multiple violent interactions between police and the LGBTQ+ community. It was sparked by a bungled

police raid at the Stonewall Inn that included people being subjected to humiliating searches and assaults. Crowds grew and police called in reinforcements.

Bricks were thrown, violence erupted, 21 people were arrested, and the Stonewall Inn nearly burned down. (It was shut down and remained dormant for decades.) The event mobilized young and old, people from every letter in the LGBTQ+ alphabet, to stand up for their right to equal treatment. And that fuse led to the Supreme Court and an expansion of gay rights that seemed permanent. Until….

It’s the “until” that got Fay and Mike to revisit the play they wrote and presented four years ago (the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and the year the New York City Police Department finally apologized for their actions). “A lot of people are afraid,” Mike says. “People look at everything through today’s prism and don’t realize that this is a real history, of not only the event but what has become of the movement.”

The political climate has certainly changed. “When we did this in 2019, it was a Pride celebration,” says Fay. “We showed the beginning of gay rights, the expansion of it…. Now we’re presenting it as a call to action.”

Mike and Fay (pictured above) went back to the research, poring over more than a dozen books, and they each recorded the observations, quotes, and details they wanted to include. When they compared notes, they saw how many they agreed on. It’s not surprising— they’ve been collaborating for 45 years. Their professional partnership does have elements of a Vulcan mind meld in the way they share both the vision and the attention to detail required for this undertaking.

“We boiled it down to what was actually happening in the bar and outside the bar in 1969,” explains Fay. The performance, which Mike refers to as a “reader’s theater,” will include music, street sounds, sirens, even a little singing. A trio of amazing actors (Max Dick, Eric Peterson, and Eloise Ullman) will tell the Stonewall story by reading the words of people—rioters, passersby, neighbors, journalists, and police—who were there, 54 years ago, on June 28, 1969.

“I was really shocked by the audience responses after the show [in 2019],” says Mike. “People came up to me and said, ‘I had no idea.’” He was pleased

he was able to shed light on an aspect of LGBTQ+ history many people—even gay people—didn’t really know. “These people wanted to know some of the history about themselves,” he says.

Mike and Fay hope the performance will particularly resonate with trans youth, as most of the people who rioted were young; many of them were trans youth who had been sleeping in the park and were frequent targets for the police. And, of course, trans youth have become targets again.

For 2023, Fay Jacobs and Michael Gilles have endeavored to turn a great play into an even greater and more timely play. They’ve honed the

performance, making the transitions easier to follow (the actors play multiple parts). Variously funny, poignant, horrifying, and moving, the script provides the insight and immediacy that is missing from dry historical accounts, Wikipedia entries, and the biased and insulting press coverage of the time.

“We have to show people what happened and why we fought back,” explains Fay. “We may not be fighting back with bricks this time (although I will if I have to), but we will be fighting back at the ballot box. And I think this is a great way to get people inspired to fight the terrorists who are calling out our community with hatred right now.” ▼

YOUR TURN TO ACT

Choose one:

☐ 4 p.m. performance

☐ 7 p.m. performance

Voices from Stonewall, written by playwright Michael Gilles and writer Fay Jacobs, directed by Jacobs, will be performed in the CAMP Rehoboth Elkins-Archibald Atrium, 37 Baltimore Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Sunday, June 25.

Tickets are $25 (both performances sold out in 2019, so act fast) and are available at camprehoboth.com/ events.

“We may not be fighting back with bricks this time… but we will be fighting back at the ballot box.”

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

We’re Here! We’re Queer! We’re…Staying Home?

Last month, the organizers of Tampa Pride on the River canceled one of the Gulf Coast’s largest pride celebrations. The reason, they say, is the expansion of the Parental Rights in Education Act, commonly known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill. The bill allows the state of Florida to “fine, suspend, or revoke the license of any public lodging establishment or food service establishment if the establishment admits a child to an adult live performance.”

So, because the September festival typically features performers in drag, this could be a violation of the law, and an expensive one at that. The event can attract as many as 20,000 visitors to the Tampa area, including some parents with children.

Pride organizers in St. Cloud, a town just outside of Orlando, also recently announced the cancellation of a Pride event scheduled for this month. The city of Port St. Lucie canceled their Pride parade and will limit other events to people over 21.

The villains in this sad tale are, of course, Republican Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, every office-holding Republican in the state of Florida, and all the Florida voters who elected these small-minded cretins. The leaders of the party are waging a culture war to the detriment of not only LGBTQ people, but also people of color, immigrants, and women—not because they have anything against these groups, per se—but because riling up the fears and prejudices of their voter base will motivate these voters to vote against things like health care reform, social services, better infrastructure, and most importantly, higher taxes for the very wealthy.

It’s a money-and-power-grab that comes at the expense of people who are already marginalized in our society. And it’s so bad that the Human Rights Campaign recently issued a travel warning about the state of Florida, citing

a recent spate of anti-LGBT legislation that can only be interpreted as “open hostility” to LGBT residents and visitors. The NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens (or LULAC) have already issued similar travel warnings.

than activism or justice. It’s times like this that I’m sad we don’t have more intergenerational mingling among LGBTQ people. For all our talk about community, the gay Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Zoomers generally hang out with each other. And because of that, our history isn’t passed down from one generation to the next the way it happens in other oppressed communities.

But every villain has a sidekick, a henchman, or a toady—and this time, I’m afraid it’s us. The correct response in the wake of a proto-fascist government criminalizing one’s very existence is not to pack up and go home. If anything, the noxious new laws that want to keep the children safe from our very presence ought to motivate us to get out in the streets, not cower in the shadows. If anything, our wigs should be higher, our voices should be louder, and the platforms under our sparkly boots should be taller.

I get why businesses don’t want to risk those fines. I can understand that drag queens and other celebrants don’t want to be arrested, or worse— physically attacked by citizens who feel emboldened by the hate and incivility being role modeled by their elected officials. It’s scary—of course it is. But fear is the opposite of Pride. Obedience, especially to an unjust power, is the antithesis of Pride.

Perhaps we’ve gotten a little too used to the idea that June is just a big rainbow-themed party having more to do with cocktails and funny costumes

So, if you think that Pride is all about glitter and dance parties, you should be reminded that the first Pride parade took place in 1970 in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, a spontaneous rebellion in Greenwich Village from a bunch of queers who were mad as hell and weren’t going to take it anymore. (If you need a refresher, tickets for Voices from Stonewall are on sale now for two performances at the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center on Sunday, June 25.)

It’s time to study our history, channel the angry energy of our ancestors, and remember what Pride means. Pride requires courage, and it demands justice. The good news is not every Pride celebration in Florida is being canceled. In a deeply rural part of the state, Lake County Pride is bravely going forward, despite threats from locals and a ceaseand-desist letter from local government. “It’s not exactly being welcomed by the community where we’re having it,” said LCP CEO Danielle Olivani. “They don’t want this to take place, but we’re gonna persevere. We’re gonna have this Pride, because we’re fully within our rights to do so.”

That’s the spirit. ▼

Eric Peterson is Interim Managing Editor of Amble Press, a novelist (Loyalty, Love & Vermouth), and a diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner. In his spare time, he hosts a podcast, The Rewind Project.

In a deeply rural part of [Florida], Lake County Pride is bravely going forward, despite threats from locals and a ceaseand-desist letter from local government.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING PRIDE IN SUSSEX COUNTY

At Beebe Healthcare, we’re proud to celebrate and honor our commitment to providing the best care for all members of our diverse and vibrant community. Our culture of empathy and excellence represents a critical part of that mission.

This month and every month, we remain committed to offering a safe place where members and supporters of the LGBTQ+ community can speak about their experiences and access care with respect and dignity.

As we celebrate Pride Month, please know that we see you and we support you. You can be yourself with us. Together, we’re fostering a community that strives for acceptance, equity and a sense of belonging for all.

is Our Specialty SUSSEX COUNTY

beebehealthcare.org

The Best Care is Here.

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BY DAVID GARRETT

Proudly Getting Your “fil” of Chicks

There has been a flurry of news across the country related to LGBTQ issues. Most of it reflects the preponderance of “anti-” news. But now word is out that a company that was built on being anti-gay/transgender/ etc. has hired a vice-president to oversee DEI—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The company has historically given hefty financial support to organizations with a similar outlook. This corporate change looks to set the stage for an important turnaround in sponsorship of LGBTQ events moving forward. Of course, Chick-fil-A (referred to here as CFA) is the restaurant in question.

Before you chill the champagne and get in the drive-through lane at your local CFA anticipating a hot chicken sandwich and cool milkshake, it is imperative that the details be examined much more closely. That’s where the devil is, after all—in the details.

The person who has been appointed VP of DEI is Eric McReynolds. A review of his LinkedIn profile shows that he has been in this role since July 2020. He began the DEI oversight first as an executive director, then as vice-president of DEI. The executive director role was likely the company’s first attempt to devote some time and attention (and some assets) to DEI. The “powers that be” then elevated it to VP status. So this is not a recent development. It does show, however, that this move has flown beneath the radar of the “Watchmen of the Right.”

It is vital to see the actual wording on the CFA website. “Chick-fil-A restaurants have long been recognized as a place where people know they will be treated well. Modeling care for others starts in the restaurant, and we are committed to ensuring mutual respect, understanding and dignity.... These tenets are good business practice and crucial to fulfilling our corporate purpose.”

“When we’re Better at Together, we’re better together” reads the mantra on their website. Their commitment to DEI should result in ensuring equal access, valuing differences, and creating a culture of belonging. But let us hold off just yet on sending them a form for sponsoring a float in the upcoming Pride Parade. This warm and fuzzy verbiage is still missing some key points.

There is NO direct mention of welcoming the LGBTQ community. There is no reference to equality regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. There is no commitment to disenfranchised persons who are facing incredible discriminatory policies across the country. So what is the best way to proceed?

One must weigh the good against the bad. The good news is that CFA has, over the past few years, ceased making contributions to the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, both of which are known anti-LGBTQ organizations. The bad news is that CFA has yet to make their position definitive one way or the other. Is the vanilla milkshake half-empty or half-full? This is the nagging question that each must answer on their own.

Other good news in this fast-food debacle is that the conservatives now find themselves in a quandry. One of their favorite partners in the “anti-” agenda seems to have found a new business strategy. That leads the conservatives to demand their own boycott of CFA. The outrage on the right is outrageous! Following a Twitter thread on the subject leads to a plethora of folks who are convinced they are the possessors of truth.

The appearance of a corporate turnaround is welcome. Whether or not it is a permanent change resulting in real policies being implemented remains to be seen. Minor victories in these troubled times are small steps forward, nevertheless. This does open the door for ending the LGBTQ boycott of Chick-fil-A. At the very least, many LGBTQ people can now get their chicken fix there without guilt.

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! ▼

David Garrett, a CAMP Rehoboth Board member, is a straight advocate for equality and inclusion. He is also the proud father of an adult trans daughter. Email David Garrett at davidg@camprehoboth.com.

Their commitment to DEI should result in ensuring equal access, valuing differences, and creating a culture of belonging.

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BY MICHAEL COOK

Somebody Somewhere

Season 2 & the Evolution of Joel

The second season of Max’s acclaimed comedy/drama Somebody Somewhere is streaming now, and most fans would agree with the reaction that co-star Jeff Hiller has received from so many people: the show is “like a hug.” As Hiller’s character Joel explores singlehood and re-evaluates his faith, we are seeing brand new layers to Joel. Of course, the heart of the show is his friendship with Bridget Everett’s Sam, who is now Joel’s roommate, bringing a completely new layer to their already heartwarming friendship. I sat down to chat with Jeff to discuss Joel’s evolution, motor boating, and whether Joel is a Grindr or a Scruff man?

Michael Cook: Jeff, so many fans— including myself—first came to fall in love with you during The Hotwives of Orlando!

Jeff Hiller: I love it—that is not brought up a lot!

MC: You are back for another season of Somebody Somewhere and it’s just as

spectacular as the first one. The show is a love story in a sense that we have not seen before, and the first season ended in such a heartwarming way. What is the reaction that you got from people?

JH: I think the most common reaction I get is “it’s a hug, your show is like a hug,” which I like. I think it is just so nice that a lot of people feel that the show is about not giving up on yourself and that it is encouraging to them. I am all for that; I think it’s great.

MC: This season there are definite changes for Sam and Joel, and you are now living together. We are getting to also see Joel blossom on his own and come into his own in several different ways. Is it interesting for you to peel back the layers of Joel?

JH: Yeah, it is! It’s exciting. As an actor, it is exciting to play different things. I think what is really nice is that I do think of Joel as someone that l love and that I really like and I like that he is growing. Already in the first season, he laid out exactly what he wanted his life to be, and

I like seeing him make choices to make that happen.

MC: So many people have a particular backstory for their favorite characters. Do you have a full origin story for Joel or are you just rolling with it as it comes?

JH: There is only so much backstory one can do, because then it’s like “whoops,” the next episode comes and you realize that you were wrong (laughs)! I do feel like I know him; there are certain lines where I won’t say a line a certain way because he wouldn’t say it that way.

MC: As an actor, it is probably crucial for you to get to know not just the material, but the person that you are portraying, is that fair to say?

JH: Yeah, absolutely! Like how he would respond to things. There are certain times you just have to make it work, though (laughs)!

MC: Working with Bridget Everett must be an absolutely dynamic and endlessly raucous experience. This season you even get motor-boated by her!

JH: (laughs) it was a real treat! It has happened before, I’m not going to lie, but it was nice to get it on film.

MC: What is one thing about working with Bridget Everett that people may not realize or be aware of?

JH: You might expect her to be someone who’s like “let’s party!” all the time, but she’s quiet and introspective. We also live together, so it’s kind of like “before the coffee, let’s be quiet” (laughs)! I really respect it!

MC: Murray Hill is a New York City legend and it is absolutely wonderful to see them getting their flowers right now. Being able to watch them get the recognition that they deserve must be a wonderfully cool experience for you.

JH: It is so cool. We were just texting, and—I don’t know what I can say—but he’s shooting a big movie. It’s so cool, on a big budget movie hanging out with movie stars, it’s so thrilling. I walked by

a restaurant that we used to go to in Los Angeles together and we both wished the other was there and I said, “no I don’t—I wish you were filming your big ass movie” (laughs)!

MC: Now that Joel is single and ready to mingle, are we looking at Grindr or Scruff or a more traditional way of meet-

ing someone? What kind of man is Joel attracted to?

JH: Well, I kind of know, that is a backstory that I know. I don’t think he’s ready for Grindr. I think he would be very sex positive, and I think that the thing for him that is the biggest turn on is emotional intimacy vs physical. I think he’s looking for something that is a little bit more romantic. I think he wants to meet someone in the world, you know?

MC: We’re all going to be spending the summer bingeing Season 2 of Somebody Somewhere so what does your own summer look like? Beach time, enjoying RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 maybe?

JH: I have a friend, a straight woman, whose cisgendered straight family owns a place in the Fire Island Pines, so I think I am going to spend some time there. Will I be watching Drag Race? Of course! I watch it immediately after it comes out!

MC: The LGBTQ community is receiving so much hate right now. From your perspective, how do you think the community can effectively push back from all of the rhetoric coming towards us?

JH: I think a big thing is to be out. Show that we’re human, that we’re all people. Right now, these politicians are using us as a way to rally their base to say, “look at these evil monsters,” and we’re not evil monsters. I think the other really big thing that we need to do is protect the kids; they’re coming for the kids?! We’ve come so far…when I was coming out, I didn’t tell anyone until I was 20. We finally got to a place where people are finally comfortable telling their families this and now the government is coming for them?! It’s so obviously craven and it’s such a distraction from the things that are really going on. ▼

Follow Jeff Hiller on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boomboomhiller/?hl=en“

Michael Cook has been a part-time resident of Rehoboth Beach for over a decade. He is currently a contributor to Instinct Magazine, World of Wonder’s WOW Report, and South Florida Gay News.

Photos: Sandy Morris/HBO

We’ve come so far…when I was coming out, I didn’t tell anyone until I was 20.

Vince Nikolov PARTNER

CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

Memorial Day Weekend Jump

Starts Summer 2023! Big Love Benefit, Washington Blade Summer Kickoff at Blue Moon, Goolee's 20th Anniversary, and Much More!

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Purple Parrot: Chuck McSweeney, Michael Clay, Michael Dick, Michael Maloon, Dwane Shubert, Paul Frene, Jose Anthony, Carlos Shubert; 2) at Irish Eyes: Joanne Yurik, Sharon Miken, Geri Dibiase; 3) at Eden Restaurant: Jeff Raver, Mat Gulick, Jeff McCraken, Matt McKinnis.

OPPOSITE PAGE 4) at Washington Blade Foundation’s Summer Kickoff Party at Blue Moon: Mike DeFlavia, DE State Senator Marie Pinkney, Kevin Naff, Dan Truitt, Mark Queen, Marc Chase, George Toma, Justin Noble, Aaron Koslof, Jamie Idzi, Reece Ruether, Chris Berg, Terry Kistler, Nancy Marlone, Brian Pitts, Wes Combs, Greg Albright, Laurie Thompson, Tara Sheldon, Matty Brown, Jordan Crump, More CAMPshots page 54

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 53)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Washington Blade Foundation’s Summer Kickoff Party at Blue Moon: Nate Gillespie, Lisa Oberdorf, Marcus Berl, Tama Viola, Jamie Shepard, Holly Lane, Cliff Lassahan, Patrick Keating, Lou Chibbaro, Michael Lavers; 2) at Houston White Restaurant: Mark Aguirre, Brendan, Wayne Gleason; 3) at Lupo Restaurant: Eric Engelhart, Chris Beagle, Kelly Phillips, Kimberly Grim, Tony Burns; 4) at Rehoboth Art League: Emie Hughes, Patrick Reiter, Wyeth Shankweiler, Morgan Shankweiler, Penn Shankweiler, John Shankweiler.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 5) at BigLove Benefit for CAMP Rehoboth: Matt Rider, Jacob Anthony, Eileen O’Neill, Kevin Fletcher, Tony Zacchei, Bryn Bennett, Randy Hinkle, Steve Bolt, Michael Sweeney, Kevin McDuffie, Gianni Ballarin, John Echard, Eric Tomlinson, John Hackett, Ken Gissler, Joe Matassino, Tom Newton, Tim Murray, Tuan Huyn, Sean McNulty, Randy Hinkle, Al Drulis, Scott Silber, Lynden Armstrong, Noah Cohen.

(More CAMPshots page 112)

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR & DEBBIE WOODS

Purple Parrot Beach Haus & Biergarten

Key West with a German accent!

When conceptualizing their new restaurant circa 1998, Purple Parrot owners Hugh Fuller and Troy Roberts were envisioning an upscale steakhouse. Then they traveled to the Caribbean and saw that tropical/casual-themed restaurants were extra popular, and the light bulb came on. Once back in Rehoboth, they immediately transformed their idea into the Purple Parrot. And are we glad they did!

Who remembers their original location, complete with the upstairs Bird Cage at 247 Rehoboth Avenue? Since 2005, the Parrot has been the bright-purple-colored, very inviting, beach-cottage-style building at 134 Rehoboth Avenue. In 2010, Hugh and Troy added the popular Biergarten, which is open to Wilmington Avenue with a very casual, tropical feel. It is now officially called the Purple Parrot Beach Haus & Biergarten.

With its wildly painted interior and the sounds of fun and enjoyment coming from the patrons on the front porch and in the Biergarten, this place just radiates excitement.

Upon arrival we checked in with Chandler. Despite being busy behind the bar, he provided terrific service from beginning to end.

Now, to the food! The Parrot’s menu features quite a variety of appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches, nine different burgers, and 12 entrees. Chandler told us they were prepared to offer us “small plates” so we could sample more items. Ha! The small plates weren’t so small!

We began our feast with a couple of cocktails. Debbie started with a mango crush. Sweet and refreshing. Leslie selected a “perfect” margarita, which she described as tart and delicious—a classic. We followed up later with a mojito (different flavors available) and a tequila crush, which has a touch of grapefruit. All were winners! Please note: the cocktails served to us were also small versions.

For our first course we enjoyed the Island Mojo App, which consists of “fallin’ off

da bone” pork ribs, glazed in their famous citrus BBQ, and the onion rings, a fan favorite. Yes, the meat fell off the bones and the sauce was a delectable smoky/sweet flavor. The onion rings did not disappoint, as they were crisp and golden.

Fries, which provided the German accent to the Key West vibe. The Parrot’s version is pork pounded thin, lightly breaded, and fried to perfection. It was accompanied by traditional red cabbage. Both were excellent examples of authentic German cuisine.

That was as much as we could handle for the evening, but there are additional selections we must share with you. There are Caribbean-inspired dishes in keeping with the Parrot’s Key West atmosphere, such as coconut shrimp, jerk chicken which comes in a sandwich or as an entrée, blackened grouper, and the Hawaiian Gobbler—a teriyaki glazed turkey burger. There are even a couple of comfort food options like fish and chips, meatloaf, and blackened chicken Alfredo. We need to go back!

For veggie lovers, the Parrot offers a grilled portabella app, spinach quesadilla, an impossible burger, and of course a variety of salads, including a Spinach Salad (with walnuts, dried cranberries, and blue cheese), the Beach House Salad, and a Parrot Caesar.

If you like a very relaxed and fun atmosphere and delicious food, you will definitely have a great dining experience at the Purple Parrot.

Next came fish tacos made with flaky white fish, perfectly cooked, and a delicious spicy slaw with some warmth to complement the mild fish. Then, two popular entrées were delivered to our table by Brent. At this point, our friends— who happened to be sitting nearby—were hysterical at the supposedly “small plates” and the amount of food being brought to our table!

But back to the entrées. There are many crab cakes available in our area and Purple Parrot’s rank among the best. Ours was nicely broiled and chock full of jumbo lump crab chunks with very little filler. These should be at the top of your musttry list. Our other entrée was Schnitzel and

There is a limit, and we could not fit in a dessert, but they did not leave it off the menu. You have a choice of chocolate lava cake, key lime pie, or cheesecake.

The Purple Parrot Beach Haus & Biergarten also serves brunch on Sundays with discount bloody marys, mimosas, and crushes. Sunday dinner boasts a $16.75 prime rib special. Look for other specials every day of the week.

If you like a very relaxed and fun atmosphere and delicious food, you will definitely have a great dining experience at the Purple Parrot—just as we did. In a fitting conclusion to our wonderful evening, we tacked up our very own signed dollar bill. Look for it next time you visit the Purple Parrot! ▼

Leslie Sinclair and her wife Debbie Woods are longtime fans of the Rehoboth Beach dining and entertainment scene and have been fulltime residents since 2009.

CAMP REHOBOTH BEACH GUIDE

BEACH

REHOBOTH RETAIL SHOPS

New Wave Spas, 20660 Coastal Hwy

Unfinished Business, Rt. 1 behind Panera Bread

302-227-8484

302-645-8700

REHOBOTH ART | GALLERIES | MUSEUMS

Caroline Huff, Fine Artist www.carolinehuff.com

Gallery 50, 50 Wilmington Ave

Philip Morton Gallery, 47 Baltimore Ave

Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Ln

Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave

REHOBOTH FOOD & DRINK

1776 Steakhouse, Midway Shopping Center

Aqua, 57 Baltimore Ave

Back Porch Café, 59 Rehoboth Ave

Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave

Café Azafrán, 18 Baltimore Ave

Café Papillon, Penny Lane Mall

Coho’s Market & Grill, 305 Rehoboth Ave

Diego’s Bar Nightclub, 37298 Rehoboth Ave

Dos Locos, 208 Rehoboth Ave

Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3 South First St

Go Fish, 24 Rehoboth Ave

Goolee’s Grille, 11 South 1st St

Just In Thyme, 38163 Robinsons Dr

Lori’s Café, 39 Baltimore Ave

Loves Liquors, LLC, 305c Rehoboth

302-227-2050

302-727-0905

302-227-8408

302-227-7310

302-645-9355

302-226-9001

302-227-3674

302-227-6515

302-227-8100

302-227-7568

302-227-2646

302-227-1023

302-227-3353

302-527-1400

302-226-1044

302-227-7653

302-227-3100

302-226-3066

Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous—add’l schedules

302-856-6452

Saturdays 6 pm: Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd (step meeting)

Saturdays 7:30 pm: All Saints’ Church, 18 Olive Ave (step meeting)

Tuesdays noon: St. Peter’s Church, 211 Mulberry St, Lewes (step meeting)

Lewes Senior Activity Center (age 50+) 302-645-9293

PFLAG-Rehoboth—3rd Tuesdays, Public Library, 111 Adams Ave, Lewes

SLAA and SAA—Thursdays, 7:30 pm, All Saints’ Church

Social Security Administration—Lewes office

TransLiance of DE—Rehoboth—4th Tuesdays at 7 pm, MCC of Rehoboth; contact: TransLiance@gmail.com COUNSELING/THERAPY/LIFE

LEGAL/ACCOUNTING/TRUST SERVICES

Lawson Firm, 402 Rehoboth Ave

PWW Law LLC, 1519 Savannah Rd, Lewes

Steven Falcone CPA, Taxes & Planning

MASSAGE THERAPY/FITNESS

Midway Fitness & Racquetball, Midway Center

One Spirit Massage, 169 Rehoboth Ave

Reiki CENTRAL, thecentralfirm.com

PEST CONTROL

Activ Pest Solutions, 16803 New Rd, Lewes

PET RETAIL

Critter Beach, 156 Rehoboth Ave

302-226-3700

302-703-6993

302-644-8634

302-645-0407

302-226-3552

302-408-0878

302-645-1502

302-226-2690

Pet Portraits by Monique 717-650-4626

PET SERVICES

Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 Dupont Blvd, G’twn .........

302-856-6361

Humane Animal Partners (formerly Delaware Humane Association & Delaware SPCA)

Little Landmines Pet Waste Removal. littlelandmines.com

Parsell Pet Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy, Lewes

REAL ESTATE

Allen Jarmon, NextHome Tomorrow Realty

Bill Peiffer, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy

Chris Beagle, Compass

Donna Whiteside, Berkshire Hathaway, 16712 Kings Hwy

Hugh Fuller, Realtor

John Black, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy

Lana Warfield, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave

Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 16698 Kings Hwy

Lingo Realty, 246 Rehoboth Ave

302-200-7159

302-521-3983

302-645-7445

302-745-5122

302-703-6987

302-273-4998

302-381-4871

302-745-1866

302-703-6987

302-227-6101

302-645-6664

302-227-3883

McWilliams Ballard, Kevin McDuffie kmcduffie@mcwb.com

McWilliams Ballard, Justin Orr jorr@mcwb.com

Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Lingo Realty

Sea Bova Associates, 20250 Coastal Hwy

The Joe Maggio Group, 37169 Rehoboth Ave Ext., #11

Troy Roberts, Mann & Sons, 414 Rehoboth Ave

302-227-3883

302-227-1222

302-226-3770

302-228-7422

RETIREMENT LIVING/SENIOR CARE FACILITIES

Springpoint Choice, 17028 Cadbury Cir, Lewes

The Lodge at Truitt Homestead, 36233 Farm Ln .................

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION

Accent On Travel, 37156 Rehoboth Ave

CHEER Transportation (age 50+)

Jolly Trolley Shuttle from Rehoboth Ave & Boardwalk

INSURANCE

Eric Blondin, State Farm

George Bunting, State Farm

Jeanine O’Donnell, State Farm

Williams Hwy

302-645-6671

302-644-3276

302-227-3891

302-645-7283

302-313-6658

302-232-6372

302-278-6100

302-856-4909

302-644-0400

Olivia Travel 800-631-6277 ext. 696

POPULAR LGBTQ BEACHES

Poodle Beach, south end of the Rehoboth Boardwalk

Cape Henlopen State Park, Ocean Dr north to Cape Henlopen State Park. Daily parking rate in effect March-November.

IS BORN

Pioneer Marsha P. Johnson

friends when possible.

At birth (August 24, 1945), she was given a gender—male—and a name—Malcolm Michaels Jr.— but neither fit. She was comfortable in girls’ clothing but that made other people uncomfortable (and sometimes violent). After high school, she moved to New York City with just $15 and a bag of clothes. She tried some new names, including “Black Marsha,” but the one she settled on was Marsha P. Johnson. The middle initial represented her response to folks who questioned her gender: “Pay it no mind.”

With few resources, Johnson turned to prostitution to support herself. It was (and still is) dangerous work, especially for a transgender person. Then, Johnson found a kindred spirit: Sylvia Rivera. They became instant and lifelong friends. Sylvia was also new to New York, trying to survive on her own, and transgender. But at just 11 years old, she had a lot to learn. Johnson shared what she knew, from applying makeup to how to stay safe on the street and learn to love herself and her identity.

Johnson was resourceful, often keeping her belongings in a Port Authority locker and putting her signature look together with street finds. She used department store makeup samples. Assembled elaborate crowns of flowers. Author Steve Watson referred to Johnson’s style as “camp-garbage aesthetic” and said, “Marsha’s transformation defies masculinity, but [s]he is still a far cry from feminine… out-sized features protruding beneath the makeup, flamboyant clothes set on a sixfoot body, muscled arms and legs. Marsha eludes gender and ends up a countercultural saint of transformation.”

Johnson sometimes waited tables or performed in drag shows but made most of her money as a sex worker. She slept where she could—in hotel rooms, bathhouses, bars, or movie theaters, living with

Then came Stonewall. Although the details are unclear, Johnson was a prominent figure in the uprising. If she wasn’t there at the start, she certainly would have come running.

to acquaintance Robert Heide, Johnson could be aggressive, speak in a deeper voice, and “become a very nasty, vicious man, looking for fights.”

Johnson became a local celebrity in New York City’s gay and art scene. She sang and performed as a member of the drag performance troupe Hot Peaches from 1972 into the 1990s. She was once photographed by famed artist Andy Warhol. When Johnson became HIV positive, she became an AIDS activist as well. She was arrested more than a hundred times.

Following a Gay Pride parade in 1992, Johnson’s body was discovered floating in the Hudson River. Although her death was initially ruled a suicide, there were contradictory reports and evidence. Bias crime and anti-LGBT violence by police was at a peak in New York City. Although the case has been reopened several times, it remains unsolved.

Afterward, she began attending rallies, sit-ins, and meetings of the newly-formed Gay Liberation Front, but complained that white gay men and lesbians were controlling the narrative. She questioned where transgender people fit in. They were more likely to be homeless and were often targeted by police. She was particularly concerned for transgender youth.

With her friend Sylvia Rivera, Johnson founded Street Transvestite* Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.). They used a trailer as a shelter and social space for trans sex workers and other LGBTQ+ street youth. After it was towed away, they rented a four-room communal house, with Johnson as the resident house mother. The landlord turned the electricity off, but for as long as they were able to keep it, the house served as a safe place where whoever showed up slept wherever they could, including in the bathtub.

Johnson was generally warm and caring, but she struggled with mental illness and had an angry, violent side when depressed or under severe stress. According

In June 2019, Marsha P. Johnson was among the 50 “pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes” named on the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor when it was installed as a memorial within the Stonewall Inn. Then, on August 24, 2020, the 75th anniversary of Johnson’s birth, the East River State Park was renamed “Marsha P. Johnson State Park,” making it the first New York state park named after an openly LGBTQ+ person.

Marsha P. Johnson lived most of her life in poverty. She was frequently homeless, yet gave people clothing, food, and shelter when she had it to offer. She was a tireless advocate who battled for the rights of transgender people, even within the gay rights movement. So, her name may not be a household word, but we really should pay her some mind. ▼ *The term transgender did not come into use until 1979.

“No pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”

— Marsha P. Johnson

Nancy Sakaduski is an award-winning writer and editor who owns Cat & Mouse Press in Lewes, Delaware.

Photo: Marsha P. Johnson at the March 1974 Christopher Street Liberation Day March, inspired by the 1969 Stonewall Riots. Leonard Fink Photographs, The LGBT Community Center National History Archive.

Then came Stonewall. Although the details are unclear, Johnson was a prominent figure in the uprising.

Words Matter

Pride and Joy

There are a lot of horrible things happening in the world. Books are being banned. College staff are being fired from their jobs for including their pronouns in their email signatures. Lawmakers are introducing legislation in numerous states that would prohibit gender-affirming care for young people that need it. Individuals are damaging displays in retail stores and posting videos that are going viral spewing ignorance and misinformation. The livelihood and safety of drag performers is being threatened in numerous communities. Calls to ban trans athletes from competing are continuing to grow in several states. Data shows that in America, LGBTQIA+ youth are experiencing unprecedented mental health challenges. All of that is just in the United States.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-LGBTQ law that includes a penalty of up to 20 years in prison for “promoting” homosexuality and a death penalty sentence for “aggravated homosexuality.” According to the international organization Human Rights Watch, there are at least 67 countries have national laws criminalizing same-sex relations between consenting adults.

The attacks on LGBTQIA+ people, our families, and allies are all very heavy and a lot to process, so when I was asked recently, “What makes you joyful to celebrate Pride this year?” I had to reflect for a while before I could respond. The last 12 months have been challenging for our community.

Yet, after a bit of quiet, I smiled and replied: I am joyful to celebrate Pride this year because Pride reminds me that I can dance while I debate. That I can shake my hips while I shake up the world. That my movements are part of the movement.

Multiple things can be true at the same time. There is so much work to do in the movement for visibility and equity for all LGBTQIA+ people, and we must fight for that visibility and equity. We must also remember that we are people, human beings, like any other and as much as

we deserve visibility and equity, we also deserve rest and joy. All those things are worthy of our pursuit and being.

Singing, dancing, laughing, building community on the dance floor, at the beach, in a park or at a festival—those cherished moments of enjoyment punctuate life, and make it sweeter, even in what sometimes feels like a bitter world. As humans we need those experiences to lift us up, keep us going, and share.

Joy is our birthright. Joy is also a form of resistance. Alice Walker famously wrote, “the world has changed: it did not change without your prayers without your faith without your determination to believe in liberation and kindness; without your dancing through the years that had no beat.” Walker went on to note, “Hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof.” So, dance while you debate. Have a party after you protest.

And while we need to have a good time, embrace, snatch, and steal joy wherever we can find it, we must also find rest.

The work of trying to dismantle structures of oppression, playing “whack-a-mole” responding to the latest culture war issue taking over the news and social media timelines, all the while seeking to maintain

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

your own health, job, relationships, and family commitments can be absolutely exhausting.

Tricia Hersey, founder of the Nap Ministry and author of Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto asserts that “Treating each other and ourselves with care isn’t a luxury, but an absolute necessity if we’re going to thrive. Resting isn’t an afterthought, but a basic part of being human.” Rest is essential to our mental, physical, and spiritual health. A healthy life cannot be achieved without rest. We need rest to move from surviving to thriving and Hersey reminds us that it is our divine right to do so.

During Pride season I will continue to push for visibility and equity. I will also push myself and others to intentionally make space for joy and rest. Resist! ▼

Clarence J. Fluker is a public affairs and social impact strategist. Since 2008, he’s also been a contributing writer for Swerv, a lifestyle periodical celebrating African American LGBTQ+ culture and community. Follow him on Twitter: @CJFluker or Instagram: @ Mr_CJFluker.

So, dance while you debate. Have a party after you protest.

BY ANN APTAKER

The Music of Justice and Sex: Marc Blitzstein

When no less than Leonard Bernstein laments the passing of a fellow composer into near obscurity and describes him as “the greatest master of the setting of the American language to music,” one has to ask, who is this guy?

This guy was Marc Blitzstein. During the decades of the Depression and into the mid-twentieth century, when American musical theater was riding high on tuneful revues and the Americana of Gershwin, Kern, and Rogers and Hammerstein, Marc Blitzstein was writing theater scores, operas, and songs which addressed injustice, oppression, workers’ rights, and yes, the gay male experience—though this last was often sub rosa.

Blitzstein made no secret of his leftist politics, and he was, in fact, briefly a member of the Communist Party. His sympathies for labor issues and workers’ struggles were most famously expressed in his The Cradle Will Rock, a show whose story and controversial performance rocked the Broadway musical theater world on June 16, 1937.

Originally commissioned by President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (the WPA), that same WPA got cold feet at the show’s raw leftist script and songs. The government sent security personnel to padlock Broadway’s Maxine Elliot Theater on the night of the show’s premier, locking out cast, crew and audience. The show’s director, the always plucky Orson Welles, hastily secured the Venice Theater nearby. Everyone—cast, crew, audience—marched along the street to the new venue. There, the show was performed without costumes, sets, or orchestra, with Blitzstein providing the music at a piano and the cast performing from seats in the audience, standing up for their scenes and songs. The audience cheered. The show’s gutsy performance was a resounding success.

Where The Cradle Will Rock expressed Blitzstein’s political sympathies,

other works flirted with his homosexuality. As a leftist and thus a staunch anti-fascist, Blitzstein enlisted in the army during World War Two. Assigned to the US Eighth Army Air Force’s Film Division

a scheduled mission. But the mission is called off at the last minute, and as the men sing they remove their gear, article of clothing by article of clothing, down to the “long handled drawers.” LGBTQ historian Eric A. Gordon calls this “a musical striptease, obvious to any gay listener but closeted (in 1946) against a straight audience’s perception.”

Among New York’s theater and music citizens, many of whom were themselves gay, Blitzstein’s homosexuality was no secret. Nor were his sexual preferences. He was known to be a patron of the infamous Everard Baths in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood, and by all accounts he favored the sexual company of laborers and working-class men. In this he was much like New York’s earlier troubadour of gay male experience, the poet Walt Whitman, some of whose poems Blitzstein set to music in his Calamus song cycle.

Despite the success of The Cradle Will Rock, and The Airborne Symphony, as well as his operas and song cycles generally well received by the public and championed by leading musical lights such as Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, Blitzstein’s life was marked by depression, and ended badly. Vacationing in Martinique in 1964, he fell victim to a vicious gay bashing, murdered by three sailors who it is believed he may have propositioned.

in London, Blitzstein was commissioned to score the Army Air Force’s film depicting the history of aviation. The result was The Airborne Symphony, an orchestral and choral work which had its American premier after the war.

Under the baton of Leonard Bernstein, The Airborne Symphony premiered in April 1946. The three-part work examines aviation from its birth and its eventual role in modern warfare. The third section features the “Ballad of Hurry Up,” where a male chorus representing a crew of bombardiers is hastily getting into flight gear, from underwear through flight jackets and helmets, for

After his death, Blitzstein’s work suffered a decline in popularity, to the dismay of Bernstein and Copland. Now, though, music scholars are giving the work a second hearing, finding beauty and bravery in Blitzstein’s compositions, and indeed, his life. ▼

Ann Aptaker is the author of short stories and the Lambda & Goldie award winning Cantor Gold series. The next in the series, A Crime of Secrets, will be released in July 2023.

The show’s director, the always plucky Orson Welles, hastily secured the Venice Theater nearby.

BY ERIC W. WAHL

Planting with Purpose

As many of you know, planting with native plants and educating others on the value of native plants is one of the facets of my work. A portion of the outreach and education that the Delaware Native Plant Society provides during the course of a year is hosting volunteer opportunities for landscape rehabilitation and reforestation throughout the state. A recent project that we have taken on, in coordination with the City of Dover, is rehabilitating a storm water management pond at a local park.

This includes selecting, installing, and monitoring native plants around the perimeter of the pond as well just inside the water’s edge—the fun stuff. But it also includes the more not-so-fun stuff like removing trash, eradicating invasives, and thinning out aggressive woody vegetation from around the pond.

The purpose of this rehabilitation, as I see it, is two-fold: One, it increases wildlife and pollinator habitat and all the ecosystem services provided by this type of measure. And two, it beautifies the environment while helping to educate the public at large. Many times we pass by nondescript areas without realizing the benefits that are occurring in that one spot. By planting species that are more showy, we can help attract people’s attention and highlight the important features of the site.

A few examples of these plantings in Dover can be applied to your own home gardens, especially if you have a low, wet area in your yard or a rain garden that helps mitigate drainage.

Let’s start with lobelia, of which we are planting three species. We thought it would be fun to plant a mixture of colors of lobelia around the edge of the pond, where it regularly floods during rain events and remains somewhat moist most of the time.

Lobelia cardinalis or cardinal flower is probably the most well-known of the lobelias. It’s vibrant red flowers are tubular and are pollinated by hummingbirds. It grows up to five or six feet tall, can spread

easily, and likes moist and wet conditions. It can take sun, part-sun, or shade. It can bloom anytime from May through October. Cardinal flower gets its name from the bright red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals. The plant is toxic if ingested in large quantities, but Native Americans did use it in small quantities in teas to treat ailments.

Another lobelia is Lobelia siphiltica or great blue lobelia. Best known for its color as well, since blue is somewhat rare in the wild. This lobelia blooms later in summer and also prefers moist to wet conditions. It can grow up to five feet tall. The species name is a little unfortunate—it was thought to be a cure for syphilis. However, like cardinal flower, all parts of this plant are toxic if taken in large quantities. Great blue lobelia attracts birds, including hummingbirds, and native bees.

There is also a white form of Lobelia siphilitica called “Alba.” It’s common name is just “great lobelia.” This particular variety prefers the shade and does not do well in the extreme afternoon sun. It still prefers moist to wet soil conditions and grows to be about three feet in height. As with all lobelias, the flowers are tubular in shape and attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies. The flowers bloom from early- to mid-summer.

Planted together, these lobelias can create a stunning and patriotic display just in time for the July 4 holiday. If you have an area in your yard that stays wet or moist throughout the year, can provide shade to full-sun opportunities, and want forage resources for our pollinators, consider growing these wonderful native plants. They’ll be sure to bring you joy as well as native wildlife to your own backyard oasis. Be well, and let’s garden together. ▼

Eric W. Wahl is Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society.

As with all lobelias, the flowers are tubular in shape and attract hummingbirds as well as butterflies.

Soaring Above the Wild City

Keeping Pride Alive Amid Hate

Acharm of finches (to use a not-very-accurate collective noun) lurks in trees near Firehook Bakery where I often start my day. They quickly descend upon any crumb I toss onto the sidewalk.

This morning they were more aggressive than usual. I was sitting with friends, and every so often one of the finches would fly up and hover at the edge of the table, ready to dart in and grab my muffin. You can wave them off, but they persist. Of course, it’s my own fault for feeding them.

A group of sparrows is called a host. I suspect the birds outside the bakery are a mix of finches and sparrows. If birder Christian Cooper were here, I would consult him.

Were I a New Yorker, I might well have arisen before dawn some morning and gone to Central Park looking for Mr. Cooper in the Ramble. In addition to his other qualities, he is openly gay. But he is off crisscrossing America for National Geographic, which gave him a TV show.

In her notorious encounter with Christian in the Ramble three years ago, Amy Cooper (no relation), whom he had politely asked to leash her dog in accordance with a nearby sign, decided to weaponize her white womanhood against him. So she called the police and claimed he was attacking her. He had wisely taken out his phone and videotaped the encounter as it heated up. When her bosses at Franklin Templeton saw that, they fired her.

That incident in the Ramble became a happy exception to the familiar trope of a white woman posing as a victim and the Black guy she targeted being treated as a thug. Amy was fired, and Christian won a gig with National Geographic.

New York’s recent “Citi Bike Karen” incident, in which Sarah Jane Comrie sought to weaponize her white womanhood against a Black 17-year-old to take a bike he was not finished with, shows the persistence of white entitle-

ment. Comments on social media show the racial lens by which some people cherry-pick evidence to label the teenager a criminal. As with the Ramble incident,

BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

Comrie’s fake tears and fake cry for help are tactics that deliberately put Black lives at risk. When I watch the video, I think of my biracial nephews, who could easily find themselves in similar crosshairs.

Citi Bike’s website advises that you can “avoid extra time fees by docking your bike every 30 minutes.” One person, her mind already made up, accused the 17-year-old of “gaming the system.” That Comrie herself tried to game the system was overlooked because her unmerited skin privilege is taken for granted.

The nickname “Karen” took hold in recent years due to the tactic’s frequent use, as evidenced by phone videos. The exploitation of such base impulses by Republican politicians tears at our social fabric.

A key lesson of the GOP’s constant

stoking of social divisions is that we’re never more than a few dozen unscrupulous demagogues away from losing our republic. One tweet cautioned, “We Floridians have learned not to underestimate Gov. DeSantis” despite his uninspired entry into the presidential race.

So, what do we do about it? I’m sure the answer is not just to hang out on Twitter sparring with MAGA trolls. But it does no harm to stay in practice. One of my fellow liberal holdouts on that deteriorating platform, longtime Village Voice writer Michael Musto, responded to a story about the Proud Boys planning attacks on Pride celebrations, “This is their sneaky way of getting to attend Pride festivities.” I replied, “I have long suspected that Enrique Tarrio has a Tom of Finland collection.”

Our wisecracks do not mean we take the fascist threat lightly. We laugh to avoid screaming.

Cooper writes, “Even in my beloved Central Park, even before that now-infamous encounter, a part of me was always keenly aware that for me, as a Black man, stalking behind a shrub with a black metal object [binoculars] in my hands would most likely be interpreted far differently…from a white birder doing the very same thing and holding the same pair of binoculars.”

Birding nonetheless opened up for Cooper a connection to the wild world around him that helped him transcend the role the human world had assigned him.

Venturing outside our hermetically sealed bubbles of conviction and quietly observing the wild creatures around us can teach us a lesson that could help save us and our planet: everything is not about you. ▼

Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at rrosendall@me.com.

Photo: Mark Olsen, Unsplash

…quietly observing the wild creatures around us can teach us a lesson that could help save us and our planet: everything is not about you.

L o v e o u t l o u d w i t h p r i d e .

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The Sea Salt Table BY

Almost Thrasher’s Fries

My Mom was buxom. My sisters are not. So, I’m figuring my Dad was well-endowed. Things tend to skip a generation.

I did inherit my Dad’s prominent nose. And large pores. Oh, and the occasional acne in my 50s. OK, I’ll stop the self-deprecation.

Don’t get me wrong. I consider myself passable. On a scale from 9 to 10, I’m a very solid 7. With soft lighting and a last call buzz, I push 7.5.

Of course, I’d love to be a model-worthy beauty. Just for a day, or even one hot hour. To turn the heads of every gender and inclination. But I’ve also always felt a bit sorry for the gorgeous people among us. They have the farthest to fall. I think as I age, I don’t have as much to lose.

Sound shallow? Truly, it’s not. With average looks, I knew all my life that my friends and love interests appreciated all of me. My smarts, my sense of humor, my heart. I was never someone’s arm candy (although my husband makes me feel that way). But that’s OK because I’m more than what’s in my mirror.

This is not to say that the beautiful people among us lack depth. But I imagine it would be easy to get caught up in what’s on the surface. And fall into the trap of that’s the majority of who you are.

Which brings me back to aging. Am

I grayer than ever? Yes. Do I see the area under my chin drooping, maybe even waddling a little? Yes. On a weak day, I see the totality of these things and it can bring me down. On a strong day, I’m happy to be alive in any form.

If I had a motto on aging it would be “Don’t age gracefully. Just be.” Stop focusing on the aging part and enjoy the day you’ve been given. I know, it sounds trite and overly simple. But trust me, it’s challenging. I often have to dust myself off and start all over again.

We live in a world that celebrates looks and youth. And I oh so don’t want to become that “cute little old man.” But press on, I say! Eat cake and everything else in moderation. Drink up. Wear the good underwear. And a smile!

So, this month I’m featuring a recipe that any Speedo model would envy as he nibbles his carrot sticks. French fries! Think Thrasher’s on the boardwalk. Making fries at home is easy. And you can serve them with ketchup, a Thrasher’s no-no!

I found this recipe many years ago and I wish I could give the creator their shout out. I think his first name was Joe, and I think it was in an issue of Men’s Health of all places. The coolest part of this recipe is you don’t need to preheat the oil. I know it’s a crazy approach, but it works.

Let’s get started, shall we?

STEPS

ED CASTELLI

 Cut an onion into small wedges top to bottom, then separate the layers into the bottom of a large pot.

 Cut 1 pound of unpeeled Idaho potatoes into 3/8-inch fries. Wash them briefly in cold water, then blot dry with a clean dish towel.

 Put the fries in the pot and just cover with peanut oil (about 2 to 3 cups, depending on your pot). Give it all a gentle stir and place over high heat.

The oil will start to slowly bubble, becoming faster and more furious as it heats up. The goal is to reach, but not exceed, 350° at which point the fries are golden brown and done.

You can use a thermometer to monitor your oil. But I find the fries are done long before the 350° mark, taking about 20 to 25 minutes. If you’re not sure, try one.

Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the fries onto a cookie sheet lined with some paper towels. Remove the towels with the excess oil, salt the fries, and serve.

TIPS

• Oil matters. Use peanut. That’s the main trick to the boardwalk fries’ flavor!

• You can certainly peel the potatoes. But I prefer them with skin, again for that authentic boardwalk taste.

• Eat or don’t eat the onions, but don’t skip them. They add a lot to the final product.

• Pick your salt: super fine, kosher, flaked, smoked, or flavored. Or go for the gusto, adding a sprinkling of spices such as Old Bay.▼

Ed and his husband Jerry split their time between homes near Harrisburg Pennsylvania and Bethany Beach. Ed builds websites to pay the bills but loves to cook, garden, hike, and dote on their dog Atticus. Recipe requests and feedback welcome: ed@seasalttable.com.

So, this month I’m featuring a recipe that any Speedo model would envy as he nibbles his carrot sticks.

Q Puzzle Hope in Montana Solution on Page 116

Deep Inside Hollywood

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Natalie Morales Is My Dead Friend Zoe

Queeractor-director Natalie Morales—she’s currently costarring in the Jennifer Lawrence film No Hard Feelings and recently directed the 2021 teen contraception comedy, Plan B—has a new project where she literally plays dead. My Dead Friend Zoe stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery) as a veteran who shares an ongoing conversation with her quippy best friend from the Army, Zoe (Morales), who happens to not be alive anymore. When she’s tasked with caring for her estranged grandfather (Ed Harris, Westworld), who’s also a vet, Zoe comes along for the ride. It’s the debut feature from Kyle Hausmann-Stokes (who co-wrote with A.J. Bermudez), based on his short film Merit x Zoe, and both projects were inspired by Hausmann-Stokes’ experience in military service. In production now, be on the lookout for the dark comedy when it finds its way to theaters. ▼

Fairyland Takes Flight

Opening night of Frameline47, aka the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, now in its 47th year, will see the Sofia Coppola-produced Fairyland take the screen. The debut feature of Andrew Durham is an adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s book Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father, the true story of a young girl who winds up living with her gay father in San Francisco in the bohemian 1970s and into the AIDS crisis of the 1980s. Starring Scoot McNairy (Argo) as the father, Emilia Jones (CODA) as adult Alysia Abbott and Nessa Dougherty as young Alysia, the film also features Geena Davis, Adam Lambert and Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova. This makes two big fest appearances for Fairyland it premiered earlier this year at Sundance—and while there’s no official release date yet, with that kind of high profile it will almost certainly find its way to a grown-up cinema environment near you a little further down the road. ▼

Julianne Moore Serves Queer History in Mary & George

Somestraight people love to tell you there were no queer people in history. There were plenty, and Mary & George, a new limited series from D.C. Moore (Killing Eve), and directed by Oliver Hermanus (the brutal South African queer drama Beauty), is about to deliver the intrigue. Based on Benjamin Woolley’s book, The King’s Assassin, and starring Julianne Moore, the historical drama tells the story of Mary Villiers, a woman determined to rise to the top of the English aristocracy by any means necessary, including bribing people, consorting with a criminal element, and insinuating her son George (Nicholas Galitzine, Cinderella) into the life and bed of King James I. George becomes the Duke of Buckingham and gains all the power Mother desires. Royal corset and wig fans who are always rooting for the villains will eat this up. It’s set to air soon in the UK, so look for it to steam up a US streamer sometime after that.  ▼

A Savage Christmas Brings Trans Comedy to Holiday Viewing

Bubbling up in Brisbane, Australia, is the comedy-drama A Savage Christmas, from first-time feature filmmaker Madeleine Dyer. Starring newcomers Thea Raveneau, Rekha Ryan, and Max Jahufer (who co-wrote the script with Daniel Mulvihill and Dyer), it’s the story of a trans woman who returns for Christmas to the home of her estranged family, her new

boyfriend in tow. What they expect, however—and what most indie film audiences have come to expect from queer estrangement narratives—isn’t exactly what they get, finding the family embroiled in a web of trouble that overshadows her transition and not only threatens everyone’s lives, but also Christmas lunch. If this sounds like unusual Christmas comedy fare, you can

thank that traditionally oddball Australian sense of humor, and then keep in mind that It’s a Wonderful Life is the heartwarming comedy about a man who seriously contemplates killing himself on Christmas Eve. In other words, there are no rules. In production now, with no release date set, keep your eyes open for it during the holiday season. Or next holiday season. ▼

Romeo San Vicente wishes a savage Christmas to all.

At The Lodges of Coastal Delaware, we respect, honor and celebrate the individuality of every resident and team member. Here, we believe that a lifestyle community is a place to live, belong, and enjoy 'Life. Your Way.'

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Start your journey to “Lodge Life” today by calling 844-493-9888.

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR

SPOTLIGHT ON THE arts

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community

It’s Pride Month and CAMP Rehoboth is celebrating Pride in the arts by featuring two fabulous solo exhibitions, one in June, and a second in July. CAMP Rehoboth’s Visual Arts Program highlights our community’s unique history and culture and serves to shine a light on the work by LGBTQ+ artists. Read on to learn more.

Mask Hysteria—New Works by Murray Archibald

June 3 - 30

Wow! The community really turned out for Murray’s June 3 opening reception. CAMP Rehoboth was awash with energy and excitement as attendees celebrated, socialized, and congratulated Murray on his successful exhibition. If you have not yet seen it, do stop by CAMP Rehoboth to take in Mask Hysteria before it closes on June 30.

There is more exciting news! As part of its “Vision of Pride” initiative, the Biggs Museum of American Art has purchased Murray’s work, Drag Revolution, to be part of its permanent collection. For the month of June, the work is displayed on a banner outside the Biggs Museum in Dover. Murray is the first artist to receive this honor. As

part of its initiative, over the years the Biggs Museum will add to its collection of local LGBTQ+ art and artists. Murray’s selected work, Drag Revolution, is a satirical poke at the absurd idea that there is a need to regulate Drag Queens. It is on display at CAMP Rehoboth as part of Mask Hysteria.▼

The Beauty Around Us through Color, Shape, and Shadow, One-Woman Show by Renata Price

July 3 - 31 | Meet the Artist Reception, July 22, 4 - 6 p.m

Rehoboth is excited to announce that Rehoboth Beach artist Renata Price will be exhibiting her oil paintings at the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery during the month of July. The exhibition opens on July

CAMP

3 and will run through the end of the month.

The Beauty Around Us through Color, Shape, and Shadow is Renata’s first solo show. She is applying her traditional “Old Masters” style to a variety

This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on DelawareScene.com.

Pictured above left, L-R: Chris Beagle, Lisa Evans, Jane Blue, Claire Ippoliti, Kathy Wiz, Jack Morrison, Teri Seaton, Wes Combs, Murray Archibald, Tara Sheldon, Fay Jacobs, Leslie Sinclair, Leslie Ledogar Pictured above right, L-R: Murray Archibald, Sondra Arkin.

Rainy Day 0n the Boardwalk by Renata Price

BY MATTY BROWN

CAMP Rehoboth Theater Company Announces Fall Season

The CAMP Rehoboth Theater Company has announced its fall productions, set to celebrate the end of Rehoboth Beach parking season. Two shows, Rain Check and The Weir, are slated for October and November performances, respectively.

Audition Notice. Auditions will take place at CAMP Rehoboth on August 8, 9, and 10, between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., for both of CAMP Rehoboth Theater Company’s fall productions.

Rain Check, by Claudia Allen, will be performed on October 5-7, and will be directed by Kelly Sheridan. Kelly is making her directorial debut at CAMP Rehoboth with this show.

Kelly Sheridan (Director) is a full-time resident of Lewes, Delaware having moved here from Baltimore in 2016 with her wife, Debra. Prior to leaving Baltimore, Kelly directed several shows at her alma mater, Towson Catholic High School, including Harvey; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Calamityville Terror; and The Worst High School Play in the World. Since moving to Delaware, she has performed at CAMP Rehoboth with roles in Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, In the Wake, and 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. Kelly was a student and friend of the late Kay Cummings, who taught theatre and

of subjects. Renata’s work features rich and vibrant colors and includes Rainy Day on the Boardwalk with its Pride-colored umbrellas.

Renata’s art has been exhibited throughout the area. She trained at the Art League of Alexandria, Virginia and has made good use of many training opportunities online. Art has been a lifelong passion of Renata’s, as she was raised in a home adorned with the works of her artist mother and grandmother.

The work in this exhibition is very detail oriented, reflecting her background as an engineer. She is also fascinated by complex shadows and

directed at CAMP Rehoboth.

Currently, Kelly works at the Delaware Community Foundation as their Grant & Scholarship Coordinator. She volunteers her time with the Fund for Women, Common Cause Delaware, CAMP Rehoboth, and Mercy Association.

Summary of Rain Check: Set in smalltown Michigan in 1985, Thema has moved home to live with her grandmother and great-aunt, Pansy and Flora. She leaves behind four marriages, and rekindles a friendship with her childhood buddy, Gwen, a county nurse watching over Patsy and Flora. In renewing their friendship, Thema realizes what’s been missing from her marriages all along—a woman.

The Weir, by Conor McPherson, will be performed November 2-5, and directed by Russell Stiles.

Russell Stiles (Director/ Designer) moved to Rehoboth Beach after a 30year career teaching acting and drama in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Stiles formed the Hollidaysburg Area Repertory Players (HARP) and directed over 60 plays and musicals for the group. He also directed, acted, and did set and lighting design for Altoona Community Theatre at the historic Mishler Theatre in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and directed a number of critically acclaimed productions at Things Unseen regional theatre.

Stiles established a theatre program

reflections which are often a central characteristic of her work. Renata’s goal is for her paintings to be hyper-realistic, reflecting scenes as she thinks they would be in a more perfect world. Renata draws inspiration from a variety of sources and does not turn away from any interesting subject. ▼

CAMP Rehoboth highlights our community’s unique history and culture, and serves to further diversity, equity, and inclusion by building unity and understanding. Exhibits may be viewed Monday-Friday (10:00 a.m.4:00 p.m.). You may view and purchase the art on the CAMP Rehoboth website under the “SHOP” heading.

for CAMP Rehoboth and has directed its productions of Stop Kiss, Last Summer at Blue Fish Cove, It’s Complicated 3.0, Tiny Beautiful Things, Ponce de Leon Is Dead, Auto Erotic Misadventure, and the American premier of Drip Feed by Irish playwright Karen Cogan. Stiles recently directed Our Town at Possum Point Players in Georgetown, Delaware. He is married to Patricia Stiles who currently performs with the CAMP Chorus.

Summary of The Weir: In a small bar called The Weir in a rural town in Ireland, three local men are settling down for the night, enjoying good beer and company. Their normal routine is shaken up when their friend Finland enters the bar and introduces them to Valerie, a woman from Dublin who has just moved into an old, haunted house in the town. As the night (and the amount of liquor consumed) progresses, each local from the bar starts to tell a tale of ghostly happenings in the town. What starts as innocent braggadocio between the men turns into a real fright when Valerie reveals a real, haunted tale of her own from the past. Examining chances of missed opportunity and the loneliness that results, The Weir is a haunting play with its roots in Irish folklore.

Check camprehoboth.com for more information on casting and these shows. ▼

Sunburst by Renata Price

entertainment

artist(s) SPOTLIGHT

Having heard a lot about ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence [AI] chatbot), CAMP Rehoboth wanted to discover what ChatGPT knows about Pride and Pride-related arts and artists. We were delighted to learn it knows quite a lot!

How do you celebrate Pride Month?

As an AI language model, I don’t have personal experiences or physical presence, so I can’t celebrate Pride Month in the same way that individuals do. However, I can certainly provide information, support, and resources related to LGBTQ+ topics and help spread awareness about the significance of Pride Month.

Are you getting a lot of questions about Pride Month?

Yes. During the month of June, it is common for people to inquire about Pride Month. It is an important and widely recognized celebration that honors the LGBTQ+ community, and people often seek information related to Pride Month events, history, LGBTQ+ rights, and related topics. I’m here to provide any assistance I can.

This being an Arts column, maybe you can help us compile a list of iconic artistic endeavors exemplifying Pride? [Responses have been edited for length.]

As an AI language model, I don’t have real-time access to current events or the

ability to browse the internet. My knowledge is based on information available up until September 2021, so there may have been new events that have since become iconic within the LGBTQ+ Pride movement. That said:

Visual arts: One of the most iconic and widely recognized pieces of visual art that best exemplifies the spirit of Pride is the rainbow flag, created by artist and activist Gilbert Baker in 1978.

Piece of music: A piece of music that often evokes a sense of pride and celebration within the LGBTQ+ community is “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. Released in 2011, this song became an anthem for self-acceptance and embracing one’s true identity. Its empowering lyrics and catchy melody encourage people to celebrate their individuality and embrace their unique qualities.

Dance: A dance that is closely associated with Pride events is the “Vogue” or “Voguing.” Voguing originated in the 1980s in the LGBTQ+ ballroom culture of New York City, specifically within the African American and Latino LGBTQ+ communities. It gained wider recognition through Madonna’s 1990 hit song “Vogue” and its accompanying music video.

Voguing has since become a popular dance form associated with Pride events, where individuals can showcase their talent, creativity, and pride

through voguing battles and performances. Voguing is not only a dance style but also a form of cultural expression and affirmation of identity within the LGBTQ+ community.

Plays and musicals: There are several plays and musicals that exemplify and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and Gay Pride. Here are a few notable examples: The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer; Rent by Jonathan Larson; Angels in America by Tony Kushner; and Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask.

Sculptures: There are several sculptures that are associated with or inspired by LGBTQ+ pride and the broader LGBTQ+ community. One notable example is the LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana, which has become an iconic symbol of love and acceptance. While not explicitly associated with gay Pride, the sculpture’s message of love and inclusivity resonates strongly with the LGBTQ+ community.

New York City has the Gay Liberation sculpture by George Segal, which commemorates the Stonewall Riots and serves as a symbol of LGBTQ+ rights; similarly, San Francisco has the Harvey Milk Memorial sculpture by local artist Rob Firmin, honoring the LGBTQ+ rights activist Harvey Milk.

Photographs: There are several iconic photographs associated with the LGBTQ+

BY DOUG YETTER

BY CHATGPT

Pride movement. Some of these include the images captured during the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City; photographs featuring the Pride flag; and photos of the White House lit up in rainbow colors in 2015, when the United States Supreme Court legalized samesex marriage nationwide.

Literature: There are many books and poems that have contributed to LGBTQ+ literature and pride. Here are a few; each has its own unique perspective on identity, love, and the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community, making them important and cherished pieces of literature: Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg; Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin; Orlando by Virginia Woolf; Howl by Allen Ginsberg; and The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall.

Any last thoughts on Pride you’d like to share?

Certainly! Pride is not limited to a single month or event. It’s a continuous journey of self-acceptance, support, and advocacy. Let’s embrace and celebrate Pride throughout the year, working together to create a more inclusive and accepting world for everyone. ▼

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

BOOKED SOLID

Books for Pride Month

By various authors, c.2023, various publishers, $21.95-$30.00

You can have whatever you want.

The rainbow flags, the parades and confetti, this time of year makes you want to celebrate Pride Month in any way you can. So why not grab one (or all!) of these great books about LGBTQ history and life?

First of all, if you’re heading out—out of state, out of town, out on the town—grab The Pride Atlas by Maartje Hensen (Chronicle Books, $30.00). This big, gorgeous book offers 500 unique, special, exciting ideas for travel this month and for the rest of the year.

So you love dancing—on sand, in a club, or on the street. Fine dining is your thing, and browsing small shops sounds like your idea of a dream. Then this book will open your eyes to places to do all of the above, and more—best of all, many of these fabulous spots are almost right outside your door. If you’re making travel plans at all in 2023, this is the book to take with you.

So, what’s up with the next generation of LGBTQ+ kids?

In Young Queer America: Real Stories and Faces of LGBTQ+ Youth by Maxwell Poth, foreword by Isis King (Chronicle Books, $24.95), it’s almost like seeing the future.

Or how about this: you can think of this book as a series of mini-biographies, full of advice and positivity but also pain and struggle and lots of open, honest peeks at what it’s like to be a gay, lesbian, or trans kid (pre-teen to young adult) in today’s

arts+entertainment

world. You’ll see their journey (so far) and their hopes which, in a way, makes this book a compass for tomorrow, and don’t we all want that now?

Sometimes, a little steam is all you want for your Pride Month, and Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis (Holt, $26.99) will be what you want. When twenty-somethings Sasha and Jesse are invited on a mini-vacation with a wealthy lesbian couple in a remote, private area, the plan for the get-away is obvious—made even more so by the presence of a third couple of women, known to the younger pair.

It doesn’t go well.

Part romance, part steam, this may be the beach read you want this Pride Month.

And finally, you can’t have Pride without paying homage to the gay icons who’ve gone before you, and in Game Show Confidential by Boze Hadleigh (Lyons Press, $21.95), you’ll read about game show hosts and history, scandals and salesmanship, gaffes and greats including the irrepressible Paul Lynde, who Hadleigh calls “The King of the Zingers.” There’s a wealth of information inside this book, and plenty of nostalgia, making it great enjoyment for anyone who spent summers in front of a rotating fan and a television, playing along in your grandma’s living room.

And, of course, if you still need more books for Pride, your favorite librarian or bookseller is the person to ask. They’ll know what you need to read to stay informed, stay entertained, and have the best Pride you can have, so flag these books now.

Terri Schlichenmeyer’s second book, The Big Book of American Facts, comes out this fall. Her first (Big Book of Facts) is available now in bookstores.

Focus: Colby Martin’s ”UnClobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality”

“UnClobber” reexamines what the Bible says (and does not say) about homosexuality in such a way that sheds divine light on outdated and inaccurate assumptions and interpretations.

Where: Camp Rehoboth: 37 Baltimore Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

When: Fridays during Pride Month: June 2, 9 and 16 8:30-9:45 a.m. (free street parking hours)

No RSVP needed. Join us.

Sponsored by graceandcommunity.com

With Pastor Karis Graham & Robert Gotwalt

ENTERTAINME EDULE ENTERTAINME EDULE

LITTLE MERMAID JR.

July 14 12pm & 2pm

MUSIC MEN & BROADWAY BROADS Celebrity Impersonation

June 25 - 7:30PM

EARTH TO MARS Bruno Mars Experience

June 30 - 8PM

JUNE 18 - PARROTBEACH: Jimmy Buffet Tribute

JUNE 22 - MAMA'S BLACK SHEEP: Quayside@Nite

JUNE 23 - FLYING IVORIES: Dueling Pianos

JUNE 24 - BEGINNINGS: The Music Of Chicago

JUNE 28 - 287TH NATIONAL GUARD ARMY BAND Quayside@Nite

JUNE 29 - CHRISTINE HAVRILLA DUO: Quayside@Nite

PETER PAN JR.

July 21 12pm & 2pm

MARY POPPINS JR.

July 28 12pm & 2pm

FINDING NEMO JR. Aug 4 12pm & 2pm

JULY 1 - THE BELL BOTTOM BLUES: Eric Clapton Experience

JULY 2 - ATOMIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA: ELO Tribute

JULY 6 - UNIVERSAL FUNK ORDER: Quayside@Nite

JULY 23 - DELAWARE COMEDY THEATRE: Adult Improv Comedy

JULY 27 - MAMA'S BLACK SHEEP: Quayside@Nite

JULY 28 - CRACKIN' YOU UP: Stand-Up Comedy Special

JULY 29 - FABULOUS LAUGH PACK: Magic/Comedy/Music

Continued

David Scuccimarra & Dorothy Fedorka*

Shirley Semple*

Joann Seppelt

Janet & Elaine Shaner & Elizabeth Taylor

Marj Shannon & Carla Burton*

Dale Sheldon & Pat Coluzzi X

Banner Sheppard & Marlin Hubler

Kelly Sheridan & Debra Quinton*

David Sherman X

George Shevlin & Jack Suwanlert*

William Shively & TD Stanger

Davis Short & Beverly Castner

Frank Silverio X

Marc Silverman & John Campbell*

Joanne Sinsheimer & Margaret Beatty*

Ken Skrzesz X

Jeffrey Slavin X

Anne Smith & Lisa Taylor

Carol Smith*

Harlan Joe Smith & Dustin Abshire*

Leonard Smith X

Marty Smith & F. Price Connors

Robert Smith*

Rosanne Smith & Brenda Butterfield*

Rich Snell X

Sandra Sommerfield & Cindy Scott X

Dee Speck & Linda Kauffman X

Jim Spellman X

Lorraine Stanish & Beverly Miller*

Ginger Stanwick

Christy Steer X

Frank Sterner X

Diane Stetina

Shelley Stevens & Joanne Locke

Lisa Stewart X

Libby Stiff & Bea Wagner X

Russell & Patricia Stiles*

Allison Stine & Pete Jamieson*

Terry Stinson*

Caroline Stites & Elizabeth Coit X

Tracy Stith & Laura McCarthy

Dr. Frederick C. Stoner *

Rev. Barry Stopfel

Michael Stover*

Christine Strauss X

Lois Strauss X

Jackie Sullivan & Sharon Padbury

John Swift & Ron Bowman X

Stephen Szymanski

Gail Tannenbaum & Wendy Walker*

Ronald Tate & Jacob Schiavo X

Susan & Jill Taylor

Micaela Tedford X

David Thomas & David Tiburzio X

The Hon. Henry E. Thomas IV & John-Kevin Litschgi X

Barb Thompson X

Thomas Tibbetts X

Otto F. Tidwell X

Linda Toggart & Jane MacDonald

Cassandra Toroian X

Manny Tortosa X

Steve Touzell & Marshall Scott Beadle

Cheryll & Bill Trefzger*

Steve Triglia X

Roz Troupin & Mary Harris X

Patricia Truitt*

Matt Turlinski & Jerry Sipes X

Ed Turner & Steve Baker X

Judy Twell & Cheri Himmelheber*

Charles Tyrell

Bruce Uliss X

Michael Utasi

Debra Van Dyke*

Jennifer Varone*

V.James Villareale - & In Memory of Dale Ebert*

Gail Vitale & Carmen Garrett

Beverly Vogt & Waneeta Mack X

Patrick Wadsworth & Mike Converse X

Scott Wagner & John Sohonage*

Eric Wahl & Eric Coverdale*

Marianne Walch X

Jennifer Walker & Mary Ann Veitch X

Paula Walker & Gayle Dumonceaux

Valerie Walters

Kenneth E. Walz & Robert G. Ward, Jr. X

Garold Wampler X

Michael E. Ward X

Sharyn Warwick X

Ellen Watkins X

Troy Watson & Dennis Wolfgang*

Barbara Weatherly

Debbie Webber & Terry McQuaid*

West Side New Beginnings

Donna West

Patricia West

Carl R. Wetzel X

Liz Wheeler & Ruth Morse X

Steve White X

Thomas White & Robert Freeman X

Phil & Stephanie Wikes*

Steven Wildasin

Keith Wilkinson X

Diane & Ken Williams

Jim Williams*

Rich Williams X

Kelly Williamson & J Ellis

Donna L. Wilson & Laurie R. Levin X

Lynn Wilson*

Sue Wilson

David Wolanski*

Max Wolf X

Carol Woodcock & Carol Lewis*

Cody Woodfin & Rich Morgan

Robert B. Wright X

Marjorie Wuestner & Catherine Balsley*

Alexander G. Yearley X

James E. Yiaski X

Linda Yingst*

Vickie York X

Kay Young

James Zeigler & In Memory of Sam Deetz*

Lisa Zimmerman X

Karl Zoric & Mark Pipkin X

X Founders’ Circle 10+ years

* Members five years or more

Names in bold are new or upgraded members as of June 4, 2023

Founders’ Circle designation has been added to our Membership roster. Please send kudos, questions, or listing updates to membership@camprehoboth.com.

RAINBOW MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• Basic Membership Package

- Advance ticket sales to CAMP Rehoboth events

- Recognition in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth

- Rainbow Member window cling(s)

- Weekly “What’s Happening at CAMP” email

• Discount on CAMP Rehoboth Event Tickets for Levels Green and above (as noted)

• Free Health Screenings, Counseling Services, and Support Groups

• Youth, Adult and Senior Programs, Services and Outreach

• The satisfaction of knowing you are helping others!

PAY ANNUALLY or MONTHLY

☐ PURPLE LEVEL ☐ $2400 annual or ☐ $200 monthly

Basic + 25% ticket discount and one 1/4 page ad in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth

☐ INDIGO LEVEL ☐ $1200 annual or ☐ $100 monthly

Basic + 20% ticket discount

☐ BLUE LEVEL ☐ $900 annual or ☐ $75 monthly Basic + 15% ticket discount

☐ GREEN LEVEL ☐ $600 annual or ☐ $50 monthly Basic + 10% ticket discount

☐ YELLOW LEVEL ☐ $300 annual or ☐ $25 monthly

☐ ORANGE LEVEL ☐ $180 annual or ☐ $15 monthly

☐ RED BASIC ☐ $50 annual or ☐ Basic Dual/Family, $85 annual

☐ YOUNG ADULT (18-25 years old) ☐ $25 annual

☐ Enclosed is my check payable to CAMP Rehoboth for the full annual amount.

☐ Please charge my Recurring Monthly or Annual Membership fee to:

BYWAYS BY MIKEY ROX

PRIDE 2023

We’re Here and We’re Queer—with Loads of Fun Gear

Pride isn’t just a parade in June anymore. It’s a whole vibe in these 2020s—a full-blown aesthetic that infiltrates our lifestyles year-round. Kick off this new season with these fresh finds designed with us in mind.

Stonewall ’69 Candle

A torch still burns bright for LGBTQ+ equality—even though these dark times sometimes hinder its light—but you can stand vigil with Kendi Lux’s soy-blend, lemon-leaf-and-jasmine-scented Stonewall ’69 candle commemorating the movement-defining riot that blazed our first path. $17.50, KendiLux.com

Rainbow Earring Studs Sometimes less is more— yep, even at Pride—and Alexis Jae’s rainbow stud earrings (constructed of recycled gold and ethically sourced gems) are an understated statement piece that give your lobes low-key sparkle without clamoring for desperate attention. Wear both or split ’em up to share with a friend. $135, AlexisJae.com

Rainbow Rolling Papers

Puff, puff, pass the pride— legally, of course—when you share your supply wrapped in Papers+Ink Studio’s prismatic, organic, unbleached hemp rolling papers available in eight styles, including Love Lines, Tie Dye Fantastic, Cheeky Checkers, and We Say Gay!, among others. $14$25, PapersAndInk.com

Personalized Pronouns

Note Kit. The art of suggestion isn’t lost on queer-owned Nice Paper Goods, which offers a

first-of-its-kind personalized pronoun note kit—an all-in-one stationery set complete with 10 cards, envelopes, and USA Forever stamps that never expire, and printed with your preferred pronouns under your chosen name. $32, NicePaperGoods.com

Calvin Klein Pride Jocks

Cyndi Lauper didn’t anticipate you prancing around in your barely-there Calvins when she invited you to show your true colors, but Klein’s Pride Edit five-pack thong sets in a spectrum of flashy colors are practically begging for a remix. $42, CalvinKlein.com

Rainbow Coin Purse

Pocketless at the parade? Par for the course when you prefer to party in sequined banana hammocks, but Pop of Confetti has you covered with its cute-AF rainbow seed-bead coin purse that stashes your contraband… and condoms (because safe sex is still sexy, y’all).

$32, PopOfCon fetti.com

Rene Jacket

It’s hard to choose just one Prideprimed piece from Orttu’s expansive collection of sophisti-sensual wearable art, but our money’s on its mesmerizing, dou ble-breasted Rene

jacket in deep black, featuring uniquely sculpted sleeves and a stunning geometric “laser light” print in high-contrast yellow-gold, so you can show up in the VIP as a status whoa instead of status quo. $450, Orttu.com

Dentata Ring

Teeth—the 2007 horror-comedy about a good Christian girl with a mean set of chompers in her ‘sacred place’—was probably enough to turn a few guys gay, but many feminists have reclaimed the vagina dentata myth as a symbol of pride and empowerment. All belts are off with KIL NYC’s Dentata ring, featuring a spiked mouth design that curves around the finger, mimicking the way a Victorian chastity belt would have been worn. Even better, 10 percent of each sale will support Her Justice, an organization dedicated to helping impoverished women in New York City. $150,

‘Let the Light Shine

In’ Boxer Briefs Hang loose (but not too loose) in SAXX’s super-soft ‘Let the Light Shine In’ boxer brief designed by queer artist Carlos Oliveras Colom who tapped into his

LGBTQ+ and Afro-Latinx experiences to create this colorful, curvy, comfortable pair of skivs that give off more than a few unassigned vibes. $34, SAXXUnderwear.com

‘Rainbow Parenting’ Guide

Pride starts at home—it was only born in the streets out of necessity—and books like Lindz Amer’s Rainbow Parenting: Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies not only serve as a sign of how far we’ve come but also provides effective tools for understanding, accepting and respecting LGBTQ+ minds and bodies—which is all we really want anyway. $19, US.Macmillan.com.  ▼

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.w

BY SARAH BRICKER HUNT

Hannah Gadsby Thinks You Deserve a Break

The Genderqueer Lesbian Comic Is Back with a Feel-good Netflix Special

Alot has changed since Hannah Gadsby first took audiences on the unexpected journey that was Nanette, their 2018 career-making Netflix special. Yes, there was that whole Trump presidency situation and, oh, that global pandemic hiccup, but also, Gadsby got new glasses, an additional dog, created two more specials, put out a New York Times bestselling

memoir (Ten Steps to Nanette), opened an art show in Brooklyn focused on Picasso’s alleged misogyny (It’s Pablo-matic: Picasso According to Hannah Gadsby ), and picked up a new descriptor along the way: beloved wife.

It’s that latter detail that Gadsby explores in depth in their latest Netflix endeavor, Something Special. Spoiler alert: A wild rabbit pays the ultimate price for Gadsby’s wedded bliss, but

it’s totally not the rabbit’s fault. It’s just that, sometimes, the journey is exactly the opposite of what you’re expecting, and maybe that’s the point of, well, everything.

The newly-released special is a departure from Gadsby’s work on stage so far, which has focused on topics like neurodivergency (Gadsby is autistic), family dysfunction, mental health, and other heavy topics. The comedian teases the audience that all the chatter about how this special would be more lighthearted than Nanette and Douglas, released in 2020, could be an elaborate ruse. Is existentialism and social reckoning right around the corner? Nah. Gadsby, as they remind us in example after example, is not a good liar.

This special, like the others, is about where Gadsby is at this moment in time. And, happily, this moment is a good one.

“I didn’t expect to get married,” Gadsby tells Pride Source in a recent Zoom interview. “So I thought that was an interesting enough place to begin. Also, I believe my audience has invested in me. I shared my pain and my trauma and my difficulties, and I think it would be weird to hide my current state of joy. That would feel like a disingenuous approach. So I really wanted to share that.”

Gadsby’s marriage to producer Jenney Shamash, who the comedian calls “Jenno,” has been surprising in one way, the comedian says. “Being surrounded by straight, unhappy married people my whole life, I’m mostly surprised that it’s not so miserable. Like, you hear comedians talk about it: ‘My wife’s this. My wife’s that.’ Why did you marry that horrible person you keep complaining about?” they joke.

Gadsby says that as they toured with the new material, audiences responded in a way that made it clear this was a show they wanted and, in many ways, needed. “It’s going to be a feel-good show because I believe I owe you one,” they say in the special. “I have dragged you through a bit of my shit over the

years, and you’ve stuck with me. Much obliged! But it’s time for some payoff.”

Still, Gadsby is happy to dig into the heavy stuff during our time together, acknowledging the deeply disturbing culture wars happening in the US with the LGBTQ+ community at the center—especially LGBTQ+ kids and young adults. “I was a young person during a very similar time, but without the internet—so it wasn’t that similar,” Gadsby says. “But the anti-gay rhetoric that I grew up with—the discourse surrounding me when I was growing up—was frighteningly similar to that which we’re experiencing now.”

Coming of age in tiny Tasmania, an Australian island state some 150 miles south of the mainland, Gadsby said they felt isolated, a struggle in and of itself. But today’s younger generation is experiencing an anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment “everywhere all at once.”

“So it’s incredibly difficult, particularly, to be a young queer person in this moment,” they add. “And I can’t speak to that experience. I’m not queer…. That is a joke. I’m not young. But, I wanted to lead with the fact that I’ve overcome the trauma of this kind of environment.”

Gadsby is frustrated that the world is experiencing a new wave of anti-queer sentiment. “Part of the rage in Nanette was the fact that we don’t learn,” they say. “Why aren’t we learning? Why can’t we learn? And I still have that rage. There’s still a fight to be fought, but there’ll be time for that. I just felt like we need a break also, because we’re fighting for our right to exist.”

Gadsby notes that people trying to oppress the queer community don’t actually have skin in the game. “They’re not going home and wondering if they’ll be safe. They’re already safe. That’s what we have to remember as a community. It’s like we have to look after ourselves and each other, on a very personal level.”

Looking after each other can be challenging for people experiencing

trauma—the tendency can be to retreat into isolation. “Yeah, that’s what trauma does,” Gadsby says. “And what’s going on at the moment is incredibly traumatic. We’re in a new place, and it’s frightening, but I think it’s horrible to think that I’m an ‘elder’ and I’m only 45, but we have to do our bit to help relieve the pressure.”

In many ways, Gadsby’s presence on stage is a billboard for intersectionality. They are frank about their identity as a genderqueer lesbian and their 2017 autism diagnosis, aspects of Gadsby’s personhood that have made it challenging for the entertainment world to figure out where they belong.

“Before I even began my career, I was difficult to categorize my entire life, and not for a lack of trying,” Gadsby says. “But I think that’s where my comedy begins—it’s me trying to be what people would prefer I be, and my persistent failure is what has gotten me here. I think I’m…close. I’m always close, but just always fall short. But I think that’s where comedy lives, so it’s not a problem.”

Neurodiversity has been a central topic in all three Netflix specials. “And I’m really keen not to tell autism, and rather to show it. That’s what this show really is. It’s showing autism.”

At one point in Something Special, Gadsby recounts two separate stories involving awkward encounters with

Jodie Foster. In one, Gadsby crumples up a bit of cardboard where Foster had written down her phone number, right in front of Foster (one of Gadsby’s sensory issues relates to feeling “very irritated” when they have to hold small and irregular-shaped objects against their palms). In another, Gadsby responds to a birthday gift from Foster by saying “I’ve already got Bananagrams!” and then chucks the present to the side. The stories are universal on one hand— virtually everyone can conjure up encounters they’d like to do over—but resonate strongly with the neurodiverse community.

Foster, Gadsby says, was gracious about the incidents. “She was there with a wife and they just kept on being amazing, kind, generous people,” they remember.

“She’s very competitive at charades, though. I will give her that,” Gadsby adds.

Throughout the special, Gadsby stresses how important it has been to have Jenno by their side as both their romantic partner and producer of their shows, describing their relationship like the sport of curling. “I’m the giant puck,” they say in the show. “And every morning, we have a little team meeting and go, ‘This is where you need to go, this is how fast you’re gonna go there, this is the line you’re gonna take,’ and then we send me out, and there’s not a f*****g thing I can do about it.”

Perhaps neurodiversity is Gadsby’s secret super-power? “Maybe. Although we’ve just told everyone, so, rats!”

“But, no. You’ve always got to keep trying to make connections. That’s what we are as humans, and it’s a particularly difficult time to do that. All I can say is hang in there, and it’s not your fault.” ▼

Sarah Bricker Hunt is an award-winning Cincinnati-based freelance writer and editor.

“I shared my pain and my trauma and my difficulties, and I think it would be weird to hide my current state of joy.”

Talk with us about how your DAF can make what you love about Delaware even better.

Greater Dover Boys & Girls Club, Simpson Elementary, Camden-Wyoming

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

Birds of a Feather

Alas, a vacation just isn’t in the cards for you this year. Still, you’d love to do something different with your summer, something that doesn’t involve a lot of paper bills. So how about something that’s free, something that actually makes you want to see the bills?

Before you get any further, let’s be honest: you may only think about birds as an annoyance; a creature that’s way too loud on a Saturday morning; one that leaves white streaks (ugh!) on your car; one that tastes good on a grill, especially when barbecued. But—listen, don’t laugh—bird watching is a fast-growing hobby again. Yes, again.

In a way, it all started with John James Audubon, who took it upon himself in the early 1800s to paint a portrait of every single species of bird in America. For no reason—just because—and so he did, eventually pulling all his portraits together in one book that experts still say is one of the best ornithological works ever.

The nasty little secret is that Audubon didn’t go set an easel out in the woods or alongside a river to do his portraits. He wanted to ensure that his paintings depicted the birds in the most realistic way possible, and to accomplish that, beginning in 1820, Audubon hired local hunters in every area to bring him the carcasses of dead birds that he wanted to portray. He’d wire them up in a position he liked and get to work.

At about the time his book was published, Americans began to develop an interest in the natural world, but they also had an interest in looking good. Feathers were one way to do that. As if Audubon didn’t kill enough birds, late 1800s American fashion created an industry in which feathers—the

more elaborate, the better—were used not for attracting other birds but to attract human attention on a hat or other article of clothing. Early conservationists worked hard to convince fashionistas that looking at a bird wearing its own feathers was much better than seeing said plumage on a chapeau, and the use of feathers waned.

It wasn’t until the late 1800s and into the early 20th century that actually watching birds gained widespread popularity—a bird in the hand was apparently not better than two in the bush. By then, binoculars had been invented and were a tool that an average person could afford to buy and learn to use. Brits were early adopters of bird watching, and Americans followed, birdy see, birdy do.

The popularity of home cameras in the 1930s gave the hobby a boost; another, more accessible bird identification guide in the 1940s led to an increase in birders, including those wanting some sort of inexpensive diversion during wartime. In the 1950s, academics argued whether bird watching was for the masses or just for the elite.

Hint: it’s for the masses.

In America, there are about 900 different species of wild birds, ranging from the largest (the California condor, with a wingspan of over nine feet) to the smallest (the calliope hummingbird, weighing less than one ounce). The California condor is arguably the rarest bird in America, with fewer than 25 left in the wild—although there is a small handful of other birds in this country which may number in the single digits. Among the most common birds are the gorgeous cardinal, the ubiquitous sparrow, and the pigeon (who is actually much, much smarter than you think it is).

If you want to try bird watching, just know that it’s part science and part patience. It’s cheap (or would that be “cheep”?) and clubs are around for the joining. It’s cool, especially when you learn to call birds in or get them to eat from your hand. And it’s doable anywhere, by most anyone— not just birdbrains. ▼

Terri Schlichenmeyer’s second book, The Big Book of American Facts, comes out this fall. Her first (Big Book of Facts) is available now in bookstores.

Photo Joshua J. Cotten, Unsplash.

Early conservationists worked hard to convince fashionistas that looking at a bird wearing its own feathers was much better than seeing said plumage on a chapeau…

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at BoardWALK to End Gun Violence on the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk: Tara Sheldon, Linda Gregory, Lisa Evans, Derrick Johnson; 2) at Condom Stuffing Party at CAMP Rehoboth: Doug Sellers, Bob Horne, Claire Ippoliti, Jim King, Todd Hacker, Mark Eubanks, Joe Vescio, Tim Birritella, Barry Moshinski; 3) at CAMP Rehoboth Golf League Kickoff at American Classic: Chris Baker, Rina Pelelgrini, Cheryl Landry, Susan Schollenberger, Carol Davidson, Janet Redman, Angela Murray, Lisa Mosley, Lisa Corrado, Deb Bievenour, Jodi Foster, Helen Hildarbrand; 4) at Aqua: Dino Santini, Michelle Mobley, Gary Desch, Kim Strickland, Ryan Bos, Charles Wilcher.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 5) at Aqua: Frank Surprenant, Gianni Ballarin, Chris Rouchard, Craig Schwartz, Jamie Kotchek, Deb Kennedy, Beth Yocum, Mark Kehoe, Rudy Reynes, Carlos Taylor, Peter Rosenstein, Rob Robertson, Matthew Stensrud, Scott Krupa, Michael Cohen; 6) at Goolee’s 20th Anniversary Celebration: Tom Johnson, Fancie P. Charmington, Ivy Blue Austin, Michael Clay, George Stakias, Rula Stakias, John Stakias, Paul Henderson, Jim Burke, Bruce Ruth; 7) at. Freddie’s Beach Bar: Scott Silber, Al Drulis, Chris Hughes, Brian Gifford, Joe Filipek, Nick Collins, Tony Marino. ▼

(Continued from page 55)

Timothy (Timmy) Draine Jr.

Timothy (Timmy) Draine Jr., 27, passed away following a car accident on Saturday, May 13. Timmy was preceded in death by his great-grandmother, Ruth Marvel, and his maternal aunt, Donna Krise.

Timmy is survived by his mother, Faith Draine Blackson, and fiancé, DaShawn Waters of Dover, Delaware; four siblings; and many extended family.

Timmy attended Dover High School where, in 2015, he was a member of the first class to graduate from that school. After graduation, Timmy began working at Dover Downs, first as a server and later as a bartender. Two years ago, Timmy started working as a server at Rosenfield’s Jewish Deli in Rehoboth, Delaware; he loved his work, his customers, and his work family.

Timmy would light up any room he entered; his laugh was contagious. He loved family, work, his friends, traveling, and his dog, Roman! He was a member of the LGBTQ community and loved Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

Timmy always stood up for what was right and would help anyone. He loved to cook and was excited about his plans to start his Youtube channel and his very own makeup line. He was very spiritual and had his own relationship with God. Timmy would want everyone to live their lives to the fullest, love yourself, love your family, love others, show kindness, and know Jesus loves you.

Services were held Friday, May 26, in Wyoming, Delaware. Letters of condolence may be sent via pippinfuneralhome.com. ▼

John E. Roman

John E. Roman, 75, of Lewes, peacefully succumbed to pancreatic cancer Monday, May 8. John was born in Westfield, Massachusetts, to Lt. Col. Edward J. Rumanowski and Sophie (Maziarz) Rumanowski.

John attended St. Anselm College in Manchester, NH, and the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. In 1970, he was drafted into the US Army; he served in West Germany, working as a congressional correspondent for an administration company. After completing his service, he relocated from Massachusetts to Baltimore.

John spent the next 30 years in marketing, writing, public relations, and event management for a roster of corporate and nonprofit accounts in the Baltimore/Washington metro area. Highlights included working on the 1996 Olympic Torch Relay in Maryland, assisting the City of Baltimore with its Artscape and Fells Point festivals, working with Anne Arundel Medical Center’s public relations arm in launching several components of its (then) new Route 50 Campus, and cooperating with the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center’s Department of Patient and Family Services on its designer new-look project.

John retired (early) in 1999 and moved to Lewes where, with his partner/ husband of 44 years, Bill McGee, he launched Circa Home in the Hotel Rodney on Second Street. The store remained a retail presence in the downtown community for nearly 13 years.

Linked to their retirement gig as local shopkeepers, John and Bill were happy to do stints as volunteers for Historic Lewes Farmers Market and Beebe Medical Foundation. Their assignment at the HLFM earned them the affectionate moniker of The Coffee Guys, a distinction they proudly embraced and enjoyed.

John held that his life played out most satisfyingly, with zero regrets and zero to-do’s left on his bucket list. He was especially appreciative that “Bill McGee found me and dubbed me a life keeper.” He delighted in their four decades of amazing experiences and global adventures, including a “dazzling three-point-something-hour flight on the Concorde from New York to London.” Bill preceded John in death, dying on Thanksgiving Day, 2021.

John treasured his own family and also the “wonderful and remarkable” McGee clan. He especially appreciated his sisters, who “offered their unflinching love, devotion and caring during the decades of good times, and more recently, during many a challenging moment and bumpy ride.” His many friends, acquaintances, neighbors, and work associates were similarly cherished. Services were private.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Historic Lewes Farmers Market, P.O. Box 185, Nassau, Delaware 19969; Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, Delaware 19963; or Beebe Medical Foundation, 902 Savannah Road, Lewes, Delaware 19958. ▼

LeRoy Anderson Jr.

LeRoy “Roy” Anderson Jr., 91, passed away peacefully in Lewes Saturday, May 27, 2023, with his dear friends Bob Howard and Robert Kovalcik by his side. He was born in Richmond, Virginia, the only son of Mary and Roy Anderson. He was preceded in death by his life partner of 50 years, Ed Conroy.

Roy was a graduate of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the University of Alabama, where he received a master of applied arts degree. While there, he worked in the drama department as a set designer.

Roy was drafted into the Army Medical Corps in 1954, where he trained as an occupational therapist at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He was then assigned to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC,

where he worked with soldiers returning from the Korean War. Roy said that working with the wounded warriors was the most rewarding experience of his life.

Roy made his home in Georgetown, Washington, DC, after four years of service in the US Army. He met Ed in Georgetown, where they both attended American University in pursuit of graduate degrees in education. Roy became head of the art department at a local high school and was a founding member of the Kennedy Center, where he and Ed were active in the arts for many years.

Roy also sold real estate and owned an art and design studio. In the early ‘70s, Roy and Ed bought a second home in Rehoboth Beach. Soon after moving to Rehoboth, they purchased a

business property on Baltimore Avenue, known today as the Wooden Indian. Roy and Ed spent a few months every year in London, buying for their shop and enjoying museums, art galleries, and theater.

Roy and Ed spent their retirement traveling the world. They were longtime members of the Rehoboth Art League, where Roy exhibited his artwork, served on the board, and was a friend and student of Howard Schroeder.

A funeral service was held June 9, at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, Lewes.

Donations are welcome in memory of Roy Anderson to Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971; or Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 DuPont Blvd., Georgetown, Delaware 19947. ▼

Fourth-Page-V CROSSWORD PUZZLE SOLUTION

Send your check for $50 to CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971. If you prefer to use your Visa, MasterCard or American Express call 302-227-5620.

thank you

to all the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Volunteers for the period: May 5-June 2, 2023

CAMP ARTS TEAM

Logan Farro

Jane Knaus

Lois Powell

Leslie Sinclair

Patricia Stiles

Debbie Woods

CAMP DATABASE

Sondra Arkin

CAMP LIBRARY

Glenn Lash

CAMP MAINTENANCE

Carol Brice

Eric Korpon

CAMPCIERGES

Joe Benshelter

Barbara Breault

Ken Currier

Bob Grant

Jim Mease

Mike Merena

Kim Nelson

Patricia Stiles

Russell Stiles

Joe Vescio

CAMPSAFE CONDOM STUFFING PARTIES

Tim Birrittella

Mark Eubanks

Todd Hacker

CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Opportunities

CROP: CAMP REHOBOTH OUTREACH PROGRAM

The CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) is constantly working to cultivate community and strengthen relationships and the connections among us all. Check the site for monthly volunteer opportunities.

CAMPSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shoot CAMPshots for Letters! Use your camera or iPhone, or the CAMP Rehoboth office camera. More guidelines will be shared with volunteers.

Sign up at camprehoboth.com/volunteers.

Your volunteer efforts benefit you and others.

— PLEASE VISIT — camprehoboth.com/volunteers to register as a volunteer and to sign up for available opportunities.

Bob Horne

Jim King

Claire Ippoliti

Shawn McHugh

Barry Moshinski

Doug Sellers

Joe Vescio

CAMPSAFE HIV TESTING AND COUNSELING

E.J. Kenyon

Sharon Morgan

Alan Spiegelman

Joe Vescio

CAMPSHOTS PHOTO VOLUNTEERS

Chris Beagle

Tony Burns

Geri Dibiase

David Garrett

CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Bill Fuchs

Dianna Johnston

Judy Olsen

Dave Scuccimarra

Sandra Skidmore

CROP AT THE FOOD BANK

Deb Carroll

Chris Cossette

Bob Grant

Todd Hacker

Daphne Kaplan

Steve Scheffer

GRANTS COMMITTEE

Leslie Calman

Kate Cauley

David Garrett

John Roane

Leslie Sinclair

LETTERS

DISTRIBUTION TEAM

Todd Hacker

Glenn Lash

Jim Mease

LETTERS

MAILING TEAM

Nancy Hewish

Grant Kingswell

Vicki Martina

Stephen Palmer

Russell Stiles

Linda Yingst

MEMBERSHIP TEAM

Jane Blue

Ann Evans

PHILADELPHIA

GAY MEN’S CHORUSBROLO

Mike DeFlavia

Marc Latulippe

Tony Sowers

VOLUNTEER DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Jim Mease

Kim Nelson

Rina Pellegrini

Leslie Sinclair

John Michael Sophos

Debbie Woods

Don’t miss a thing. 11 issues of LETTERS from CAMP Rehoboth by first class mail.

SANIBEL VILLAGERehoboth. 2000 2BR/2BA 3rd-floor condo. Pond views. Furnished. 1-year home warranty. Community pool, tennis & 2 miles to beach. $395,000 (2042048)

OAKWOOD VILLAGELewes. New Construction. 4BR/2BA, 1,877sf on ¼acre lot. Community pool & 8 miles to the Lewes beach, 10 miles to the boardwalk. $489,900 (2041926)

SEA AIR -Rehoboth. 2013 RV w/main BR & 2 sleep sofas (sleeps 6). Big LV. Nice kitchen. Dinette area. Full bath. Community pool & 3 miles to beach. $50,000 (2042576) Seasonal 4/15-11/15

CAPTAINS GRANT - Millsboro. 2002 4BR/3BA home is on a 1/3-acre lot. 2,100 sq ft. Bring your boat or RV. 15 miles to the RB boardwalk & nearby Indian River boat clubs. $342,000 (2039462)

ANGOLA BEACH - Lewes. 1981 3BR/3BA 1,400 sq. ft. home. Screen porch & open deck. Fenced yard. Shed. Community pools, marina & 10 miles to beach. $145,000 (2042494) Lot Rent $680/mt

SANDY BEACH - Dagsboro. 2019-built 3BR/3BA home is 2,048 sq. ft. with an additional 1,120 sq. ft. in the full, unfinished basement. Luxury vinyl plank flooring on the main level with 9’ ceilings. Living room opens to the kitchen, which has quartz countertops & stainless appliances. The kitchen adjoins formal dining area. 1st-floor main BR suite. Other 2 bedrooms are upstairs next to the family room. 13 miles to Bethany Beach. Boat slip leases are available *ask for details* $473,500 (2029962) +$5,000 Seller Assist Credit at Settlement

SUSSEX STREET - Milton. New Construction – Ready Now! This is an absolutely stunning 4BR/4.5BA home that’s so close to all the resort area has to offer. Wonderful for year-round living, as a vacation home, or an Airbnb. 3,280 sq. ft. & each bedroom is en Suite. Features wide-plank white oak floors on the main level. Beautiful kitchen has premium Calabria quartz countertops, wet bar & GE Café appliances. 1stfloor bedroom suite. Upstairs family room. Sunroom, patio & privacy fencing. No HOA. 6 miles to beach. $749,500 (2038314)

LOCHWOOD -Lewes. New Construction. 3BR/2BA

1,634sf home. Luxury vinyl plank flooring. Gas FP. Granite & SS appliances in kitchen. 0.23 ac. $484,900 (2027444) Call Theresa 609-515-5820

SUSSEX WEST - Lewes. 2002 3BR/2BA. 1,454sf home w/1-car oversize garage on corner lot. Large deck. Indoor community pool & 6 miles to beach. $179,900 (2041516) Lot Rent $905/mt.

COLONIAL EAST - Rehoboth Beach. 2002 3BR/2BA w/ Fla. room. LV opens to dining area & kitchen. Community pool. Just 4 miles to the beach. $184,900 (2038432) Lot Rent $541/mt.

COLONIAL EAST - Rehoboth Beach. 1978 3BR/2BA doublewide. Split BR plan. Extra parking. Shed. Community pool. Just 4 miles to the beach. $119,900 (2039994) Lot Rent $563/mt.

SEA AIR -Rehoboth. 2020 Champion 3BR/2BA

doublewide home is on a corner lot. This home has exquisite finishes! $354,000 (2027444) Lot Rent $689/mt. Call Luz 302-260-2080