Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 36, No. 5

MAKE AN IMPACT TODAY

Your support helps us forge proud and safe communities where gender identity and sexual orientation are respected.

CAMP Rehoboth’s mission isn’t just about programs and services—it’s about making sure every person feels embraced for who they are. That takes resources, and it’s the member-driven donor system that keeps the mission moving forward. I donate because I believe in CAMP Rehoboth’s ability to create a stronger, more inclusive community for all of us here in Delaware.

— Dennis Diaz

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CAMP Matters

BY ROBIN BRENNAN, DRPH

There Is No Place Like CAMP Rehoboth.

CAMP Rehoboth is a community rooted in connection, resilience, advocacy, and belonging, where people are seen, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

Transitions. Lots of them. As I move into my third month as Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth, I’ve found myself reflecting a lot on change and transition. I have spent a great deal of time listening, learning, and getting to know people. I’ve heard stories about CAMP Rehoboth’s history and the vision of those who helped build it. I’ve also seen the care and commitment of our staff and volunteers, who work so hard behind the scenes to make our programs, events, and services possible. More than anything, I’m beginning to understand that the heart of CAMP Rehoboth is its people.

Each day, I’m reminded that there really is no place like CAMP Rehoboth. It is so much more than a building, a set of programs, or an organization. CAMP Rehoboth is a community rooted in connection, resilience, advocacy, and belonging, where people are seen, supported, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

This month feels personal in another way, too. Alongside Pride, I am celebrating my 50th birthday. Reaching this milestone has given me an opportunity to reflect on the people, experiences, and moments that have shaped my life and leadership.

More than 30 years ago, as a volunteer at my university’s wellness center, I helped facilitate conversations about power, privilege, identity, and the lived experiences of people affected by HIV. Those discussions opened my eyes to the importance of compassion, advocacy, and creating communities where people feel seen and supported. Looking back, I can see how those early experiences planted the seeds for a career dedicated to public health, equity, and belonging. They also remind me why spaces like CAMP Rehoboth matter so deeply.

What I learned early in my career still feels just as true today: when we take time to really listen to one another—not to respond, but to understand—we stop being strangers. We let our guard down, share pieces of ourselves, and begin to recognize ourselves in each other’s experiences. And in those moments, we often realize how

much we truly have in common—our hopes, fears, struggles, joys, and the many ways we express love.

Stories and vulnerability help us connect. Listening helps us build trust. And through those connections, communities become stronger.

At the same time, my family and I are living through a major transition of our own. We’re saying goodbye to New Jersey, which has been home for the past 12 years. We’re helping our daughter get ready for this move, a new school, new friendships, and new experiences. And by mid-June, we’ll move into our new home in Rehoboth and begin a new chapter together.

That kind of transition is exciting, but it’s also bittersweet. Change asks us to let go of what feels familiar even as we reach for something new. It can bring uncertainty, anticipation, gratitude, and even a sense of loss, all at once.

Maybe that’s why transitions matter so much. They test us. Stretch us. Keep us moving forward. They remind us that growth often begins with change, and that belonging is shaped not by a place, but by the people who welcome us, support us, and walk alongside us.

As CAMP Rehoboth enters its next chapter, I’m reminded that our greatest strength has always been our ability to bring people together, and that the true heart of this community is its people. Whatever our backgrounds, identities, or experiences, we are united by a shared desire to belong, to be seen, and to contribute to something larger than ourselves.

My family has already felt so much warmth, kindness, generosity, and welcome during this transition. For that, I’m deeply grateful.

Transitions bring change, but they also create opportunity. And I can think of no better place to embrace that opportunity than CAMP Rehoboth.

There truly is no place like CAMP Rehoboth. ▼

Robin Brennan, DrPH, is Executive Director of CAMP Rehoboth.

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 36, NUMBER 5 • JUNE 12, 2026

SHAE WAGNER

64 A Tisket, a Tasket…

Break Out the Picnic Basket

TERRI SCHLICHEMNEYER

EDITOR: Marj Shannon

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE: Matty Brown

DESIGN AND LAYOUT: Mary Beth Ramsey

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER: Tricia Massella

CAMPshots

Summer Kickoff!

OutTakes

Nature and Me

SANDY CLARK

Reflections

The Loneliness Lesson PATTIE CINELLI Deep Inside

ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Let’s Get Loud

ROBERT DEDOMINIC

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth welcomes submissions. Email editor@camprehoboth.org. Photographs must be high resolution (300 dpi). Documents should be sent as attachments in Microsoft Word®. Deadline for submissions is two weeks prior to the issue release date. Letters to the Editor (up to 300 words) are published at the discretion of the Editor on a space-available basis. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.

DISTRIBUTION: Mark Wolf

CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Chris Azzopardi, Rich Barnett, Robin Brennan, Matty Brown, Ed Castelli, Pattie Cinelli, Sandy Clark, Michael Cook, Robert DeDominic, Logan Farro, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, Joe Gfaller, Jim Henry, Fay Jacobs, Leslie Ledogar, Robb Mapou, Tricia Massella, Christopher Moore, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Stephen Raskauskas, Nancy Sakaduski, Romeo San Vicente, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Russell Stiles, Mary Jo Tarallo, Shae Wagner, Eric Wahl, Rick Welk

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.

© 2026 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.

CAMP REHOBOTH

MISSION STATEMENT AND PURPOSE

MISSION

CAMP Rehoboth is an LGBTQ+ community center determined to Create A More Positive (CAMP) environment that is inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in southern Delaware and beyond. We seek to promote cooperation, understanding among all people, and well-being, as we continue our work to build a safer community with room for all.

VISION

CAMP Rehoboth envisions communities in southern Delaware and beyond where all LGBTQ+ people thrive.

VALUES

Community | Belonging | Positivity Diversity | Visibility | Transparency Safety | Partnership | Compassion

From the  Editor BY

MARJ SHANNON

Good news, Letters readers: We have a fabulous issue for you to enjoy! How better to kick off summer at the beach, than with this beach read?! (Well, OK, maybe there are other wonderful ways—but we’re really glad you chose to include this one.)

If summer is kicking off, can SUNFESTIVAL be far behind? Nope—and lots of plans are already in place for that spectacular weekend. See pages 14 & 15 for a few previews and get those tickets before they are gone.

Then, turn to the centerfold for the infographic version of CAMP Rehoboth’s 2025 Impact Report (part 2). Many of you contributed time, energy, and even dollars to make some of these notable actions and events happen—thank you! It takes a community, and we’re oh, so glad you’re part of ours.

Speaking of community—see CAMP Arts for a glimpse into the Community. Heart. Pride. exhibit that just opened at the CAMP Rehoboth Gallery. Over 20 artists, across many mediums, joined in celebrating 35 years of CAMP Rehoboth. While you’re in the section, enjoy Mary Jo Tarallo’s profile of this month’s featured CAMP Artists, Karen Brause and Kimberly Shaefer. Apparently being percussionists with multiple local music ensembles doesn’t keep them busy enough; they also are stained glass artists! There’s someone else to meet in CAMP Arts, too: Wes Drummond, who just joined the Clear Space Theatre team.

For another kind of “camp”—see our Flash Fiction winner on page 26 and get a glimpse into just what it takes for (fictional) drag queen Bea Cumming to take the stage. You’ll be glad you did—as one member of the Readers Panel remarked, “The Art of Bea Cumming literally sashays onto the page. The author’s voice is bold, funny, confident, and takes the reader behind the scenes of drag. Bea is impossible to ignore. You go girl!”

PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar

VICE PRESIDENT Polly Donaldson

SECRETARY Pat Catanzariti

TREASURER Kevin Ussery

AT-LARGE DIRECTORS

Robin Brennan, DrPh (non-voting) Lorne Crawford, AJ Eckman, David Garrett, Jenn Harpel, Michelle Manfredi, Marty Rendon, Teri Seaton, Hope Vella, Joe Vescio

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Robin Brennan, DrPH

CAMP REHOBOTH

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

CAMP Rehoboth, Inc. is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to CAMP Rehoboth are considered charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes and may be deducted to the fullest extent of the law. A copy of our exemption document is available for public inspection.

Of course, there’s lots more. Rich Barnett takes us back to 2003 and a fateful Rehoboth Beach lawn party, complete with special guest Barney Frank. Some of you likely were there; based on Rich’s account, I wish I had been, too. Christopher Moore is looking back also, reflecting on what the Lambda Rising bookstore meant to teen-age Christopher. Suffice it to say: a lot. (He says it better.)

Wait—there’s more?! Yes! Sandy Clark reports on her close encounters of a nature kind, Eric Wahl gets us up-to-speed on Gardenary, and Terri Schlichenmeyer tells us all about picnics. Then, there’s yoga (Beth Shockley) and some lessons learned from loneliness (Pattie Cinelli). Plus, reviews of some Pride books, Michael Thomas Ford’s nod to pop culture (and its transient nature), and an inquiry into divas (Eric Peterson).

So—start turning those pages! So much to read; so little (summer) time….▼

SUNFESTIVAL Tickets Available!

SUNFESTIVAL is back this Labor Day weekend, ready to close out the summer at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. A benefit for CAMP Rehoboth, the two-day event will host a night of entertainment and live auction on Saturday, September 5, and a night of dance on Sunday, September 6.

There are plenty of ticket options to join in on the fun. Get a General Admission ticket for David Archuleta’s headlining set and the exhilarating live auction on Saturday ($50) plus a General Admission ticket for DJs Robbie Leslie and James Anthony’s electric dancefloor sets ($75). Take advantage of the bundled SUNFESTIVAL Pass ($150) for entrance to both nights, priority seating for Saturday, and a commemorative t-shirt.

For more information about this year’s festivities and the power of becoming a sponsor, visit page 17. ▼

Share Your Support This Pride

CAMP Rehoboth has a popular answer to folks who ask how we celebrate Pride month: we celebrate Pride every day. Thanks to community support, CAMP Rehoboth embodies Pride year-round with its programming and services for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies in southern Delaware and beyond.

These days, Pride is more important to celebrate than ever. This is a time to show up and show out for the LGBTQ+ community as allies, neighbors, and supporters. Stay on the lookout for CAMP Rehoboth’s Pride appeal letter, hitting mailboxes mid-June.

The letter shares how your support sustains programs like advocacy efforts, health initiatives, and support groups. Didn’t receive the letter? Stop by the center or visit camprehoboth.org to learn more and make a donation.

Pride continues past June—and so does the work. Let’s keep showing up for each other.▼

Thomas Weaverling Named as Steve Elkins Fellow

In May, the Blade Foundation announced the recipient of its 2026 Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism: Thomas Weaverling, a recent graduate of American University.

In a statement, Weaverling said, “I am incredibly honored and excited to receive the Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship in Journalism. Writing for the Washington Blade has been a goal of mine since I began my freshman year of college and I could not be more thrilled to have this opportunity. I am looking forward to getting to know the LGBTQ+ community in Rehoboth Beach and throughout Delaware.”

CAMP Rehoboth is grateful to the Washington Blade for its coverage of LGBTQ+ news in Delaware, and for its commitment to memorializing CAMP Rehoboth co-founder and former Letters editor Steve Elkins with this fellowship. ▼

Rubber

Ducky Yellow Pool Party

On Saturday, July 4, from 12:006:00 p.m., celebrate the holiday weekend and support a good cause by splashing over to the Rubber Ducky Yellow Pool Party at 6 Futcher Drive in Rehoboth Beach! This annual pool party is a favorite local tradition, and is hosted by Mike DeFlavia and Tony Sowers and their housemates, and will feature DJ Mike Reimer.

“Who needs Bert & Ernie?! It’s you. All of you. You’re the ones to make bath—we mean pool—time lots of fun. We’re awfully fond of you for making this a fun event each year, helping raise money for CAMP Rehoboth,” said the party hosts.

The party raises funds for CAMP Rehoboth through a suggested entrance donation of $20. The rain date is July 5. ▼

Lisa, Holly, & John Return to CAMP Rehoboth with Two New Shows

The dynamic trio of Lisa Graff, Holly Lane, and John Francis Flynn are over the rainbow with excitement to bring two new shows to CAMP Rehoboth this August. The first, titled “Woke and Proud,” will be performed at the CAMP Rehoboth Elkins-Archibald Atrium on Saturday, August 1, at 5:00 p.m.

“We are having more fun than ever choosing songs to accompany my script. I’m holding nothing back. In [last year’s] Chicago show, I said gay people are more fun than straight people. Well, it’s true! Holly and John and I are a fantastic team!”

The trio will bring its second show—“Find a Way or Make One!”—to CAMP Rehoboth on Saturday, August 22, at 5:00 p.m. The show is about “all those times when life presented obstacles, and I found a way to thrive,” said Graff.

Tickets are $25 and available soon, first exclusively to CAMP Rehoboth members, and thereafter to the general public. Visit camprehoboth.org/events for more information. ▼

Photo: L-R: Holly Lane, John Flynn, Lisa Graff

LGBTQ+ Youth Empowerment Program Launches First Community Groups & Workshops

I

n May, the Trevor Project released the results of its annual US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. The survey found that LGBTQ+ youth in the US face worryingly high rates of suicidality and victimization, worsened by anti-LGBTQ+ politics. Some key findings include:

• 36 percent of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including 40 percent of transgender and nonbinary young people.

• 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the past year.

• 44 percent of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.

In response to this critical need, CAMP Rehoboth has partnered with Delaware Psychological Services (DPS) for the LGBTQ+ Youth Empowerment Program. The initiative provides no-cost/low-cost behavioral health support to Sussex County LGBTQ+ (including gender-expansive) youth 13-18 years of age and their families. Funds for the program are provided by a Highmark BCBS BluePrints Small Grant.

This summer, the program is set to launch community workshops and groups to expand support and services for LGBTQ+ youth and their families in Sussex County. The first community workshop is titled "Affirming Care in Community: Supporting Trans and Gender-Diverse Youth Through Allyship, Advocacy, and Connection.” The workshop will offer two sessions: Friday, June 26, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at Lewes Public Library, and Wednesday, July 8, 5:00-7:00 p.m., virtually.

Then, beginning July 11, and running every second and fourth Saturday, DPS will continue the conversation with a parent/caregiver support group. The group will be a place to connect, share, and support one another, facilitated in conversation by a licensed clinician.

Additionally, the program offers youth individual therapy sessions, youth group therapy sessions, and additional community education and workshops. Find out more by visiting camprehoboth.org/yep. ▼

SPEAKOut

Dear Editor:

Christopher Moore’s column in the April 3 Letters resonated deeply with me. His vivid recollections and reflections on the profound impact of a library on his childhood were remarkably familiar. As he eloquently articulated, libraries serve as “engines of imagination.”

I would like to draw your readers’ attention to the Rehoboth Beach Public Library, situated on Rehoboth Avenue. While it has consistently been an active and invaluable resource for both residents and visitors, the library is currently undergoing a significant renovation. Upon completion, the library will feature enhanced spaces for exploration of its extensive collection of books, videos, and online resources, as well as opportunities for interaction with others through a diverse array of programs catering to adults and children.

The library’s dedicated staff is diligently ensuring the library’s continued accessibility during construction, culminating in the unveiling of Phase 1 of the renovation later this year.

Although the project primarily receives funding from federal and state sources, we are actively soliciting contributions from local citizens and visitors. I encourage you to delve deeper into the project, view images of the refurbished library, and discover how you can contribute at: reholibrarycapitalcampaign.com/

As Moore aptly stated, “here, the world is yours.” Join us in this exhilarating endeavor! We look forward to seeing you at the library.

Howard Menaker

Rehoboth Beach Public Library

Capital Campaign Committee

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

A Bold Kickoff to Pride Month

Announcing Our Latest Board Members

As CAMP Rehoboth embarks on this latest chapter of its storied history, under the direction of Executive Director Robin Brennan, the Board made it a priority to recruit a full complement of Directors in order to support her to the fullest extent possible. In recruiting to fill its two vacancies, the Board focused on talent and diversity gaps among its Directors and the professional skill sets of potential recruits.

With great anticipation and excitement for new ideas and infusion of talent, the Board announces that we will be entering June Pride month fully staffed, as AJ Eckman and Marty Rendon join the Board as its two newest Directors.

AJ brings over 20 years of leadership experience across financial services, nonprofit development, and community engagement. Professionally, he spent 15 years in bank management and mortgage consulting, developing strong skills in financial oversight, strategic planning, and relationship management.

In his nonprofit career, AJ has served on 14 boards and committees (including the Rehoboth Beach Bears), and has served in leadership roles such as president, vice president, secretary, and member-at-large. He also spent 12 years with Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Young Professionals, including six years as its Executive Director, where he led the creation of large-scale community initiatives and signature events for more than 1,000 members.

In his current role as Marketing and Development Director at Lancaster Rec, he has scaled annual fundraising from approximately $10K to over $500K, building relationships with more than 75 corporate donors, including national brands such as Auntie Anne’s, T-Mobile, and AARP. He is also an experienced grant writer, with a strong success rate in securing funding for innovative programming. AJ currently lives in Lewes, Delaware.

Marty Rendon, an attorney by training, worked for 25 years as Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy for UNICEF USA in Washington, DC. As the face of UNICEF on Capitol Hill, it was his charge to advocate for UNICEF’s policies and funding to save and improve the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children; as Marty says, “a child in need knows no politics.” As a senior officer at UNICEF USA, he was involved in all aspects of running an international nonprofit organization, including fundraising, development, communications, and donor relations. He also had key roles in working together with a wide range of other nonprofits that worked on children’s issues.

The depth and breadth of wisdom, talent, and experience that now informs the Board makes me particularly excited to enter summer in the Nation’s Summer Capital…

In addition to his long and storied career with UNICEF, Marty brings his several decades of knowledge and experience in the Rehoboth Beach community to the Board, including being a long time Rainbow Member of CAMP Rehoboth. He has also been a Commissioner on the Delaware Human and Civil Rights Commission since 2019 and is the current Chair of the Commission’s Legislative Committee. He is a founding member of Speak Out Against Hate (SOAH) and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Coastal Delaware, the 14th Representative District Democratic Committee, the Eastern Sussex Democrats, and the Sussex Preservation Coalition. He also spent two years campaigning as a candidate for Representative for the 14th Representative District in the Delaware

LEDOGAR

General Assembly, during which time he gained new friendships and cemented old ones. Marty resides in the Rehoboth Beach area with his husband, John.

The depth and breadth of wisdom, talent, and experience that now informs the Board makes me particularly excited to enter summer in the Nation’s Summer Capital, with all of the remarkable events and services that CAMP Rehoboth has to offer. From our PRISM youth group to our veterans’ group, from our weekly health offerings such as tai chi and yoga, not to mention all of the Pride events happening throughout the month of June, there is truly something for everyone at CAMP Rehoboth Community Center. Mark your calendars for all of the Pride events occurring throughout the rest of June (see page 12) and Show Up and Show OUT!

Lest I leave the impression that the activities, classes, support groups, and services that CAMP Rehoboth offers only occur in June, I say “hold on to your beach towel!” Our offerings are yearround, including major events planned for this fall. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are already available for SUNFESTIVAL, our signature two-day event over Labor Day weekend. Planning for the Block Party in October, where we take over Baltimore Avenue with vendors, music, and entertainment, is already underway, and on either November 6 or 7 (TBD) we’ll host our 35th Anniversary Gala—a party you don’t want to miss.

To find out exactly what is happening and when, check out our calendar page at camprehoboth.org/events and subscribe to our weekly newsletter via the button at camprehoboth.org. To volunteer at a specific event, check out our volunteers page at camprehoboth.org/about-us/ volunteers/. As always, Show Up and Show Out!  ▼

Leslie Ledogar is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

Community Connections

BY SHAE WAGNER

More Than a Weekend

SUNFESTIVAL has always been more than a weekend event. For decades, it has been a celebration, a reunion, a dance floor, a concert, and a space where people from all over can come exactly as they are and feel a sense of belonging. It is joy in motion. And that joy creates something much larger than the event itself.

This year, we are thrilled to welcome David Archuleta as our Saturday night headliner. His journey of self-discovery and authenticity has resonated deeply with many in the LGBTQ+ community, making his presence feel especially meaningful for an event rooted in connection and belonging. SUNFESTIVAL has long been a place where people arrive as strangers and leave feeling like family; where people can show up fully as themselves and know they are welcome.

For many attendees, that feeling is what keeps them coming back year after year. They know they will find joy, friendship, celebration, and a space where they can feel comfortable and connected.

But what happens during SUNFESTIVAL weekend does not stay within those two days.

As CAMP Rehoboth’s largest annual fundraiser, SUNFESTIVAL helps sustain the work that happens throughout the entire year. Sponsorship support and event proceeds help make possible the programs, services, outreach efforts, support groups, educational opportunities, and community-building initiatives that so many people rely on throughout the year.

When businesses and individuals choose to support SUNFESTIVAL, they are doing more than sponsoring entertainment or helping produce an event. They are helping sustain a yearround community center dedicated to creating belonging and improving lives.

“Sponsoring SUNFESTIVAL is our way of helping to ensure that current and future generations have access to LGBTQ+ patient-centered healthcare, culture, education, and the arts,” said Wes Combs and Greg Albright, longtime CAMP Rehoboth supporters. “We are honored to play a small part in advancing this important work and encourage others to join us as we celebrate the impact CAMP Rehoboth continues to make in so many lives.”

When the lights dim and the music ends, the work continues. And because of the support behind SUNFESTIVAL, the impact continues, too.

We invite individuals and businesses to join us in making SUNFESTIVAL possible through sponsorship and becoming part of the lasting impact this event creates. SUNFESTIVAL may last only two days, but the community it strengthens lasts all year long. ▼

Shae Wagner is Event and Volunteer Coordinator at CAMP Rehoboth.

GOLD SPONSORS

SPONSORS

Pride Celebrations Continue

MILTON PRIDE

Saturday, June 13, 4–8 p.m.

CAMP Rehoboth will have a presence at Milton Pride, co-presented by Milton Theatre and Sussex Pride, held at Milton Theatre’s Quayside. Secure your wristbands in advance and pay online or at the gate and be a part of a vibrant, inclusive celebration of love, diversity, and acceptance! Help keep the spirit of Pride alive. ▼

CAMP REHOBOTH CHORUS CONCERT

“I Hear America Singing” June 19 & 20, 7 p.m | June 21, 3 p.m.

The CAMP Rehoboth Chorus presents "I Hear America Singing," a musical revue honoring the 250th anniversary of America, at Epworth United Methodist Church. The concert will celebrate 250 years of courage, community, and the American spirit.

The program will celebrate the foundations of America. Songs include “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears,” where audiences see the Statue of Liberty through the eyes of a 15-year-old Irish immigrant; “This Is the Dream,” reminds listeners of the courage, the hopes, and the promises of America inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Chorus singers salute the Armed Forces

for their service, while also recounting the ravages of war with “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” and “One Tin Soldier.” Songs of protest and promise include “This Land is Your Land” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

The concert title is taken from Walt Whitman’s poem by the same name and celebrates “America”—both Neil Diamond’s and Bernstein/Sondheim’s from West Side Story. More than just a patriotic exercise, this concert explores all of American history—the struggles, the victories, and the hope for a future: “Bound for the Promised Land.”

Tickets at: camprehoboth.org/events. ▼

PRIDE THROUGH PLAY

Unlock Your Creativity Through Improv! Wednesday, June 24, 2–4 p.m.

Thistwo-hour in-person workshop is the perfect opportunity to dip your toes into the exciting world of improv. Presented by Highwire Improv, the workshop begins with friendly introductions followed by a boundary check-in, ensuring a held space for exploration and creativity.

Through a series of lively improv warmups, attendees will discover the joy of letting go, embracing the present moment, and trusting instincts. Highwire Improv’s experienced instructor will lead

Human Relations Training with DNREC

On Tuesday, May 26, CAMP Rehoboth presented its Human Relations Training to the seasonal officers with the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), ready to serve Delaware parks this summer. The training followed this season's sessions with Rehoboth Beach Police and Dewey Beach Police Departments in April. ▼

folks through a variety of games and exercises that foster teamwork, quick thinking, and adaptability.

This workshop is specifically designed for individuals who are new to improv, so no prior experience is required. Consider this an invitation to explore the world of improv, unleash creativity, and discover the power of spontaneous collaboration!

Register at camprehoboth.org.

PRIDE IN THE COURTYARD

Celebrating CAMP Rehoboth’s 35th Anniversary | Friday, June 26, 4–6p.m.

Celebrate

Pride with CAMP Rehoboth at a social in the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard and Elkins-Archibald Atrium. This year, Pride in the Courtyard will pay special tribute to CAMP Rehoboth’s 35th anniversary, celebrating over three decades of community building and the center’s transformative legacy in building a culture of understanding and cooperation in Rehoboth Beach and throughout the southern Delaware region.

Pride in the Courtyard will feature music and entertainment by DJ Shady P, and a space to make connections with friends new and old. Light refreshments will be provided. Donations accepted.

Register at camprehoboth.org. ▼

CROP Visits Brandywine SPCA

On Tuesday, May 19, volunteers with the CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) visited the Brandywine SPCA to make up bags of cat and dog food for home deliveries. A highlight: Volunteers made dog treats out of toilet paper rolls with treats inside and peanut butter spread on both ends! ▼

SUNFESTIVAL

Love Out LOUD

BY NANCY SAKADUSKI

“It’s really important to do everything that you possibly can to stay true to yourself.”

- SUNFESTIVAL Headliner David Archuleta

SUNFESTIVAL:

LOVE OUT LOUD

Labor Day Weekend, Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

Saturday, September 5

A Night of Entertainment + Live Auction, Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 6

A Night of Dance, Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and close at 1:00 a.m.

For more information and tickets, go to give.camprehoboth.org/ events/sunfestival-2026

SUNFESTIVAL has never been a shy wallflower, but this year, its 39th, it steps up with the theme “Love Out Loud” to embody the spirit of the twoday celebration of life, love, and liberation. So, let’s say it Out LOUD: Get your tickets now. SUNFESTIVAL will sell out.

SING OUT LOUD

Headliner David Archuleta knows what it’s like to sing Out LOUD. His origin story is an odyssey—a journey from closeted Mormon teen to global pop star to openly queer man. And from the moment he stepped into the pop spotlight at age 17, David Archuleta has dazzled audiences with his emotional sincerity and phenomenal voice. His journey has included having multiple platinum-selling hits and achieving global acclaim as a captivating live performer.

Opening for David is Ashley Williams, a local performer who sings with a voice that rivals that of her hero, Whitney Houston (see Spotlight, opposite).

BID OUT LOUD

The moment when auctioneer Lorne Crawford halts the bidding, points, and yells, “Sold!” is when the audience often comes together as one, to applaud the charity of the donor, the generosity of the buyer, and the knowledge that CAMP Rehoboth has gained essential financial support. Whether you just enjoy sharing the excitement or you anticipate bidding on a cruise, resort stay, luxury destination trip, or other special auction item, bid Out LOUD.

DANCE OUT LOUD

It’s one ticket for two DJs—bona fide legend DJ Robbie Leslie and worldwide

dance-floor innovator DJ James Anthony. Look for classic mirror ball memories, dance-floor anthems, and tribal beats. Word has it that the Disco Boyz will be up to their hijinks again. And you know they dance Out LOUD.

LOOKS OUT LOUD

Start thinking about what you’ll wear to the dance. We’ll be on the hunt for those Looks Out Loud!

WELCOME VISITORS OUT LOUD

SUNFESTIVAL is a destination event! Tell your friends to book now. Exclusive booking rates are available via Hampton Inn Rehoboth Beach: give.camprehoboth.org/ sunfestival-accommodations.

SUPPORT OUT LOUD

Sponsorship packages are going fast. Why? Because they’re one of the best ways to show your support for CAMP Rehoboth Out LOUD. Sponsorships range from $600-$10,000 and directly fund CAMP Rehoboth’s health programs, arts and culture events, advocacy, and community-building work.

For questions or to explore custom sponsorships, contact Shae Wagner, Event and Volunteer Coordinator, at swagner@camprehoboth.org or 302227-5620.

CAMP Rehoboth is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive environment for all participants. If you plan on joining us for SUNFESTIVAL and have needs related to accessibility, please contact accessibility@camprehoboth.org by August 21 to ensure needs may be met.

SPOTLIGHT ON Ashley Williams

If you’ve never heard Ashley Williams sing, you’re in for an enormous treat at SUNFESTIVAL, where she will open for headliner David Archuleta. Ashley’s been seen in cabarets at Blue Moon and in major roles for Clear Space Theatre, but we’ll have her all to ourselves on Saturday, September 5. Whether she’s singing her favorite Motown tunes or channeling Whitney Houston, Ashley has that special sauce that combines great stage presence with a powerful voice and spot-on song interpretation. And, of course, you get pickles with that (read on).

NANCY SAKADUSKI: When did you realize your voice was a quite a bit above average?

ASHLEY WILLIAMS: I didn’t start singing until my sophomore year of high school. I had stage fright—absolutely terrified to go onstage, so I was in marching band. I played clarinet, and then all of my friends started doing show choir…. [I thought], at least I’ll have my friends with me to back me up.

NS: Have you been involved with CAMP Rehoboth before this?

AW: My first introduction to it was in 2022 [at the Block Party]…our theater group went over and sang some songs from our show.

My brother is gay…and he said, ‘I’m surprised you never heard me talk about CAMP Rehoboth, because every time we come up here, that’s where I go.’ So, my first introduction was singing with the group and hearing my brother telling me about it.

NS: What can SUNFESTIVAL fans expect?

AW: I’m thinking some fun, upbeat things…. Some Whitney Houston and Gloria Gayner, things like that just to get the crowd going, and then David Archuleta is going to take it away and be absolutely amazing, so I’m excited to be there and watch him myself.

NS: CAMP Rehoboth is all about acceptance—loving someone for who they are, not how they look. You’re a beautiful woman but I wonder if you’ve dealt with body image issues and whether you’d be willing to talk about that.

My mom would always tell me to never shrink yourself in a room to make someone comfortable. You just have to be yourself.…

AW: When I came here to do Little Shop [of Horrors], I was like, oh, I’m the only plus-sized person here. It could go either way…. I don’t know if they’re going to be able to costume me, they’re not going to know what fits on my body, or [they’ll] just give me super-old-lady frumpy clothes because that’s what will fit me. And it was the polar opposite experience when I got here. I was like, oh my God, where am I?

Rehoboth Beach is so accepting it’s so crazy…. And then they offered me the role to play Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, and I was like, what? What is

going on? [she had auditioned for the part of Mary].

I always said plus-size women belong in theater. Period. And not just as a punchline, not just as a best friend, not just in a funny character role. They should be an ingenue. They should be a romantic lead. They should be a diva, a villain, whatever they want to be—hero, star. Because theater is humanity, and humanity does not come in one size.

NS: What would people be surprised to learn about you?

AW: I have this ridiculously insane obsession with pickles…I love pickles.

NS: What’s the best piece of advice you ever got?

AW: My mom would always tell me to never shrink yourself in a room to make someone comfortable. You just have to be yourself.… She used to say that the right rooms will not require you to become smaller to belong there.

NS: Anything I didn’t ask you about that you’d like to say?

AW: I’m honestly so excited and so humbly grateful for this opportunity to share my talents onstage and meet a bunch of amazing, wonderful people and do it for such an amazing organization.

NS: Is your brother going to be there?

AW: He is going to be there. Yes. He’s so excited.

NS: Did he ask you to sing anything in particular?

AW: He told me [to sing] anything Whitney Houston, so I said OK. I can definitely do that one. ▼

Nancy (Day) Sakaduski is an award-winning writer and proud ally who has provided writing services to CAMP Rehoboth for 14 years. She also serves on the Lewes Public Library Board of Commissioners and the Delaware Art Museum’s Sussex County Advisory Council.

Photo: clearspacetheatre.org

LOVE OUT LOUD

Aging Gracelessly

My Very Personal CBS Boycott

When liberal pundits and politicians, not to mention pro-democracy organizations, called for a boycott of the CBS network, I jumped on the bandwagon. Of course I would. CBS, under the blundering stewardship of right-wing Managing Editor Bari Weiss, has become a mega-Maga mouthpiece.

The once-proudly celebrated news division, born of broadcasting giants Edward R. Morrow and Walter Cronkite, is now doing everything it can to support, promote, and protect the anti-democracy, pro-fascist Trump administration. It makes me sick.

And I stand with millions of NO KINGS supporters in this boycott. But for me, it’s also incredibly personal.

My father, Mort Rubenstein, worked for CBS. As a young graphic artist (although that term was not even invented yet) Mort worked, in 1951, on the team which designed the CBS eye logo.

From the late 1940s through the early 60s, Mort rose in the company to eventually become Creative Director for

the network. He wrote clever copy and designed promotional campaigns and national ads for CBS news and entertainment programs, published in the New York Times, TV Guide, and hundreds of newspapers across the country.

Our household was steeped in personal stories about the legendary reporting of Edward R. Morrow, the journalistic traditions of Walter Cronkite, and the society page reports of CBS founder William S. Paley and his wife Babe.

Living in New York City, my sister and I got to go to weekly rehearsals of the Ed Sullivan Show where we had the opportunity to see so many famous performers live on stage. And I occasionally got to meet my celebrity crushes like Carol Burnett and George Maharis of the Route 66 TV show. In hindsight, my crush on him was more likely for his 1963 Corvette.

In my family, we all wore CBS eye cufflinks, earrings, even neck ties with the famous logo on them. I still have two CBS ties in my closet and numerous logo pins and earrings. My bookcase

BY FAY JACOBS

still contains books about the making of the first 60 Minutes program, and numerous publications about Edward R. Murrow, the CBS history of I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, and so much more.

Living in New York City, my sister and I got to go to weekly rehearsals of the Ed Sullivan Show where we had the opportunity to see so many famous performers live on stage.

I also have numerous pictures of my parents with the casts of The Munsters and Hogan’s Heroes and my mother’s crush, New York Giants football player and CBS commentator Frank Gifford.

This is all to say that CBS was a giant part of my life and it makes me sick that its proud heritage has been warped and wounded by its current shilling for Donald Trump. That sound you hear is Edward. R. Morrow and my father spinning in their graves.

When Nora O’Donnel was replaced on CBS Evening News it was the first time in my life I switched the channel for news. And the first time since its premiere in 1968 that I stopped watching 60 Minutes

So I’m sadly all in on the boycott. There are rumors that Bari Weiss may be on her way out as managing editor of the news division, but I still think the megaMaga shift to the right is here to stay—at least until, or if we ever, recover our democracy from the Trump era.

For now, my father’s CBS Eye is not watching over me. ▼

Fay Jacobs is a freelance writer, storyteller, and author of six books of (mostly) comic essays. She has written for the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, The Advocate, the Washington Blade, Delaware Beach Life, and—for 30 years—Letters.

When Barney Frank Came to Town

It was July in Rehoboth Beach, which meant the humidity and the mosquitoes were relentless.

Before guests arrived, I slipped around the property with a jumbo can of Yard Guard. Some of the mosquito spray unfortunately lightly settled onto the tea sandwiches and brie. I simply looked the other way, worried more about melting ice in the wine buckets.

More than 300 people came—in cars, on bicycles, on foot—many dressed in linen and wearing fancy summer shoes. Gay and straight. Year-rounders and summer people. Upstaters. Downstaters. State and local politicians. Business owners and civil rights veterans and curious onlookers, all carrying checkbooks because in 2003 that’s how you showed up to a fundraiser featuring a witty well-known US Congressman who was openly gay and a governor who was the first woman to hold that office in Delaware.

Standing there on that crowded lawn, I had an inkling the event was going to amount to something more than a few mosquito bites.

Much will be written about the late Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts and his role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights in America. This is but a short story about his role in a summer cocktail party that helped create big change in a small state.

July 2003. Rehoboth had a thriving LGBTQ+ community—group houses and elaborate theme parties, happy hour at the Blue Moon, late nights at the Renegade. But there was more to it than moisturizing and socializing at Poodle Beach on the weekend. Gay men and lesbians were buying homes and starting businesses. CAMP Rehoboth was building bridges between the growing community and the town. Mark Aguirre had just become the first openly gay official elected to the city council.

The previous year, Delaware lawmakers killed House Bill 99, legislation that would have added sexual orientation to the state’s anti-discrimination laws. The bill passed the House before dying in a

Senate committee chaired by a Democrat. Yes, a Democrat. Downstate politics in those days still carried a foul whiff of Dixiecrat cigar smoke.

Downstate politics in those days still carried a foul whiff of Dixiecrat cigar smoke.

The defeat stung people who had invested heavily in the effort, among them a relatively new Rehoboth resident from DC named Peter Schott. Peter had worked on Capitol Hill and served on the board of the National Stonewall Democrats network that Barney Frank founded in 1996 to advocate for gay and lesbian equal rights. Delaware was one of the few states without an LGBTQ+ Democratic political organization. Peter believed that needed to change.

One cold winter evening, a small group gathered at the Blue Moon bar on Baltimore Avenue. Peter recruited Tim Spies, a Delaware native with excellent

statewide connections and an even more excellent front porch, to serve as the first president of the new group. His porch soon became a gathering spot for what became the Delaware Stonewall Democratic Club. Fay Jacobs, a local power with political savvy, a sharp pen, and deep roots in CAMP Rehoboth’s activist network, enthusiastically signed on. After a particularly strong Manhattan, yours truly joined to lead the fundraising. My partner Michael volunteered to manage the finances. Grassroots activists Corey and Douglas Marshall-Steele of Milton later joined the effort.

What emerged from that bar was a small coalition of year-rounders and part-timers with different priorities but united by impatience with state Democratic politics. The mission of the new club was two-fold: to foster change within the state party and to bring together the upstate and coastal LGBTQ+ communities. But first the club needed legitimacy. And in politics, legitimacy often arrives disguised as a fundraiser.

Peter asked Barney Frank if he’d come to Rehoboth to help launch the organization publicly. Barney said yes, even before the ink on the club bylaws had dried. DC political insider Jim D’Orta offered to host at his home overlooking Rehoboth’s Silver Lake. CAMP Rehoboth signed on, as did the Liberty Fund and the ACLU in Wilmington.

Local House Representative Pete Schwartzkopf was the first Delaware Democrat to say he’d come. State Treasurer Jack Markell agreed to attend. And then…Governor Ruth Ann Minner accepted an invitation to speak.

With Barney and Ruth Ann as headliners, suddenly every state Democrat wanted in.

We held the fundraiser. And they sure came. People who rarely occupied the same rooms suddenly were standing shoulder to shoulder, talking progressive politics. It was, many said, unique and unexpected.

In 2003, the idea that the state’s LGBTQ+ community could function as a visible, organized statewide political force felt new to many people in power.

In the yard, outdoor fans were humming. The hydrangeas were in full bloom—blue and pink, of course. The wine was flowing and the tea sandwiches were disappearing at an alarming rate. The brie, not so much. At some point, a gentleman arrived carrying a parrot.

Governor Minner spoke first, reiterating her support for LGBTQ+ rights. Later, she gamely posed for photos with the bird on her shoulder, and it remains to this day my favorite image from that evening.

And Barney. Upon his arrival, Barney worked the lawn like he was on the House floor, swatting mosquitoes and hobnobbing with every elected official he could find. He spoke to the crowd about political engagement not as an abstraction but as a necessity. Organize. Fundraise. Show up. Become impossible to ignore. Go cruising for equal rights.

He insisted, too, that the Democratic Party needed to welcome people of all stripes. Look around, he implored the politicos gathered that evening. These are the people who can help you win up and down the state. The Democratic Party wasn’t perfect, he admitted. But for those who believed in equality it was much better than the alternative.

After his frank and impassioned talk, Barney took his own advice and spent considerable time circulating among the crowd. To be fair, it was an exceptionally attractive crowd….

The event raised more than $11,000, a noticeable sum for a startup political organization in Delaware. More importantly, Barney Frank’s participation got the attention of state Democrats. Within weeks, the Delaware Stonewall Democrats were offered a seat on the party’s executive committee.

Delaware politicians had seen something that afternoon. In 2003, the idea that the state’s LGBTQ+ community could function as a visible, organized statewide political force felt new to many people in power. It spoke to money, organization, and votes. Untapped assets, not opponents.

Barney returned to Rehoboth the following summer to headline an even larger fundraiser for Delaware Stonewall. More politicians came. National LGBTQ+ groups joined in. Alliances formed. And the energy, once started, proved hard to stop.

The legislative wins came later. Jack Markell was elected governor in 2009. He signed sexual orientation protections into law in his first year, thanks to huge lobbying efforts by CAMP Rehoboth, Delaware Stonewall, Representative Schwartzkopf, and many other organizations and individuals up and down the state. Marriage equality followed in 2013.

And two years ago in 2024, Delaware sent Sarah McBride to the US House of Representatives. She was the first transgender woman ever elected to Congress. It was something that would

have been unimaginable on that lawn in 2003. A testament to how far the state had come.

To be clear, none of this was inevitable. None of it was the work of any single person, organization, or single event. And Barney Frank did not singlehandedly transform Delaware politics. But visibility matters and momentum is fickle.

That July evening in Rehoboth, with warm wine and mosquito spray drifting through the air and Barney Frank holding court on a crowded lawn, something shifted. That night Delaware’s LGBTQ+ community stopped asking for an invitation to the party and instead hosted the party. ▼

Rich Barnett’s column just celebrated its 20th year in Letters. He is the author of two books and is an occasional contributor to Delaware Beach Life. His character-driven short stories have appeared in a variety of publications, most notably three times in Saints and Sinners annual LGBTQ fiction anthology. He can be reached at richbarnettwriter.com.

Looking in a Different Direction

Afew weeks ago, my mom came to visit me, serving as my date for an annual gala we attend together each year. I always look forward to the event—not just for the gala itself, but for the chance to spend a few quality days together. One of my favorite traditions is getting dressed up and coordinating our colors so we look cute in the many photos we inevitably take throughout the night.

Her knees aren’t always as kind to her as they once were, so she usually brings either a cane or her rollator to the gala. She has even been known to buy a new cane to match her dress. Her rollator, thankfully, is a versatile dark blue that goes with just about everything. This year, she chose the rollator, and it proved especially useful when the evening began with a standing reception. She simply wheeled it to a comfortable spot, locked the wheels, and used it as a seat.

I took a lap around the place to see who was there, slid through a crowd of people chatting to get to the bar to grab a glass of prosecco, and then made my way back to where my mom was sitting. Shortly afterward, we heard the booming sound of drums. A women’s percussion group was making a theatrical entrance into the space, calling everyone’s attention. The drumline of about 15 women marched into the balcony area. I looked up at them along with everyone else in the room. The beating of the drums, the uniform body movements, and the energy surrounding them pulled you into their performance. This went on for several minutes before a friend who was standing next to me leaned in to ask if my mom wanted to turn around. He was afraid she was missing the show.

Not knowing there would be a spectacle to watch on the balcony behind her, when she sat in her rollator, she positioned it so she’d be facing the doors of the room we’d be moving to after the reception. I hadn’t thought about it until my friend pointed it out. I leaned down

to ask her if she wanted to turn around. She told me no. My mom had no interest in seeing the women performing behind her. Instead, she was focused on the woman on the opposite balcony who was conducting and directing the group. I followed my mom’s eyes, and then her outstretched arm as she pointed to the woman across the way guiding the group. She swayed with joy and power. My mother’s gaze then made sense to me.

Having people in our lives who can see color where we see black and white, who… can expand how we look at an experience, is rich.

For years, my mom has had season subscription packages for the orchestra. She tends to select shows with a featured pianist or music by Beethoven, Brahms, or Mozart. Over time, I’ve noticed that there are certain conductors she likes to see as well. Some people go for the composers. Some people go for the musicians. Sometimes my mom goes for the conductors because she gets just

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

as much pleasure from watching them conduct as she does listening to the orchestra that he or she is guiding.

In a room full of hundreds of people who were all looking at one thing during the reception performance, she was experiencing the same music but doing so from a different perspective. I smiled at the notion, and I have been thinking about it ever since.

In our personal relationships, romantic or otherwise, we might expect that another person who is in the same place at the same time is having the same feeling, experience, or perspective we are having, and that is not always the case. And that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It could be just a thing. Or it could be an incredibly rich thing.

Having people in our lives who can see color where we see black and white, who focus on the conductor and not just the orchestra, who can expand how we look at an experience, is rich. They can help us see more than what is right in front of us. They can encourage us to look at ourselves, our decisions, and our approach to life from a different angle. They remind us that there is not just one way to do this thing called life, and we don’t have to follow what everyone else is doing to have a full experience that is personally rewarding.

The night of the gala, my mom literally did just that. When she told me what she was watching, I turned my attention there as well. I didn’t turn back to see what the rest of the crowd was looking at. I started to enjoy the experience from a different angle—still listening to the same music, in the same place, with the same people, but looking in a different direction. ▼

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 Instagram: @Mr_CJFluker.

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Viva La Diva

There’s a little game I like to play when I’m meeting a gay man for the first time. It’s not really a game, so much as an icebreaker, a way to ease into conversation and immediately get to know them a bit better. And it almost always works. I just ask a simple question: “Who’s your diva?”

Most gay men immediately know what I mean. There’s an entire pantheon of female entertainers throughout our shared history that have courted and earned the affection of the gay male audience. They’re fierce, they’re fabulous. We love them and they love us back.

I’ve long theorized that we worship our divas because they show us that strength does not require masculinity. Divas are tough without being stereotypically gruff. For many of us, especially in our youth, this was an important lesson. As a group, our divas have a lot in common—but taken individually, there’s much that makes them distinct. Bette Midler, for instance, is bawdy in a way that Diana Ross would never. Kate Bush’s airy soprano is as ethereal as Madonna’s sex-positive anthems are carnal.

And while most gay men are fans of many divas, the whole point of my icebreaker is to ask them to choose just one—one icon that stands above the rest, the queen of their own personal fandom. And while I haven’t exactly mapped out all the ways a gay man’s diva of choice could define his personality, I think some of the patterns are fairly obvious. I learn a whole lot more about a gay man with this question than I’d ever get from “where did you grow up?” or “what do you do [for a living]?” This question is about where he gets his strength and his joy, which isn’t something we always associate with our hometowns or workplaces.

For instance, I have a longtime friend whose diva is Cher. When I ask him to tell me about Cher and why he loves her, his first instinct is typically to do an impression (actually, an impression of drag queen Chad Michaels imitating Cher), braying, “Because I’m Cher, bitch!” He

loves her outspokenness, her ability to say whatever is on her mind and get away with it, and the way she shocks people with her outrageous fashion choices and one-liners. In an oddly reflective moment (for him), he also said how much he admired that she initially struggled with her son’s journey as a transgender man, revealing that even our idols aren’t always perfect.

I’ve long theorized that we worship our divas because they show us that strength does not require masculinity.

Okay, so that’s Cher. So, who is my friend? Well, he’s outspoken, he seems incapable of not saying whatever is on his mind (he doesn’t get away with it quite as often as she does), and he delights in shocking people. He can also be a bit of a perfectionist, which is perhaps why he appreciated her rare moments of imperfection.

Another friend struggled a bit with this question when I first asked it. He wasn’t sure he had a favorite, but after some time to think, he asked me, “Would Angela Lansbury count?” And of course, I told him OF COURSE she counts, and what an inspired choice she was. Lest you’re like most men my age (Gen X) or younger, who mainly associate Ms.

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

Lansbury with solving cozy mysteries in Cabot Cove, Maine (a quaint little town with a surprisingly high homicide rate), my friend was much more inclined to think of Angela singing “The Worst Pies in London” on the original cast album of Sweeney Todd. He had also seen her play the bad girl in Gaslight and The Harvey Girls, and her shocking turn in The Manchurian Candidate (if you haven’t seen it, please do it now before anyone spoils it).

Okay, so that’s Angela Lansbury. So, who’s this friend? Well, he’s a lot quieter than the first friend, but with a rapier wit that reveals itself occasionally and always to devastating effect. People who don’t know him well think of him as demure and kind (which he is, at least the “kind” part), but those of us who do know him well also delight in his bitchy asides (usually muttered under his breath and followed with the most innocent of smiles).

As the originator of this game (at least as far as I know), I’ll cheat a little bit and say that I’m a Liza Minnelli with a moon in Bette Davis and Madonna rising (what exactly that says about me is probably better left to my friends to explain). But if pressed, Liza is the diva I’ve given my whole heart to. I’ve seen Cabaret about 50 times, saw her live on three separate occasions, and I recently received a signed copy of her memoir in the mail, which is likely a column for another day— by which I mean, probably next month.

So…this Pride Month, if you don’t know what to say to that cute guy at Diego’s, just sidle up next to him at the bar, and ask him who his diva is. Ask him what makes her so special. You might not learn everything about him in that moment, but it’s a whole lot more fun than talking about your jobs. ▼

Eric Peterson is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) practitioner, pop culture junkie, and sometime novelist. His debut novel (Loyalty, Love & Vermouth) is available at Broweseabout Books and online.

BY RENEÉ ROCKLAND

3 RD PLACE

READER’S PANEL COMMENTS

“What I enjoyed most about The Art of Bea Cumming was its unique voice. Bea feels vividly present on the page—funny, confident, theatrical, and insightful all at once. The interview format allows the character’s personality to unfold naturally, and I found myself enjoying both the humor and the deeper reflections about performance and identity that emerge along the way. The piece balances wit and perspective in a way that makes Bea unforgettable.”

“The Art of Bea Cumming literally sashays onto the page. The author’s voice is bold, funny, confident, and takes the reader behind the scenes of drag. Bea is impossible to ignore. You go girl!”

“The Art of Bea Cumming is such a creative and realistic piece of fiction.”

“The Art of Bea Cumming…is a courageous baring of the author’s soul.”

The Art of Bea Cumming

Interview with renowned drag icon, Bea Cumming, February 8, 2026, prior to performance at The Purple Parrot in downtown Rehoboth Beach.

DRAG NAME: “It’s like giving birth only you don’t get stitches— you get stage time! This is your introduction, your first impression, and there’s no second chances here, honey. What’s your persona? Are you going to titillate like RuPaul? Dance like J. Lo? Make ‘em laugh like Biana Del Rio or swoon like Adele? Part inspiration, part creation but never perspiration!” (The inflection in her southern drawl lifts her robust, throaty laugh, which swallows everyone in its orbit.) “My name? Well, my mother—God rest her soul—was a proper southern woman, and she was quite fond of telling my sister, ‘If it isn’t becoming a lady, it shouldn’t be coming out of your mouth.’ And since I was becoming a lady…besides, who doesn’t love a good double entendre? Hello Mona Lotts!” (Again, that laugh.)

SKIN PREP/BROW CONCEALMENT: “Just like Julie Andrews, we’re going to start at the very beginning.” (She trills as if the hills have come alive in her dressing room.) “Now, I don’t care if you shave, wax, glue, sacrifice a minor god—what matters is the canvas. You wouldn’t paint the Sistine Chapel on a brick wall, would you? Exactly.” (She squints into the unforgiving glare of a lighted mirror; razor poised like a conductor’s baton.) “Brows are a suggestion, not a rule. Some block them out completely. Some soften them. And some just bully them into submission with glue and prayer. The goal is real estate. Forehead acreage. Give yourself room to dream.” (She flourishes her razor as if the song is crescendoing.)

PRIMER: “Fingertips are your friend. A gentle dab. It’s skin, darling, not a grudge.” (She presses the product in with deliberate little taps.) “Your fingers melt the primer, smooth pores, fill lies, heal trauma. Now let it sit. Primer needs a moment—like a good southern lady before she tells you exactly what she thinks.”

FOUNDATION: “You build your house on sand, it’s gonna blow away like a politician’s promises after election day. And I must tell you,” (she leans in conspiratorially) “that Cover Girl does not cover boy. Stage make-up, darling. Thin layers. Build the architecture slowly, so you don’t crack. You’re smoothing doubt into possibility. Remember, the foundation’s job isn’t to make you look different, it’s to make you look expensive.”

CONTOUR: “Neck, nose, forehead, jaw, anywhere the light wouldn’t naturally kiss. Contour is shadow, not dirt. If you look muddy, you’ve gone too far. Neck first because nothing betrays a queen faster than a floating head. When you’re done, blend like your reputation depends on it. Because it does.”

“And I must tell you,” (she leans in conspiratorially) “that Cover Girl does not cover boy.”

EYES: “The windows to the soul, honey, and, like Scarlett O’Hara, we’re changing the drapes! Eyes tell the truth, even when the lips are lying. Start with a wash of soft color. Depth and dazzle go where you want drama—Real Housewives of Atlanta level drama—outer corner, crease, places where secrets live. And liner? That’s punctuation. A comma for flirtation, a period for authority, a wing when you’re feeling litigious!” (That laugh rolls out again.) “And if your lashes aren’t big enough to blow a small dog off the front porch and generate their own wind advisory warning, why bother? After all, no one ever paid cover to see subtle.”

CHEEKS/LIPS: “A kiss of color on the cheekbone, glitter if you’re feeling naughty.” (A mischievous side glance.) “When it comes to lips, you have permission to color outside the lines. Overdrawn, just like my bank account! Big enough to engulf a fire hydrant in a color that promises scandal or at least flirtation.” (She smacks her lips together.) “From a drag queen’s mouth comes comedy sharp enough to draw blood, wisdom learned the hard way, and, of course, the occasional lie, honey, but told purely for survival.”

COSTUME: “Padding reshapes the body unless, like me, you’re already carrying the Lord’s bounty. It’s not about size—it’s about proportion. Hips give authority. Ass gives credibility. A waist gives fantasy. It’s about becoming a shape. And, baby, shapes tell stories before you ever open your mouth.” (She steps into her signature sequined emerald dress.) “All that glitters is truly gold, and don’t let anybody tell you differently.”

WIG: “The crowning glory! Blonde says trouble. Brunette says secrets. Redhead says arson. Secure it. Pin it. Glue it if you must. Because nothing ruins mystique faster than chasing your dignity across the stage under a spotlight in heels.”

JEWELRY/NAILS/PERFUME: “Finishing school, darling. This is where you graduate.” (She super glues earrings big enough to have their own opinions onto her lobes.) “If it doesn’t swing when you turn your head, try again. Nails complete the illusion. You stop grabbing and start gesturing. Where the hand goes, the eyes follow. You can command an entire audience with just the flick of a finger. Finally, perfume. A scent that stirs desire, awakens pheromones, and lingers long after you’ve left.”

(She beckons me to walk with her as she struts toward the stage.)

WHAT IS DRAG? “It’s the art of female impersonation, darling. No, I don’t want to be a girl, but I want to pay my respects to the glorious form that is woman. Because womanhood—real, mythic, messy, divine—is a damn masterpiece. Drag isn’t mockery. It’s reverence with sequins. (She shimmies her hips.)

I don’t want your body. I don’t want your life. I want the idea. The power. The permission to be loud without apology and soft without shame. Drag is gender as theater. As poetry. As protest. It’s an illusion that helps someone temporarily escape their own reality. A little vacay from the everyday.” (A beat. And then a final laugh.) “None of this is real. And all of it is. Respect? That’s optional. But spectacle. That’s mandatory. Now come on, honey, it’s time for the queen to address her court.” ▼

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renée Rockland (she/her) writes short and flash fiction in a variety of genres. Her award-winning stories have been published in numerous print anthologies and online. Renée lives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware with her wife and twin daughters. She is a member of the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild, believes in the magic of dark chocolate and coffee, and when not writing, can be found with her toes in the sand, on her yoga mat, or working out plot points with her rescue pups.▼

Musings

BY RUSSELL STILES

Then and Now

Recently, I attended a “Modern Funeral,” a Celebration of Life for a friend’s partner and husband of over 40 years. Describing the service as “modern” struck me to my soul. At least 90 percent of the attendees were LGBTQ+ and allies. The choir sang a Lady Gaga song and we ended the service with “Imagine” by John Lennon. The wide screen displayed images of the beautiful pair, traveling the world, sharing their love.

I grew up the grandson of an Irish funeral director who believed in a strict adherence to traditional Catholic rituals, mixed in with more than a few flasks of Irish “medicine.” My grandfather, Norman Patrick Casher, emigrated to the USA from County Mayo, Ireland, at the turn of the century. He went to mortuary school and began a 50-year career as a traditional undertaker in western Pennsylvania. I served as an altar boy as a young lad and was privy to the backstage events at the solemn funerals.

Grandfather Norman and Father Cochran, the Franciscan priest who brought my grandfather to this land, consumed a respectable amount of “medi-

cine” in the sacristy before dragging me and the incense censer out to face the congregation to send the dear departed soul off to Heaven or to the other place. Much of the ceremony was in Latin as if the words were secret and couldn’t be shared with the great unwashed.

What struck me as remarkable at my friend’s recent service was what it lacked…

There was moment in the ritual when a bell rang and the priest held up his arms and declared that God lives. Or something like that—by that point in the service, my friend James and I had already sipped a large amount of altar wine behind the enormous statue of the Virgin Mary.

What struck me as remarkable at my friend’s recent service was what it lacked: a hugely overpriced mahogany coffin, a sermon about the fires of hell, and a bronze collection plate held at my chest.

Instead, this service included a warm and welcoming invocation, a family story about the deceased, an amazing choir

and choir master, and a blessing admonishing us all to seek peace and love.

The final takeaway from this Modern Funeral was a line quoted from Matthew 5:6: “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

I believe my friend and his husband were/are true peacemakers, serving their community, making the streets of Rehoboth blossom with flowers, working to ensure that AIDS groups find funding, helping to keep a women’s hospital from bankruptcy and raising funds to keep local arts groups afloat, and so much more.

The Greek word for “peacemaker” implies a proactive role in fostering peace, which can include mediating disputes, promoting forgiveness, and working towards reconciliation in relationships. All are so desperately needed in these dark times.

John Lennon said it best: “I hope someday you will join us and the world can live as one.” ▼

Russell Stiles is a theater director, playwright, and activist.

SAMMY | PAWRENT: Barb Ralph

A few years ago, at a birthday dinner at Rigby’s, Bob Harrison (Just Us Cat & Kitten Rescue) asked me if my cat, Missey, had died when she was seven. I replied that she was 18 when she crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

“Well,” Bob said, “there was something about Missey and seven….” A short while later he said, “Missey says you should take seven.” I didn’t have a clue what he meant.

Turns out, “Seven” was a rescue cat that would be up for adoption the following weekend! So, being me, I went to PetSmart with a carrier, met Seven—a beautiful tuxedo—and brought him home with me, renaming him Sammy. He is a loving cutie! Thanks, Missey!

Interested in having your critter(s) featured in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth? Send a high resolution picture (300 dpi) along with their name(s) and one fun fact to editor@camprehoboth.com. Our roaming photographer will also take photos in the courtyard all year long.

health+wellness

Capacity Evaluation: A Primer

We are an aging community, and with age can come changes in cognition. We may also need to change our estate plan, which can include a will, a trust, a financial or medical power of attorney (POA), or an advance directive. However, a decline in cognition may make it necessary to determine if we understand the consequences of the changes, that is, whether we have the capacity to make these changes.

In the May 2022 issue of Letters, I wrote about how to determine if memory problems are a sign of beginning dementia or just the effect of normal aging. Subsequently, in the August 2022 issue, I wrote about steps people can take to promote brain health, especially as we age. However, these strategies are not always effective, and people may develop cognitive deficits that can affect their everyday functioning, including their reasoning and judgment.

To illustrate what is involved with a capacity evaluation, here are three case examples:

CASE 1: A retired doctor has a roommate with whom he has worked for many years on organizational projects. He would like to change his will to leave the man some money. However, the doctor is showing signs of cognitive decline and may have dementia. Should he be allowed to do this?

CASE 2: A man would like to change his financial and medical power of attorney (POA) from his partner of many years to his daughter. The daughter is concerned that he is declining cognitively, and his partner may be trying to take advantage of him. Should he be allowed to make the change?

CASE 3: A woman would like to change her POA from her daughter, who has not been very involved with her care, to a longtime assistant who has always been around to help her. She would also like to change her will to leave him a small amount of money, although most of

her estate will still go to her children. She is showing evidence of dementia. Should she be allowed to do this?

In these cases, an attorney or family member asked me to determine whether the individual had the capacity to make the planned changes.

So what, exactly, is capacity?

According to my colleague and friend Dr. George Demakis, in his book Civil Capacities in Clinical Neuropsychology, published in 2012:

Capacity refers to a clinical decision made by a psychologist, physician, or other healthcare provider about an individual’s ability to perform certain tasks or make certain decisions. It may be viewed as a continuum, as individuals vary in the extent to which they possess a particular capacity (p. 6).

Capacity differs from the concept of competency, which is a legal term and is typically determined by a court in the context of competency to stand trial or to manage one’s affairs on a day-to-day basis when determining if a guardian is needed. However, sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably, which can be confusing.

So how is a capacity evaluation done? Dr. Demakis goes on:

Capacity decisions are based on an assessment that may include, for instance, clinical interview, psychological [or neuropsychological] testing, medical record review, and collateral interviews. As a result of the evaluation, the psychologist [or neuropsychologist] opines about the individual’s capacity to, for instance, make healthcare decisions or to manage their finances independently. Such opinions may describe the nature and quality of decision making, including areas of preserved ability and areas of impairment (p. 6, bracketed additions my own).

When I complete a capacity assessment, there are several components.

First, I review medical records to get

BY ROBB MAPOU, PHD, ABPP

a better understanding of the patient’s medical issues and diagnoses that are likely to be contributing to cognitive deficits. Often, I do this before seeing the patient but sometimes, I do a cursory review followed by a more detailed review after the evaluation.

Second, I begin with an interview with the patient, often with a relative present, to gauge their understanding of the purpose of the assessment. If they are very unclear or even mystified about the purpose, this can point toward problems with memory and judgement.

Next, depending on the patient’s level of functioning, I complete a brief neuropsychological screening (30 minutes) or a more comprehensive assessment (two to three hours) that examines the person’s skills in several domains: attention, problem-solving, judgment, reasoning, understanding and expression of spoken language, visuospatial skills,

…a decline in cognition may make it necessary to determine if we understand the consequences of the changes, that is, whether we have the capacity to make these changes.

learning, and memory. This can contribute to determining if the person has mild cognitive impairment that can be an indication of the early stage of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or is in an advanced stage of dementia where his or her cognitive skills are more severely compromised.

The third component is a detailed interview, specifically designed to address the capacity question I have been asked to answer. For example, if a person is asking to change a will, I assess their understanding of:

• Who their family members and heirs are

health+wellness

• What their assets are, including the approximate value and where accounts are located roughly (e.g., bank, stocks, bonds, financial company, home, car, other property of value)

• Their rationale for making a substantial change in their will that may affect their heirs

If the person is asking to make a change in a financial or medical POA, I assess:

• Their understanding of a financial and/ or medical POA

• Their ability to name who is currently their POA, both primary and successor, if there is one

• Their ability to name to whom they wish to change their POA

• Their reason for placing the selected individuals in these roles

If a person’s ability to make a medical decision is being evaluated, I assess their understanding of:

• Their current medical conditions

• How their conditions affect them physically and cognitively

• What medications they are taking and what they are used to treat

For all of these questions, the most important part of the assessment is to determine the individual’s understanding of the potential positive and negative consequences of any changes, and their

ability to consistently state their wishes through repeated questions during the evaluation, especially when the person has memory problems.

Finally, I interview one or more relatives to obtain their perspective on the patient’s difficulties. I assess the consistency of the patient’s report with the relative’s report, and whether there may be evidence of undue influence on a cognitively-impaired patient to obtain an outcome that will be to the advantage of the relative (or friend, in some cases).

From this information, I make a determination as to whether the person has the capacity to make the desired changes. It is important to understand that this is a detailed process that should be done carefully, whether completed by a psychologist, neuropsychologist, or a physician. Unless the patient is obviously impaired in his or her reasoning and judgment, this should take several hours of time.

My determinations in the cases cited above were:

CASE 1: The doctor had the capacity to make the change to leave his friend some money in his will. It later became apparent that the friend was exerting undue influence, and the attorney and I notified adult protective services. However, they did not intervene.

CASE 2: The man had the capacity to name his daughter as POA, but shortly after the partner agreed, she took him to an attorney and had him sign documents that he had clearly stated to me he had not wanted to do. I notified adult protective services, who intervened.

CASE 3: The woman had the capacity to change her POA, as the daughter had not been very involved with her care. However, the daughter intervened legally. ▼

Dr. Robb Mapou is one of only three board-certified clinical neuropsychologists (American Board of Professional Psychology) in Delaware. In addition to evaluating older adults who have concerns about cognitive changes, he specializes in evaluating teenagers and adults for autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disorders, and ADHD. His website is drrobbmapou.com. Email: drrobbmapou@proton.me.

LET’S STAY CONNECTED!

All of CAMP Rehoboth’s programs, services, and events are listed here: camprehoboth.org/events-calendar/. Please visit the site often to ensure you have up-to-date information on what is being offered—and when

Youth Crisis Support: Crisis intervention services for children under 18. Parents and caregivers are connected to a crisis clinician. Available 24/7. Call 800-969-4357 or text DE to 741-741.

988: Free, confidential support and resources for anyone in distress. Available 24/7. Call 988.

Delaware Hope Line: Free coaching and support. Links to mental health, addiction, and crisis services. Available 24/7. Call 833-9-HOPEDE (833-946-7333).

Medical Foundation

For more than 100 years, Beebe Healthcare has proudly served our community delivering comprehensive, patient-centered care with dedication and heart. From primary care and walk-in visits to advanced surgery and 24/7 emergency services, we’re here for every stage of life.

Now with MyChart, staying connected to your care team is easier than ever. Message your doctor, view test results, and manage your health all in one place.

It’s My Life

Computer Blue

Ihad to get a new computer this week.

Unlike the last time I did this, it’s not because the current machine suddenly had a psychotic break and wiped out all my files. (Thankfully, I had a backup, and everything was fine.) The current one has actually been functioning perfectly well.

The problem is, it’s too old to update. One of the programs I use regularly informed me that the newest upgrade was incompatible with my operating system. At first, I thought, “That can’t be right. I just got this one.” But a quick check reminded me that it’s been almost six years since its arrival. And a visit to the Mac website confirmed that, indeed, in technology terms my current one is a fossil. When I typed in its serial number to see how much I might get for it in a trade-in for a new one, it delivered the bad news: Based on what you’ve told us, your Mac is ready to recycle.

Part of me is excited about getting a new one. I was positively giddy when the current one got here. “It’s so fast!” I said about once a minute. Of course, I also complained about the things that differed from its predecessor. I embrace progress but resent having to relearn things.

Frankly, I’m taking this a little personally. A few nights ago, Cubby was watching a program called Pop Culture Jeopardy! A spinoff of the more familiar show, this one features categories like “Catchphrase Me Outside,” “Short Kings,” and “Who Is This Diva?” Fun, right?

No. Not fun. At least not for this old man. Because the pop culture that makes up the Pop Culture Jeopardy! questions is not the pop culture I am familiar with. It is the pop culture of younger folks. Like Cubby (20 years my junior), who happily rattled off one answer after another. I got maybe two questions correct. The rest involved people, songs, and movies I have never even heard of.

Look. I get it. This is how things go. Forty years ago, when I started to do the

New York Times crossword, I seldom knew the pop culture references. They were based on movies, music, and people with whom I was unfamiliar. Eventually, the clues caught up with me and my pop culture. Now, they’ve passed me by.

The reality is that as consumers we get a fairly narrow window of relevance, when popular culture is designed for us and is about us. And my window has closed. I am no longer the demographic that creators are marketing their work to. Unless you count the ones trying to sell back pain medications and insurance coverage for final expenses. They’re very anxious for my business, thank you very much.

The reality is that as consumers we get a fairly narrow window of relevance, when popular culture is designed for us and is about us.

Now, maybe I could do a little more to keep up with current pop culture. And I do make an effort. I could pick Charli XCX out of a shoplifting lineup if necessary. I know the difference between Timothée Chalamet and a mongoose. I saw a whopping three of the recent Oscar-nominated films. But mostly, I just don’t care.

Like my tired old computer, I’m functioning more or less adequately, but there’s no room left for upgrades. My head is filled with songs by Journey and Toni Basil and Kiss. To make room for Billie Eilish, I’d have to forget that Jenny’s number is 867-5309, or that Josie’s on a vacation far away. If I want to quote lines from the latest show or movie the young folks are into, I’d have to forget the zingers from All About Eve or Hairspray (the original John Waters-directed one starring Divine) that I’ve been using for 40 years.

This weekend I’ll transfer all the data

BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

from my old Mac to the new one. Assuming it goes well, my programs will all magically upgrade to the latest versions, and I’ll be off and running. It’s a far cry from my very first computer, which came with approximately 76 startup discs that had to be loaded one at a time and took hours to do the simplest thing. Sometimes, I feel like that old computer. My brain may have reached the limits of its capabilities. I can try to cram more data into it, but it’s probably going to make alarming noises and freeze up.

There are likely to be lots of new things on the latest Mac too, all of which I will approach with suspicion. I don’t want fingerprint access. I don’t need an interactive screensaver that mirrors the current weather outside my window so that I don’t need to look for myself. I don’t find being able to store all of my files in the Cloud so that I can access them from anywhere on the planet comforting. I find all of it unsettling. Also, so many passwords.

I’ll get used to it, just as I got used to the last computer. But I will resent it, just as I resented it when, recently, one of my credit card providers gleefully informed me that my physical card was going away and it would now be completely virtual, living only inside my phone, which I now wave at card readers so that they can magically talk to one another. I’m always astonished when it works but have stopped saying so because the Gen Z clerks inevitably look at me like I looked at my father when he asked me who the girl fronting Culture Club was.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have hampers of ironing to do, and my diet pill is wearing off. ▼

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

Located at the south end of the boardwalk in beautiful Rehoboth Beach Full custom design center and repair service on premises, most can be completed while you’re here on vacation Exclusive home of the “Rehoboth Beach Bracelet”

Write On!

Turn the Page

There is something holy about queer bookstores, especially for people who spent years searching for themselves in places that offered few reflections back.

They were never simply stores. They were landmarks. Soft places to land. Shelters disguised as storefronts. Long before identity became searchable or marketable, queer bookstores offered discovery the old-fashioned way: shelf by shelf, conversation by conversation, hand to hand.

For generations of LGBTQ+ people, these spaces carried a purpose far beyond selling books. They preserved stories that much of the world ignored. They introduced readers to writers, artists, activists, and histories that were often nowhere to be found in schools or libraries. More than anything, they offered the quiet comfort of walking into a room where nobody seemed surprised by your existence.

Recently, I wrote about public libraries and the role they played in shaping my life. The library was the first place that hinted there might be a larger world waiting beyond the one I knew. If the public library opened the door, Lambda Rising in Rehoboth Beach was the invitation to sashay on through.

Lambda Rising gave shape to parts of myself

I had not yet fully named…

By the time I discovered it, the store already carried decades of history. Founded in Washington, DC, in 1974 by Deacon Maccubbin, Lambda Rising began modestly, with a few hundred titles in a tiny storefront near Dupont Circle. At the time, openly queer bookstores were acts of defiance as much as businesses. Even advertising the words

“gay” or “lesbian” could create controversy. And yet the store grew, expanding to Baltimore, Norfolk, and eventually Rehoboth Beach, becoming not only a bookstore but a kind of cultural heartbeat for LGBTQ+ communities across the region.

By the time Lambda Rising closed in 2010, much of the world had changed. Queer literature had moved into mainstream bookstores and libraries. Visibility had expanded. Progress had arrived unevenly but undeniably. But places like Lambda Rising were never only about access to books. They offered something harder to define and impossible to duplicate online: the quiet relief of existing somewhere without explanation.

When the store closed, Rehoboth nearly lost more than a bookstore. But Jocques LeClair, who managed Lambda Rising for many years, understood exactly what those spaces meant. Rather than let that kind of gathering place disappear entirely, he opened Proud Bookstore just down the block on Baltimore Avenue. He once described it as part bookstore, part gay chamber of commerce, part question central. People stopped in for novels and greeting cards, but also for conversation, reassurance, directions, or simply the comfort of being around other people who understood.

That idea has stayed with me over the years because it explains something essential about these types of businesses: they created room for people to become themselves.

Rehoboth carried that same spirit then, and still does now, to a certain extent. It’s a beach town. A family town. A retirement town. A queer town. Depending on where you stand, it could feel like all of those things at once. Lambda Rising fit naturally into that landscape. It never needed spectacle. Its presence alone said enough.

I was 16 in the summer of 1997, though looking back now, 16 feels less like an age and more like weather. Certain summers settle into your life per-

BY CHRISTOPHER MOORE

manently. The music you listen to. The books you carry around. The versions of yourself you quietly rehearse before introducing them to the world. Memory preserves those things differently.

I remember Lambda Rising that way. I remember walking through the store and realizing queer life was even more expansive than I thought. It was funny. It was intellectual. It was messy, stylish, and serious. Entire worlds existed beyond simply surviving. That realization felt enormous.

That summer I bought James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain. I bought a book of Bette Davis quotes. I bought script collections of the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. I bought Erasure’s Cowboy on CD. Nearly 30 years later, I still own every one of them.

Not because they are rare or valuable, but because they became markers. Little pieces of evidence from a moment when the world widened unexpectedly.

Back then, discovery carried weight to it. You had to physically find things. You had to hold them. You had to carry them home. A bookstore trip involved intention. Albums became soundtracks because you listened to them

If the public library opened the door, Lambda Rising in Rehoboth Beach was the invitation to sashay on through.

repeatedly, not because an algorithm slipped them between dozens of other songs. Books became companions because you lived with them for as long as you wanted.

Lambda Rising gave shape to parts of myself I had not yet fully named, and I know many LGBTQ+ people feel something similar when they think about places like it. These bookstores were not simply retail spaces. They were signals to isolated people that there was life, community, humor, beauty, and joy ahead of them.

Many of those bookstores are gone now. Time changes landscapes. Technology changes habits. Progress changes needs. But I think many queer people can still tell you exactly where those

stores once stood, exactly how they felt to walk through, exactly who they were becoming while wandering the aisles.

I know I can.

And in quieter moments, especially when the world feels uncertain again, I still think about Lambda Rising in Rehoboth Beach. I think about how lucky we were to have places like that at all. Places where you could stumble across a novel, a record, a ridiculous book of Bette Davis quotes, and somehow leave carrying a slightly larger version of yourself home. That feels worth holding onto—and I hope it always will. ▼

Historical details and background information in this essay were informed

by reporting from Lou Chibbaro Jr.’s “End of an Era as Lambda Rising to Close” (Washington Blade, December 11, 2009) and Fay Jacobs’s “Farewell to Jocques but Proud Bookstore Will Keep Sharing the Pride!” (Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, November 18, 2016). Both helped confirm and supplement the author’s personal recollections.

Christopher Moore is a writer, a teacher, and a certified yoga instructor. His favorite song on Erasure’s “Cowboy” album is “Don’t Say Your Love is Killing Me.” He loves zero sugar Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus, Voluspa Candles, and a man and a dog who live in Toronto.

R E H O B O T H B E A C H L I V I N G R E I M A G I N E D

Welcome to ‘The Boathouse’, a custom-built 4 bedroom, 3 bath, 4,100 square foot masterpiece with water views & private dock for boat launching

Features reclaimed hardwood floors, custom built-ins, gourmet kitchen, saltwater pool and pool house

Situated in Old Landing, Rehoboth Beach

Community News

Writing Our Stories

A Juneteenth Celebration Workshop with West of Rehoboth

Author Alexs Pate

Saturday, June 20, 2026 | 3:30–5:30 p.m. | Tickets: $55 Rehoboth Beach Historical Society & Museum Rehoboth Beach (rbmuseum.org/events)

The Rehoboth Beach Historical Society & Museum (RBHS), in partnership with the Developing Artist Collaboration (DAC), invites the public to a two-hour writing workshop with award-winning author Alexs Pate in celebration of Juneteenth.

In this workshop, Pate will guide participants through writing exercises exploring family and place—the themes at the heart of his celebrated novel, West of Rehoboth. Set in the early 1960s, the novel tells the story of a young boy whose family summers in Rehoboth Beach’s historic African American community. Participants will use their own connections to family and place as the raw material for storytelling. The workshop is open to the public and writers of all levels. Participants are encouraged to bring their preferred writing materials—a journal, paper and pen, laptop, or tablet.

Alexs Pate is a New York Times bestselling author whose novels include Amistad, Losing Absalom, and Finding Makeba. He is also the creator of the Innocent Classroom, an educator training program active in schools nationwide. RBHS and DAC are proud to welcome him back to Rehoboth Beach—a place he knows well from his own summers here.

Ticket sales benefit the RBHS Oral History Project, directly supporting the collection of new African American oral histories in our community. ▼

Embers of Freedom: Independence through the Eyes of Many

July 15, 2026 | 7:00 pm | Lewes Public Library, Lewes (lewes.lib.de.us/)

Through this powerful theatrical celebration of independence, community, and the shared “embers of freedom” that connect us all, Delaware Shakespeare (Del Shakes) invites audiences to reflect on a timely question: “What sparks your sense of freedom?”

In this expansive and engaging performance, Del Shakes presents a dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence that explores this question—and weaves in the voices that were left out of its creation. The performers will share writings from former slaves like Frederick Douglass, poetry from Indigenous perspectives, stories of queer joy, and more.

No registration required! First come, first seated. Open seating under and around the pavilion and on the grass provides plenty of room for all. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets or borrow one of the library’s folding chairs. Picnics are welcome. (In case of inclement weather, the performance will be in the large meeting room of the library.) ▼

Restore & Remember: Jason Beach

June 19, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Trap Pond State Park, 33587 Bald Cypress Lane, Laurel, Delaware

The Delaware Historical Society (DHS) invites people to bring their memories and memorabilia for a family history workshop highlighting experiences and memories from Jason Beach, as part of the Jason Beach Juneteenth Celebration

Participants are invited to bring materials from their personal collections that document holidays, family reunions, baptisms, and leisure activities at the beach. Photographs and scrapbooks, letters or other paper materials referencing Jason Beach, swimsuits or other clothing (like family reunion shirts), games and accessories, and cookware items are all welcome. (Recommended size: items that would fit into an extra-large tote bag.)

Experts from cultural heritage organizations, universities, and local history networks will be in the pavilion to help document and catalog these items and their historical meaning.

This is a free event, but registration is requested to ensure appropriate staffing. Register at: dhs.givecloud.co/restore-remember-jason-beach.

DHS’s Restore & Remember: Historic R&R series encourages community members to get involved at important sites within Delaware’s Black community while discussing and learning about the history of each place and the people who used it. ▼

53rd Annual Members’ Fine Craft Exhibition

June 12–July 12, 2026 | Rehoboth Art League Rehoboth Beach (rehobothartleague.org/)

This popular non-juried craft exhibition showcases a wide variety of imaginative fine crafts that are unique, whimsical, and functional, including: baskets, ceramics, fiber, glass, handmade paper, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, and wood. ▼

Celebrity Interview

Myki Meeks for the Win!

For Myki Meeks, winning Season 18 of RuPaul’s Drag Race was all about playing the long game. This Orlando-based superstar most definitely didn’t soar through the competition, with a Drag Race run filled with soaring highs as well as a handful of challenging moments of her own as well. I caught up with Meeks following her Season 18 crowning to discuss the Drag Race fun, her passion for Broadway, and how her Orlando community (and Drag Race sisters) helped during her race for the Season 18 crown.

MICHAEL COOK: Condragulations on winning RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 18 and being crowned “America’s Next Drag Superstar”! How does it feel right now, post-crowning?

MYKI MEEKS: I feel..elated. I got some good sleep so I’m not as tired as I was this weekend. It just feels very cool, I am very level-headed, so it’s a nice feeling after this huge weekend.

MC: Drew Barrymore was not only beyond honored that you portrayed her and won for Snatch Game, but she congratulated you on The Drew Barrymore

Show and was truly thrilled at you winning the crown. That must be an absolutely trippy feeling.…

MM: Yeah, trippy is a great word! I’m like, “Is this for real? I mean come on?!” Someone that I have idolized for so long, to know who I am and not just have me on one time but to return with it and say these nice things. Meaning that she’s kept up, she knows who I am. It just means the world, for real.

MC: Everyone knows that the Sasha Velour effect on Drag Race finales remains a factor. Did you at any time look over at Nini Coco and think that she may pull out a trick? Or were you hyper-focused on what you were doing at that point?

MM: To be honest, I didn’t look over at Nini at all and I don’t think Nini noticed me at all. It’s an intimidating thing; lip syncing against another queen is not a normal drag thing. It is definitely produced for Drag Race and people have implemented it into competitions, but to share the stage and try to out-lip sync someone is a Drag Race phenomenon.

It feels bizarre, but I will say that when we first started the song, I knew to hold

BY MICHAEL COOK

my ground and lip sync a beginning, middle, and end. I stared at RuPaul the entire time. The judges were looking at Nini at some points, but RuPaul was looking at me. I had to show her, “You want nerve? Baby I got it!”

MC: Orlando, Florida currently holds both the Season 18 crown and the All Stars 10 crown, with Ginger Minj being the most recent All Stars winner. Have you received your flowers from your Orlando sister?

MM: I know, isn’t that wild? Yes, Ginger has been very sweet to me and she actually left me a really sweet note going into the season because her season had just wrapped as we started shooting. Ginger has given really nice encouragement. She also is not the only Orlando alumni to help me out. Roxxxy (Andrews) has been there from the jump, she helped me with so much package-wise. Trinity The Tuck, when she stopped by Orlando, she helped me with some outfits and she gave a little sponsorship.

MC: Typically, I ask performers at this stage in the Drag Race game, “What are you doing next?” For you, though, my question is clear: What Broadway show are we going to see you in? Once you revealed that you are that skilled a performer and vocalist, it was clear that The Great White Way was in your sights!

MM: I’m glad you said that! I really did hold my cards very close about that skill; I did not want it to be that obvious. I don’t have a specific answer for you; I’m not sure what I want yet. I will say that my favorite musical is Into the Woods—it has been forever. I think there needs to be an all-drag production of Into the Woods, how fabulous would that be!?

I think that we need more camp on Broadway, like Death Becomes Her is a dream show as well. Whatever role that would be. Maybe we need to write our own, I think there could be a musical based upon the backstage of drag queens. I know that we have La Cage (aux Folles) and Priscilla (Queen of The Desert) and all that, but maybe a modern version of that type of story.

Once you revealed that you are that skilled a performer and vocalist, it was clear that The Great White Way was in your sights!

MC: I don’t think we’ve had any other queens do Chicago: The Musical other than Jinkx Monsoon, who played Mama Morton. Maybe Myki Meeks takes on the role of Roxie Hart?

MM: That’d be fabulous! You know, one of my go-to theater numbers, if I have the right stage to do it, is the Original London Cast Recording of Chicago. I do “Roxie,” and it’s a number I’ve done for some pageants and it’s been very successful for me. I can’t wait to bring that around the country.

MC: We are now officially manifesting you hitting the Great White Way as Roxie Hart in this legendary show!

MM: The name on everybody’s lips baby! ▼

Follow Myki Meeks on Instagram: @myki.meeks

Michael Cook has been a part-time resident of Rehoboth Beach for over a decade. He is currently a contributor to WERRRK.com, OUTSFL, and The Philadelphia Gay News.

Photos: Courtesy-MTV/World of Wonder

STRATEGY NOT AN ADDRESS

begin with a property.

Markets change. Goals evolve. Opportunities emerge.

The value isn’t just knowing the market; it’s knowing how the pieces fit together.

that define Coastal Delaware living.

»

»

»

The Real Dirt

New Trend Alert!

The modern edible garden is undergoing a transformation. No longer limited to long rows of vegetables tucked behind the garage, today’s food gardens are increasingly designed to be both beautiful and productive. One of the newest and fastest-growing approaches helping to shape this movement is called Gardenary—a method that blends kitchen gardening, intentional design, and ecological awareness into an accessible system for growing food at home. Created by Nicole Johnsey Burke, Gardenary aims to make growing food feel less intimidating and more integrated into daily life. Founded in 2017, the movement emphasizes what Burke calls the “kitchen garden,” an edible landscape designed with both aesthetics and harvest in mind.

At its core, Gardenary encourages gardeners to think differently about food production. Rather than separating vegetable gardens into utilitarian plots, the method promotes thoughtfully designed raised beds that are attractive, highly productive, and located close to the home—often just outside the kitchen door. Herbs, flowers, leafy greens, and seasonal vegetables are planted together in intentional combinations that support beauty and functionality. Burke developed the system after years of designing edible gardens for clients, as she recognized that many aspiring gardeners were overwhelmed by traditional gardening advice filled with technical jargon and complicated practices. Her goal became simple: make gardening ordinary again.

One of the defining features of Gardenary is its emphasis on accessibility. The method breaks gardening into manageable steps and encourages people to begin with a small, intensively planted space rather than attempting a large traditional vegetable garden. Raised beds, succession planting, vertical growing systems, and seasonally timed crops are central components. Gardenary’s philosophy focuses on growing foods people actually eat and maintaining gardens in ways that fit modern lifestyles, even for busy house-

holds. According to Burke, success in the garden comes from consistency and simplicity rather than perfection.

From a sustainability perspective, Gardenary offers several meaningful benefits. Growing food at home reduces dependence on industrial agriculture and lowers the carbon footprint associated with transporting produce long distances. A handful

Gardenary [is] a method that blends kitchen gardening, intentional design, and ecological awareness into an accessible system for growing food at home.

of herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, and vegetables harvested steps from the kitchen eliminates packaging waste, refrigeration demands, and food miles. Even a modest kitchen garden can reduce grocery trips and encourage seasonal eating patterns that align with local growing cycles.

The Gardenary model also supports healthier soil ecology. Raised beds are often filled with compost-rich soil, encouraging microbial activity and long-term soil health. Composting, organic amendments, and dense planting help retain moisture while reducing erosion and nutrient loss. Garden beds designed with living plants covering most of the soil surface help suppress weeds naturally and reduce evaporation, limiting the need for

BY ERIC W. WAHL

chemical herbicides or excessive irrigation. Dense planting can also shade soil, helping it stay cooler during summer heat and conserving water resources.

Ecologically, Gardenary gardens can function as miniature habitats that support biodiversity. Unlike monoculture vegetable rows, the method encourages mixing flowers and herbs among edible crops. Pollinator-friendly plants attract bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects that improve fruit production and help naturally control pests. Flowering herbs such as dill, thyme, basil, and chives can become magnets for predatory insects that keep harmful pests in balance. This layered, biodiverse planting strategy mirrors ecological principles found in natural systems where plant diversity contributes to resilience.

Perhaps one of the most overlooked ecological advantages of Gardenary is its role in reconnecting people to seasonal rhythms and food systems. When gardeners witness the lifecycle of vegetables firsthand, they often become more aware of water use, soil health, pollinators, and weather patterns. This awareness can inspire broader sustainable habits, from composting kitchen scraps to planting native species and reducing chemical use in home landscapes.

Ultimately, Gardenary represents more than a gardening trend; it reflects a cultural shift toward reconnecting beauty, food, and ecology. By blending ornamental design with edible productivity, Nicole Burke has introduced a method that empowers people to grow food in ways that are sustainable, visually appealing, and deeply connected to the natural world. In an era marked by environmental concerns and rising food costs, Gardenary offers a hopeful reminder that even small gardens can make a meaningful difference.

Have fun and let’s garden together! ▼

Eric Wahl is a landscape architect at Pennoni, artist, author, and president of the Delaware Native Plant Society.

home on 1/4acre lot. Low HOA. Screened porch. Shed w/RV 30amp. 3 miles to Bethany boardwalk! $375,000 (2095732)

REHOBOTH BAY - Rehoboth. Remodeled 1986 2BR/2BA w/10’x20’ enclosed porch. Shed. Pool. Marina. 7 miles to the beach. $129,900 (2112846) Lot Rent $764/mt.

WHISPERING PINES - Lewes. 2016 3BR/2BA is 1,260sf. Big eat-in kitchen. front porch. Pool. 4 miles to beach. $131,000 (2098990) Lot Rent $888/mt.

PLANTATIONS EAST - Lewes. 2002 3BR/2.5BA In Fee Simple townhouse w/ owned solar panels. New LVP. Garage & sunroom. Just 5 miles to the beach. $429,900 (2111598)

REHOBOTH BAY -Rehoboth. Updated 1987 2BR/2BA w/ screened porch. Main BR has ‘spa’ bath. Shed. Pool. Marina. 7 miles to bch. $149,900 (2108500) Lot Rent $745/mt.

COLONIAL EAST -Rehoboth. Remodeled 1981 2BR/2BA. Big eat-in kitchen. Split BR plan. Screened porch. Pool. 4 miles to beach. $95,000 (2109462) Lot Rent $958/mt.

SILVER VIEW FARMRehoboth. 2012 4BR/2BA. 1,624sf. LV & family rooms. Shed. Pool. 3 miles to beach. $284,995 (2081216) Lot Rent $761/mt.

REHOBOTH BAY -Rehoboth. 2017 1,344sf 3BR/2BA with front porch. Fully

SEA AIR -Rehoboth. 2011 2BR/2BA doublewide is 900sf. Great front porch. Pool & just 3 miles to beach. $150,000 (2111278) Lot Rent $721/mt.

Where Inclusion Lives. And The Future Is Expanding

Set within 125 acres of natural beauty near Washington, D.C., we are a community rooted in nature and guided by a spirit of openness. A place where diversity is celebrated and belonging is real. Here, you’ll find more than beautiful surroundings—you’ll find people who see you, welcome you, and are excited to know you.

With exciting new expansions on the horizon, there are more opportunities to gather, grow, and help shape what comes next.

Because here, the future isn’t just something you move into—it’s something you help create.

*Collington’s expansion is pending approval by the Maryland Department of Aging. Renderings for illustrative purposes only; subject to change.

Proudly

A Bulletin from Malaga

No Soy Alien

Two weeks into my intensive immersion Spanish class in Malaga, and things have been going well. Until, late one evening, out of nowhere, my left arm starts performing as if it has a mind of its own, lifting up and down, waving about left and right while I gape, a spectator to somebody else’s hand. Half terrified, half mesmerized, I watch for a couple of minutes, then call 121, Spanish for 911.

In the Sala de Urgencias, I mimic my earlier gesture, flashing on that time 50 years ago when I used my best pantomime skills in a French pharmacie to request a treatment for crabs. That earlier moment brought looks from the female pharmacist that were halfway between amusement and “somebody-call-the-police-got-a-perv-on-aisle-one.” My current performance brings a translator to the scene in minutes, and I am taken away for a CT scan. Perfect. I am convinced I’m in the middle of a stroke.

Three hours later, I’m in a room with a couple other guys, awaiting the results of the scan. The doctor, accompanied by the translator, comes in to deliver the verdict: No stroke.

Whew.

But I do have epilepsy. Say what? I look at the translator. “Epilepsy?”

She looks at the doctor. “Epilepsia?”

He looks at her like she just arrived from Mars.

Dude. Give her a break. She’s just doing her job.

“Si,” he says, swiveling to me after lingering on her face just a second too long.

She pulls her eyes away from him, looks at me, and says, “Yes.”

OK, got it. He now speaks directly to her without bothering to make me a part of the conversation.

“He recommends you to see a neurologist.”

Oh, you KNOW I’m gonna see a neurologist. It’s not my first rodeo in an emergency room—and three hours ago my arm was waving around like I was riding a wild bull. I will definitely see a neurologist.

My appointment is two days later, and in the interim, I commit that tragic mistake of consulting WebMD. Turns out you can develop epilepsy late in life. Dang. I also discover a syndrome called Alien Hand Syndrome, in which “a limb— typically the hand—acts involuntarily, completely independent of conscious control.”

Yup! That was it! That’s what happened! Part of me is an alien.

I arrive for the neurology appointment full of questions and at least one hypothesis. He is smart and speaks some English.

Note to self: Neurological clinics in Spain don’t function exactly like Tinder.

“You do not have epilepsy,” he says, glancing at the ER report and smiling that specialist’s smile at an emergency room doctor’s diagnosis.

I let out a sigh of relief. Then: “Alien Hand Syndrome?”

Now his smile broadens to that of a specialist answering some turista who’s been reading WebMD.

“No. You do not have Alien Hand Syndrome.” He looks to the corner of the room for a moment, chuckles, then looks back at me. “No.”

We talk. He is handsome—guapo and has a sister in Cleveland, and I tell him to come visit me when he visits her. He gives me his card with his WhatsApp number, which I take to mean we might hook up, but when I later message him with an invitation, he declines. Note to self: Neurological clinics in Spain don’t function exactly like Tinder.

Now I am back in my casita behind the casa of my landlady, Rosario. Every time I say her name, I’m kinda back in an episode of Will & Grace, waiting for her to lower the boom. But she is quite nice, and today she has invited me to lunch with friends, which I thought was to be held at 12:30. Turns out it was for 2:15. What

BY JIM HENRY

was I thinking? Lunch in the middle of the morning?

So, it’s me and four lovely older ladies, and I glance around once or twice to make sure Pedro Almodovar isn’t watching from the wings. They teach me “ojalá,” similar to “Inshallah,” yet in this case meaning something like “may it come to pass,” without getting god involved.

The topic turns to dating, and I say to the table, “Soy gay.” Maria, sitting next to me, leans her head momentarily on my shoulder and says, “We guessed so. That’s why we like you.”

“And you all?” I ask.

“No, we are straight. But it’s impossible to find straight men who aren’t screwed up.”

Oh. You mean like most of the guys running the world right now?

They tell me that we learn languages with the help of the three C’s: cuaderno (notebook), cinema, and cama—bed. Maria says to me, “Do you have a lover here?”

“Ojalá,” I reply. Applause all around. Then I follow up: “So if you know anyone....”

Las mujeres go into team formation. “¿El padre de Julia?” Carmen says to the table, and conversation grows lively and way beyond my vocabulary as they debate the good father’s potential for me. I interrupt.

“¿Es guapo?” I wanna make sure they have their priorities straight.

“Si, Si,” says Luisa, “pero ….” She does that wavy thing with her hand, the universal sign for “yes, but …” Ultimately, they decide that he’s not a match. I debate whether to tell them not to be too picky but decide to trust their better judgment.

How do you say in Spanish, “But check your Rolodexes when you go home?” ▼

A retired English professor from the University of Hawaii, Jim Henry spends summers in his treehouse, featured last August in Delaware Beach Life.

Celebrating 51 Years of Women’s Music, Culture, and Community!

SisterSpace Weekend Women’s Festival 2026

Sept. 11-13 in beautiful northern Maryland - Join us for 1, 2, or all 3 days!

Featuring: Alexis P. Suter, Cvgebird, Dara Carter, Holly Near, Hudson River, Indigie Femme, KJ Denhert & Mayra Casales, Nedra Johnson, Rachel May, Samantha Rise, Staceyann Chin, Tangle Movement Arts (tiny circus!), Dr. DJ, DJ Kathy G, DJ Maria Maria, DJ SheeK and DJ Warm Advice; and square dance caller Zip Warmerdam!

All meals included! Cabins, tenting, RV spaces, indoor bathrooms & hot showers.

ArtSpace, Bonfires, Concerts, Dances, Drum March, Gallery Exhibit, Karaoke, Late Night Jazz & Blues Club, Lesbian Films, Multiple Stages, Nature, Open Mic, Rosh Hashanah Celebration, Sexuality Space, Single Mingles, Spirituality, Spoken Word, Sports & Games, Swimming Pool, 12-Step Meetings, Vendor Village, Wellness, Workshops, and YOU are invited!

Give the gift of “Together Time!” Perfect for your bestie(s), spouse/sweetheart, teen girl(s), women’s book group or sports team, or treat yourself to a solo trip and meet hundreds of wonderful women!

www.sisterspace.org

SisterSpace, P.O. Box 22476, Philadelphia, PA 19110 • Tel. (888) 294-1110

Namaste for Dummies

Ihate exercising for its own sake. No shade on those who enjoy it—it’s just not for me. I feel like a hamster in a wheel at a gym. Gyms don’t feel welcoming or inclusive to me. So one of the smartest things I’ve done in a while was to start yoga classes when I retired in 2022. I didn’t know how it would go, but here I am, four years later, still doing it. I take an in-person class, which works best for me. One thing I’ve discovered is I have to find the joy in whatever physical activity I do or I won’t stick with it.

The main benefit I get from yoga is that I ALWAYS feel better afterward. Not once have I felt worse after yoga. I may be a little sore, but it’s bearable. Advil can be my friend.

When I started, I didn’t know the difference between a downward dog and happy baby. But yoga still appealed to me. I wanted to be more flexible. More fit. Able to get off the floor. Maybe even lose some weight. I like that the resistance I work against doing the poses is from my own body. Kind of like track or karate or swimming, all of which I’ve done over the years. The goal is simply to improve.

Not to belabor the point, but I’m not your typical yoga person, whatever that is. If you can imagine it in your head—I’m not that. I don’t wear typical yoga clothes. I don’t speak in positive affirmations. I’m still not all that fit. But I do just fine anyway.

When I decided to start classes, I didn’t know where to look, so I asked my work colleague who I knew did yoga. Yay! I found a class near my home! The first class I went to nearly killed me. I was in waaaay over my skill level. The next day, I felt like I’d sprinted the Appalachian Trail with 50-pound weights attached to each limb. I couldn’t move.

But the kind instructor, who I’m sure worried I’d just collapse or otherwise hurt myself or others, recommended a different class. That’s where I found the best instructor ever, leading a class with gentle movements and a slower

When I started, I didn’t know the difference between a downward dog and happy baby.

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

pace. This does not mean it’s easy. It just means the poses are ones I can do. It’s designed for older people, so it works for me. Sometimes I’ll be a little sore the next day, but mostly, I just feel better. One of the best gifts my yoga instruction has given me is learning to breathe. When I’m anxious, no matter where I am, I can do yoga breathing. It helps everything. Inhale for a count of four or five, hold it for five, then exhale for five. One of the best ways to ward off a panic attack, which I sometimes get. In turn, the slower breathing lowers my blood pressure. Just a win all the way around.

I think yoga also releases beneficial brain chemicals. It is very calming. You move with intent and you’re totally in the present. If a pose is difficult, you breathe through it. If it hurts too much, you don’t do it. You do what you can and try to do better than the week before.

Most Thursdays I don’t want to go. But I go anyway. And, I always feel better. I still can’t often get off the floor without a little help from a chair, but I’ve done it a couple of times without any assistance at all, and I know I’ll do it again.

June 21 is the International Day of Yoga. In years past, I wouldn’t have even noticed. I never imagined I’d be doing yoga, much less for four years and counting. But I can’t recommend it highly enough. And you don’t have to do in-person classes—there are countless ways to do it online. CAMP Rehoboth alone offers yoga classes nearly every day.

It’s important to connect with the skill level that works for you. Don’t do what I did and think you can do intermediate because it may look easy. LOL! Don’t learn the painful way like I did. But if you’re interested, you can easily find the level and type that works best for you.

It’s critical to keep moving as we age. It’s so easy to just sit down and read. But our bodies are made to move if we’re able. I think continuing to move is one of the secrets to aging healthily. I’m interested in that. Find a movement you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, walking, drumming, or whatever. Yoga checks a lot of boxes for me and might for you as well.

Namaste! ▼

Beth Shockley is a retired writer and editor, and shares life with her wife and kitty boys.

Throughout 2025, CAMP Rehoboth showed up and showed out in its mission to create a more positive environment for folks of all sexual orientations and gender identities in southern Delaware and beyond. Through a vibrant, diverse range of programming and services based in advocacy, arts, and health and wellness, CAMP Rehoboth continues to envision a world where all LGBTQ+ people thrive.

As the second installment in 2025’s Progress Report, the metrics below illustrate the transformative impact of CAMP Rehoboth’s programs and services. According to

Advocacy In Action

The Williams Institute, Delaware boasts the third-highest percentage of LGBTQ+ residents in the nation, per capita, and 70 percent of same sex couples live in Sussex County. As the queer population’s presence grows, CAMP Rehoboth’s work remains relevant and essential to address the health, safety, and belonging for all.

Putting Pride in Progress: With CAMP Rehoboth’s five-year strategic plan in action, note below how our programs and services work towards our strategic plan’s outcomes of health, safety, and belonging.

CAMP REHOBOTH’S ADVOCACY includes diversity and cultural competency training, advocacy on state and local issues, and responses to real-time events or news. Here’s a snapshot of 2025 advocacy e orts.

CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERS attended US Congresswoman Sarah McBride’s address during Women’s+ FEST

received CAMP Rehoboth’s human relations trainings. (Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Lewes, Milton, Seaford, and DNREC seasonal o cers)

Health & Wellness

CAMP REHOBOTH continues to foster a sense of well-being among the LGBTQ+ community and its allies, through the following programs.

RESOURCES | INFORMATION | AWARENESS

With co-partners*

CAMP REHOBOTH LAUNCHED

Southern Delaware

Empowered Futures: Legal & Health Care

Readiness Resource Fair

20+

Legal, Health, & other service organizations represented

58 ATTENDEES

*University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Communities and Del-Tech Georgetown

1,811 Individuals received resources and/or information at tabling events outside of CAMP Rehoboth

CAMP REHOBOTH’S ELDER LAW WORKSHOP 29 ATTENDEES

3 NEW SUPPORT GROUPS established as recurring programs

CAMP REHOBOTH PARTNERED WITH

6 statewide organizations to plan annual MAAETC conference

CAMPsafe

164 syphilis tests conducted (2025 initiative with Delaware Division of Public Health)

71 HIV tests at CAMP Rehoboth X 3%

898 people tested at 19 partner events (over half in partnership with Beebe Healthcare mobile unit)

MINDFULNESS & Movement

ON AVERAGE, EACH WEEK

individuals take part in scheduled programming such as yoga and tai chi (in-person or online)

HEALTH TESTING + FLU SHOTS

48|FLU VACCINATION & WELLNESS CHECKS

Administered by Bayhealth

2 BLOOD DRIVES With the Blood Bank of Delmarva

72 UNITS of blood donated, helping as many as

216 PEOPLE with life-saving blood products

COMPASSION, SUPPORT & EMPOWERMENT

MENTAL HEALTH FOCUS

20% increase in Yale-certified CBT local therapists

16 CAMP Rehoboth sta & CAMPcierges took part in QPR Suicide Prevention Training o ered by Mental Health Association (MHA)

CAMP Rehoboth Community Center Served as free location for National Depression Screening Day o ered by MHA

arts & CULTURE

THE ARTS AT CAMP REHOBOTH not only celebrate creative expression, but also build connections within our diverse communities, reinforcing the vital role of the arts in promoting inclusion, creativity, and joy.

CAMP REHOBOTH CHORUS CONCERTS+EVENTS

3 CONCERTS

3.5 K ATTENDEES

One CAMP Rehoboth Chorus attendee loved “watching the pure joy of the chorus. In a time of sadness and uncertainty for the LGBTQIA+ community, to see love and joy brought tears to my eyes.”

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES, SHOWS AND JOINT OUTREACH CONCERTS

365 ATTENDEES

CAMP REHOBOTH GALLERY

7 EXHIBITS

93 ARTISTS

991 ATTENDEES AT GALLERY EXHIBITS & RECEPTIONS

CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP

Join today to support our mission!

CAMP REHOBOTH RAINBOW MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• Advance access to ticket sales for CAMP Rehoboth events

• Invitations to member-only events and updates

• Recognition in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth (3 times per year)

• Rainbow Member window cling

• Weekly What’s Happening at CAMP Rehoboth email

INDIGO & PURPLE MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• All Rainbow Member benefits, plus: Private invitations to special events, including VIP receptions and donor appreciation events

FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE MEMBERS RECEIVE:

• Annual recognition in Letters from CAMP Rehoboth

PAY ANNUALLY or MONTHLY

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

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

☐ BLUE LEVEL ☐ $900 annual or ☐ $75 monthly

☐ GREEN LEVEL ☐ $600 annual or ☐ $50 monthly

☐ 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

VOLUNTEER spotlight

BY SHAE WAGNER

Doug Sellers & Mark Eubanks

Q: When did you start volunteering at CAMP Rehoboth?

A: We moved to the Rehoboth Beach area in 2017, from Northern Virginia. Having friends in the area made it more appealing. One of our friends, Jim Mease, promptly recruited Mark to help with Sundance (currently known as SUNFESTIVAL). Since then, we have volunteered for CAMP mailings, Women’s+ FEST, CROP (Delaware Food Bank), Handmade Markets, Condom Stuffing, and other events as needed.

NAME PARTNER/SPOUSE NAME ADDRESS

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

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

VALIDATION CODE EXP. DATE

SIGNATURE DATE

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFT COMPANY NAME CONTACT PERSON NAME

EMAIL PHONE NUMBER

EXPECTED FUNDS DELIVERY DATE(s) AMOUNT

Q: Name a childhood mentor or someone who influenced you while growing up

A: We both came out in our late teens. An enormous influence on our lives was our circle of friends. One in particular was Tom Shuman, who we joked with and planned to grow old with. He was among many friends we lost too soon to AIDS and other causes.

Q: Describe an ideal date night.

A: After 49 years together, our date nights are lower keyed. We both love to go to Clear Space & Milton theaters and CAMP Rehoboth-sponsored events. We also enjoy afternoons at Aqua, Diego’s, and Rigby’s, catching up with friends.

Q

: Favorite season here at the beach and why?

A: Our favorite seasons are spring and summer (definitely not winter). Doug enjoys yard work, flowers, and vegetable gardening, while Mark enjoys the heat and working in his wood shop. Spring also brings all the “snowbirds” back from Puerto Vallarta and Florida, so we enjoy seeing and spending time with our chosen family in Rehoboth.▼

ShaeWagner is Event and Volunteer Coordinator at CAMP Rehoboth.

A Tisket, a Tasket

Break Out the Picnic Basket

Dorothy carried one to Oz, filled with Toto. Grace Kelly teased Cary Grant with the contents of one. Ants simply love them. And Yogi Bear famously wanted to steal every one he saw, much to Ranger Smith’s chagrin.

We’re talking about picnic baskets and, more to the point, the contents inside. But here’s the thing: most of us have perfectly fine homes with kitchens that we spend good money on. So why do we enjoy carrying food to an open outdoor spot to eat there?

To understand, we can start a few million years ago. Kind of.

As you can well imagine, our ancient ancestors ate much of their food outside, but it wasn’t because the dining room table they just bought wasn’t delivered yet. It wasn’t in any way a “picnic.” Likewise, it’s certain that, over the centuries, some members of the working class ate their meals outside as needed and with no desire other than to satisfy their hunger. If someone was around to share that meal, fine, whatever, but eating under the sun wasn’t intentional and it wasn’t, therefore, an event.

Nope, eating a lighter-fared meal outside was not special until sometime much later.

Though there were references here and there throughout history about dining al fresco, and the wealthy classes in Middle-Ages Europe threw large fetes outdoors when they were hunting or celebrating something huge, the first mention of “picnics” came in the late 1600s. A satirical, politically-based play performed in France at a time when severe food shortages plagued that country featured a humorously gluttonous character named Pique-Nique. Historians really aren’t sure that the character’s name led to the word, but thinking so is as good a guess as any, right? Linguistics experts do say, however, that they are absolutely sure that the word “picnic” does not have any racist background.

By the early 1700s, the name Pique-

Nique had changed into a word and had shrugged off its scorn. It morphed into a noun indicating something fun, something even the aristocracy could embrace.

…by the end of the 1700s, pique-niques had changed even further, becoming nothing but Colonial-era punk rock raves…

Having a “pique-nique” in the 1700s was akin to hosting an extravagant dinner party today, complete with a BYO twist and bring a dish to pass. Music and dancing were often included, speakers and performers attended, and the whole thing was kind of like a high-brow reception. But this is why we can’t have nice things: by the end of the 1700s, pique-niques had changed even further, becoming nothing but Colonial-era punk rock raves and the owners of theaters and restaurants, growing concerned, spoke out against them. That was about the time when middle-class folks seized the idea from the wealthy and eased it outside. Histo-

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

rians aren’t sure if the word “picnic” was adapted to the action then, or the action adapted the word, but the whole idea lost its music, dance, and debauchery and became quieter, more courtly, almost wide-eyed pure and childlike.

Alas, once the picnic came to America, the French began to sneer at it.

Did that stop our intrepid ancestors?

It did not! Americans just moved the picnic firmly outdoors and by the early 1900s, having a meal with the ants in the grass while enjoying the countryside was considered to be chic, but innocent, fun. By 1908, it was near-mandatory to fill a woven wicker basket with anything that was easy-to-eat with your hands, such as cold fried chicken, deviled eggs, sandwiches, and fruit for your picnic, and a special blanket was likewise de rigueur. If you were doing it as you were taking a drive in your new-fangled car, that was even better.

Over the years, having a picnic has stayed in the same outdoor atmosphere, but it’s changed with the times. You might be able to participate in a church picnic auction, in which you bid on a blind basket and then dine with the meal’s maker. You might snag something from a sidewalk vendor and eat it at a nearby bench. Maybe you’ll hark back to picnics, Yogi Bear-style, and have sandwiches or hot dogs, chips or potato salad, and lemonade—or you might pick foie gras stuffed mushrooms, nice Martha Stewart napkins, and a good Pinot noir. You won’t necessarily expect to sit on a red gingham blanket (made popular in the 1950s) on the ground; today, you can dine on a picnic table (invented in 1903) on food from a flashy insulated cooler (invented in 1951) and Tupperware (invented in 1946), using plastic utensils (also invented in the mid-twentieth century).

Just bring enough for the ants. ▼

Terri Schlichenmeyer is the author of four books on trivia.

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CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH

BEACH

Summer Kickoff!

Washington Blade Summer Kickoff, Lewes Rainbow Social Club, and So Much More!

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1 ) at Washington Blade Summer Kickoff Party at Diego's: Mark Hartman, Camden Scifres, Kimberly Larue, Seth Sikes, Jerry Johnson, Robert Levine, Liz Malong, Brian James, Janet Hynes, Peggy Castle, Dave Yanchulis, Dodjie Barba, Dean Yanchulis, Pete Quinnan, Darryl Ciarlante, Eddie Adams, Joe Zuber, Matty Brown, Kate Galloway, John Cianciosi, DE State Senator Russ Huxtable, Marty Rendon, RB Commissioner Susan Stewart, Edward Chrzanowski, Jolie Olson.

OPPOSITE PAGE 2) at Washington Blade Party at Diego's: Alex Pertrino, Michael Yousko, Robin Brennan, Leslie Ledogar, Ashley Biden, Tony Burns, DE State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, Mikki Snyder-Hall, Jerry McCausland, Bill Horten, Thomas Weaverling, Kevin Naff, Peter Schott, Jeffery Davis, Bernadette Brinn, Julia Orza, Kim Richards, Beverly Sims, Lousie Menna, Susanne Furman, Rina Pellegrini; 3) at Big Love Pool Party: Billy Porter, Precious Brown, Justin Lennon, Alex Horansky, Tyler Cadwalladeo, Paul Ruszkay, Bryan Peacock, Tony Zacchei, Nick Plasse, Mason Beall, Aiden Bruno.

More CAMPshots page 68

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 67)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Lewes Rainbow Social Club’s Spring Fling at Cambria Hotel: Bob Horne, Paul Williams, Ruthie Kloetzli, Peter Garneau, Beth Kelly, Donna Cardiello, Colleen Malloy, Paula Sydenstricker, Jamie Santoro, Douglas Riley, Bryan Hecksher, Paul Seyfert, Debbie Bricker, Ginny Fessler, Julie Cockles, Taniea Myles, Ursula Sundre, Sherry Hoda; 2) at Clear Space Theater: Joe Gfaller, Wes Drummond, Guy Alexander, Michael Moreland, Craig Scindiver.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 3) at Pride Film Festival at Cinema Art Theater: Dave Bever, Donna West, Jeff Rowe, March Samuels, Mike Race, Wanda Bair, Kim Leisey, Mari Blackburn, Kathy Solano, Charles Alfree, Russell Oden, Polly Donaldson, Jefferson Rougeau, Lee Whitehead, Kirsten King, John Barnes, Charlie Champagne, David Sharp, Jeff Raver, Lisa Soens, Lori Rocheleau, Renee Rocheleau, Terry Stinson, Saro Dedeyan.

(More CAMPshots page 76)

OutTakes

Nature and Me

As spring warms into summer, I spend more time outside. I’m comfortable being in nature whether that means a walk in the woods, boating in the bay, or swimming in the sea. In fact, nature refreshes my spirit like nothing else. Recently though, nature seems more comfortable around me.

Until now, my close encounters of the nature-kind have often been unpleasant. Like the time in my teens when I was fishing off a moored boat and after casting my line into the water, I sat down on something painful. I jumped up and looked back at my posterior only to see a flash of yellow that I assumed was one of my fishing lures. Reaching back to remove the tackle from my butt, I was shocked by a second zap of pain in my finger! Holy cow! Not a lure…a very unhappy bumblebee! Not that I blame the poor thing for defending itself. It was small and my butt…not small.

But I am unreasonably terrified of bees. I dropped my fishing rod, leapt up flapping my arms, spun around on the bow of the boat, and finally executed a respectable standing long jump from the boat to the pier. I’m sure that those watching me must have thought I was either having some kind of seizure or practicing a frantic modern dance routine. As I ran past my uncle, still flapping, I heard him say to my aunt, “What’s wrong with that girl?”

Fishing often brought me in close contact with wildlife that was not welcoming of my encroachment. Once, while fishing off the banks of the Pocomoke River near Snow Hill, Maryland, and not having any luck at all, I decided to move to a different location. I pulled my line in and walked a bit further downstream. I had to walk through some rushes and brambles to find a spot. Putting my tacklebox on the ground and facing the river, I baited my hook. I suddenly felt like I was being watched. There on the path behind me was a snake, a BIG snake! About three feet of its body was on the ground, but the other foot and a half was upright and swaying as it stared at me.

With my heart pounding and my eyes

BY SANDY CLARK

We

looked at each other for a few seconds before he picked up a small peanut, tilted his head, and then flew away.

returning the reptile’s unblinking gaze, I said, “Oh…hello! I’ll just move along now.” Never taking my eyes off the snake, I slowly got my stuff and backed away down the path. Once there was no direct line of sight, I sprinted back to my car. There was not going to be any more fishing that day, but at least I wasn’t flapping my arms!

I’m older and slower now. I’m not as fearful of bugs and snakes as I used to be. Now if I encounter a spider or beetle in my house, I pick it up and take it outside. I’ve learned that bees aren’t usually dangerous, so we tolerate each other’s presence on the front porch or by the mailbox. We have had a large black snake living in our garage for the past few years. It has kept the garage rodent-free and we are respectful of its existence.

I put out bird feed on our back deck. Last winter the other creatures in the nature preserve behind our house discovered that our little wildlife restaurant is a reliable food source. Slowly, squirrels joined the birds. We now have a groundhog we call Rhoda, an occasional opossum, and a mama raccoon we have named Rita. They are quite amazing to see through the sliding door of our kitchen and provide hours of entertainment for our inside-only cats.

I know these are wild animals and I would never treat them as pets, but they

are used to seeing me around. As I was scooping up the nuts and seeds to fill the bird feeding stations the other day, a very impatient, white-breasted nuthatch flew back and forth in front of me. I smiled and said quietly, “Are you that hungry? Do you want some of this food?” He flew a little closer to the edge of the table I was working from. I scooped some of the feed into my hand and held it out to him. I expected him to fly away, but to my complete surprise, he flew up and landed on the thumb of my outstretched hand. We looked at each other for a few seconds before he picked up a small peanut, tilted his head, and then flew away.

Yesterday, I was sitting on our front porch and saw a beautiful dragonfly out in the rain. A few seconds later, not only did she fly under the cover of the porch, but she landed on my shoulder to rest like a living brooch. I calmly let her stay for a couple of minutes before she was on her way again.

Today, the nuthatch was back and again he took a peanut from my hand. I guess my consistent presence has earned their trust. I’m sure not flapping my arms helps a lot too. ▼

Sandy Clark, retired and living in central Delaware with her wife and two cats, loves sharing her humorous observations on the weirdness of life.

Reflections

The Loneliness Lesson

Even though the seat warmer was on full blast, I shivered driving to the club house.

A month after I moved by myself to Delaware, I headed to my new community’s monthly adult social. It was dark— not just winter nighttime city dark—but dark that you can’t see through. When I walked in the door, the overhead lights almost blinded me. I saw dozens of people and heard the buzz of several conversations. Even though I was surrounded by other humans, I felt lonely and invisible.

The feeling passed but was not forgotten. Loneliness is an emotional experience. It’s not a good feeling. It’s shouting that a meaningful connection is missing. It’s telling me I don’t matter.

I’ve felt lonely at work, at a party, at family gatherings, or even surrounded by friends. I’ve felt lonely when I didn’t feel understood, valued, or emotionally connected. Loneliness is less about the number of people around and more about the quality of connection.

About one in three adults admits feeling lonely. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s data from 2024 shows about 31 percent of adults reported always or usually feeling lonely. What’s even more startling to me is that young adults consistently report the highest loneliness levels, especially people under 35. I guess having thousands of friends on Instagram, What’s App, or Threads doesn’t make up for old-fashioned human interaction.

I believe most of us have experienced that awful emotional exhaustion from pretending everything is fine, or being weighed down by heaviness or an ache that’s hard to explain. Loneliness can sneak into a lively conversation where everyone seems connected but you.

While everyone has negative feelings once in a while, it’s never good to linger in that murky muck of despair. Chronic loneliness impacts longevity as a top health risk, exceeding that of physical inactivity and obesity, with risks equal to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day

according to the Surgeon General. It’s associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, and cognitive decline.

However, it’s not all bad news. Since we have a lot of control over how we feel, a strong desire to feel good can produce surprising benefits. Loneliness has pushed me to seek deeper, more authentic relationships, and it also helped me recognize which relationships are superficial and which are meaningful. I now appreciate the feeling of loneliness because I can then recognize what I do want (to feel loved, to feel appreciated, to feel noticed and connected) and shift my focus to thoughts that feel good.

Many people spend years trying to avoid being alone by being with people they don’t like or going places they don’t want to go because they fear loneliness.

Some ways I transform my thoughts into a more positive emotional feeling is through focusing on my breath. I control the pace at which I inhale and exhale, being aware of the calming impact this has. Petting my dogs helps shift my feelings. Meditations I find on YouTube are also effective.

My emotional and physical self-reliance can easily turn into isolation. My ability to regulate my emotions and think clearly under pressure can both be a strength and create emotional isolation. Even when someone offers help it’s easier to say, “I’m fine,” or “It’s not a big deal.”

Many people spend years trying to avoid being alone by being with people they don’t like or going places they don’t want to go because they fear loneliness.

BY PATTIE CINELLI

But being alone and loneliness aren’t connected at all.

Feeling lonely is not an automatic effect of being alone. Solitude is often chosen and is usually voluntary. It can feel nourishing rather than uncomfortable. You can be alone and feel peaceful, restored, creative, and free. We may seek solitude because it gives us space to think, recover, pray, read, make art, exercise, or simply exist without demands from others.

Being alone is a circumstance, not a feeling. For me, being alone is normal. I crave it when I spend too much time with others. I often feel content when alone. Solitude is a good time to think, have space to reset, dance with my doodles, and reconnect with myself. I get to rehash the day and figure stuff out. Because it’s a time I get to know myself better, learning to be alone comfortably often improves my personal relationships as well.

Loneliness may never be a feeling that I welcome, but perhaps it serves a purpose. It reminds me that connection matters and nudges me toward people and places that nourish me. Sometimes it is simply a signal that I need deeper connection, more honesty, or a return to myself.

Solitude still restores me, but genuine human warmth matters too. I still remember the darkness of that winter drive and the ache of feeling invisible in a crowded room. But what stays with me most is the kindness of one stranger that night who made space for me at his table. Sometimes the smallest gesture can interrupt loneliness and remind us that we matter after all. ▼

Pattie Cinelli is a writer who has loved living alone all her adult life yet rarely feels lonely. Her doodles keep her company. Email her at: fitmiss44@aol.com.

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Danube River

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 68)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Cloud 9 Reunion at Freddie’s: Sherry King, Jennifer Gold, Deb Bievenour, Barb Thompson, Sandy Kraft, Michelle Yingling, Gail Purcell, Gina Santino, Leslie Sinclair, Debbie Woods, Nancy Commissio, Mary Kvitshhili, Rochelle Parks, Peggy Phillips, Norma McGrady; 2) at Freddie’s Beach Bar: Paul Weppner, Roland Watkins, Bill Horin, Freddie Lutz, Hamish Clark, Seth Sikes, Camden Scifres, Mark Hartman, Wanetla Mack, Jerry Johnson.

OPPOSITE PAGE 3) at RB Museum Preston Schell Maps Reception: Kathleen Schell, Preston Schell, Heidi Nasstrom Evans, Alex Papajohn, Samantha Viksning; 4) at Pride Film Festival at CAMP Rehoboth: Jeff Murray, Merle McCann, Tyler Berl, Robin Brennan, Eddie Czyzewski, Alyce Hellen, Abbey Seastrand, Wayne Lunstead, Karen Lunstead; 5) at Rehoboth Art League: Sydney Hartman, Denise Stripling, Marcia DeWitt, Henry DeWitt, Sue Schroeder, John Schroder, Denise Clemons, Sara Ganter, John Newton, Phil Tobey, Pam Tobey, Mowry Spencer.

(More CAMPshots page 78)

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 77)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Chroma Clothing Swap at CAMP Rehoboth: Blake Schaum, Sparrow LeJeune, Sunny Sheidy, Lucien Thomas, Demi Lower, Zack Wiegmann, Lee Trueheart, Chrissie Dowler, Raven, Tina Snapp; 2) at Broadwalk on the Boardwalk: Able Ruiz, Laurie Thompson, Meridith Rothstein, Karen Laitman, DE State Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall, Dr Justin Kucinski, Connie Holdridge, Alexis McKenzie, Denise Myers, Pat Fitz, Karen Hamlin, Amelia Riley, Christa Marks, Sherlye Jackson, Suzanne Weidner, Marianne Sheridan.

OPPOSITE PAGE 3) at Welcome Reception for Robin Brennan at CAMP Rehoboth: Angie Scott, Joss Norwood, Leslie Ledogar, Joe Vescio, David Garrett, Robin Brennan, Polly Donaldson, Teri Seaton, Kevin Ussery, Michelle Manfredi, Jerry Filbin, Robb Mapou, Kelly Sheridan, Barb Ralph, Chris Beagle, Kathy Wiz, Muriel Hogan, RB Commissioner Patrick Gossett, Max Dick; 4) at DE Stonewall Reception: Dwayne Bensing, Sussex County Councilwoman Jane Gruenebaum, Jill Hicks, Tara Sheldon, Leslie Calman, Kristine Read, DE Lt. Governor Kyle Evans Gay, Cora Castle, US Congresswoman Sarah McBride, DE State Senator Russell Huxtable.

(More CAMPshots page 108)

Deep Inside Hollywood

Tig Notaro Will Finally Figure Out Who Glen Powell is

Tig

Notaro works in entertainment yet doesn’t know the identities of many of her celebrity colleagues. She’s even made internet videos where she has to guess who the TV star sitting right in front of her is. (Modern Family star Julie Bowen, for one.) It makes us wonder if she knew of Glen Powell before being cast in the new Judd Apatow film, The Comeback King, which stars Powell as a country singer in a career spiral. Tig will also become acquainted with the rest of the cast: fellow queer stand-up comic Chris Fleming (whose new HBO special “Live at the Palace” is breathtakingly weird and funny) as well as comedians Leanne Morgan, Atsuko Okatsuka, Stavros Halkias, Big Fella, Mike Birbiglia, Kumail Nanjiani, and SNL vet Vanessa Bayer. There are no further details about plot, characters, or anything else, so make peace with being in the dark until it comes to a theater near you. ▼

Kristen Stewart and Wagner Moura Consume Flesh of the Gods

TheA24 thriller Flesh of the Gods Panos Cosmatos at the helm. Don’t recognize that name? He’s the filmmaker behind mind-bending cult films Mandy and Beyond the Black Rainbow, and he’s about to step into the mainstream on his own freaky terms with a couple of big movie stars: Academy Award nominees Kristen Stewart and The Secret Agent star Wagner Moura. Together, they’ll play a married couple living the high life in ’80s-era Los Angeles— think Fred Segal, Fiorucci, and Angelyne—who then cross paths with someone called Nameless and a party crew of glamorous individuals who are almost certainly very seductive vampires. Just when you thought What We Do in the Shadows had finished off the genre with parody and absurdist comedy, along comes the version no one had considered: blood cocktails with the Less Than Zero gang. Can’t wait. ▼

Photo credit: Denis Makarenko

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Russell Tovey Turns McQueen in Wild Bird

The dizzying career heights and details of personal turmoil in the life of the late legendary fashion designer Alexander McQueen are well documented, as is the status of his deep friendship with the late fashion editor Isabella Blow, his mentor and muse. Now, queer filmmaker Andrew Haigh (All of Us Strangers) will take his turn representing the pair in an upcoming short film, Wild Bird. Russell Tovey (Looking) will play McQueen and Academy Award winner Olivia Colman (The Favourite) will co-star as Blow and the film will take them on an emotional—and fictional—road trip. And yes, there will be fashion, because Sandy Powell, award-winning costume designer (as in three Oscars and the same number of BAFTA Awards), will be in charge of the clothes. It shoots in June in the UK, and while you’re waiting, the wonderful 2018 documentary feature, McQueen, is a good way to get up to speed. ▼

Queer Classic The Servant Gets a Remake with Colman Domingo

In1963, the Joseph Losey-directed classic The Servant—starring quietly gay actor Dirk Bogarde—got its Harold Pinter-penned script through the minefield of the era’s restrictive production code to weave a subtextual story of politics, sexuality, and class war, one that eventually influenced films like Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite. The remake in production from queer filmmaker Francis Lee (Ammonite, God’s Own Country) won’t have to skirt around anything to tell its own version of a spoiled rich man, played by Nicholas Hoult (The Great), and the contentious relationship he has with the titular servant, to be played by gay, twotime Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo. Nonbinary Golden Globe-winner Emma Corrin is also on board, as is Hamnet co-star Noah Jupe. And it’s a period piece, too, set in 1950s New York, so the suspense and consequences of the closet can be explored in a way that wasn’t possible 60-plus years ago. ▼

Visiting View

Let’s Get Loud!

Greetings Letters readers, Robby from the Block here, basking in the post-Atlantis cruise glow. It was a glorious week sailing the gay seas along Mexico. We had such a great trip we already signed up for another cruise next year. Honestly, one of the unseen benefits of this vacation was just being out of the country—and the never-ending news cycle—for a few days.

Some quick background on me and news: every morning at the gym at 5:00 a.m. I am usually watching the Kimmel and Colbert monologues from the night before. I also watch Lawrence O’Donnell. Throughout the day—on the subway, during prep periods at school, and waiting for friends—I am watching reels of the Abby Phillip show, the I’ve Had It podcast, and Brian Tyler Cohen. Throw in The View, and that’s my daily news intake.

And the news keeps getting worse and worse. I have been saying hopefully for months “the house of cards is starting to fall,” but Teflon Don keeps standing strong. As of press time, some of the headlines we are dealing with:

*We are three months into a war in Iran we supposedly won two months ago. The war has cost upwards of $50 billion dollars. (It seems there is always money for war but never for feeding the poor.)

*While Trump initially stated the East Wing ballroom project would be financed entirely by private donors, Republican lawmakers recently proposed a $1 billion taxpayer-funded package for broader White House security enhancements, causing debate about ultimate funding sources.

*In exchange for dropping his IRS lawsuit regarding leaked tax records, the DOJ agreed to end past and present government audits and tax claims into Trump, his family, and their businesses. The DOJ transferred $1.776 billion from the Treasury’s Judgment Fund into an account for alleged victims of political

weaponization. The money is to be governed by a five-member commission appointed by the Attorney General.

These are only three major news stories; three of dozens and dozens that leave us disheartened and despondent.

…but each morning I do wake up with a sense of dread that I didn’t have when Biden was President.

There is an odd line we negotiate every day. We go about our lives, we have fun, have good times—just saw The Lost Boys on Broadway, and danced it out at the “Unspeakable Joy” party at 3DB in Brooklyn—but each morning I do wake up with a sense of dread that I didn’t have when Biden was President.

The one bright spot I can see is finally here: Pride month. I love Pride month. Always have, always will. I am famous for saying each year, “Pride still matters. Maybe now more than ever.”

Be forewarned, though, each night we get to hear “Why do they need a whole month?” from conservative pundits like Piers Morgan and Scott Jennings.

The more conservatives complain about Pride month, the more obnoxiously queer I plan to be! Absolutely loved when the @thedemocrats Thread handle clapped back at Stephen Miller writing, “shut up you ugly f***.” YES—more of this energy, please! It’s time to fight fire with fire!

The last Sunday in June is revered in NYC. It is when Heritage of Pride launches the NYC Pride Parade. It’s been doing that since June 28, 1970, in what was then known as the Christopher Street Liberation March. This year’s Grand Marshalls include drag performer Peppermint, SNL comedian Bowen Yang, and the activist group Gays Against Guns (GAG).

BY ROBERT DEDOMINIC

I will be front and center, marching alongside GAG, a group I have worked with, been a member of, marched with, and protested with for many years. What an honor it is for the group to be named Grand Marshalls!

Kimberly Miller, GAG Art Director, spoke about the honor to me, saying, “When the Pulse massacre happened, I was on tour in Miami, having just been in Orlando the day before. I had lost an uncle to gun violence in 1979 and a softball teammate in 1995, so I had been a gun violence prevention advocate for decades, and when I heard about Pulse and heard that a group called Gays Against Guns was forming, I thought, well, that’s exactly who I am: gay and against guns. I was at the very first meeting and I’m very proud of the work we’ve done in the past 10 years to inform Americans about the insanity of the gun culture in this country.“

This June, my fellow readers, it’s time to get loud. March, protest, donate, and—most importantly, whenever the opportunity presents—vote, vote, VOTE. Vote in every single election. As cheesy as it sounds: it always is the darkest before the dawn, good does prevail over evil, and we might have lost the battle— but we are gonna win the war.

Lately, I sometimes waver and feel disheartened and despondent, worrying these mantras might not actually be true. But I do believe in them more days than I don’t. And I believe in Pride every day of the year. Happy Pride month! ▼

Robert DeDominic is a queer freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Follow Robert on Bluesky at robertdominic.bsky.social.

Sir Lady Java Solution on

SPOTLIGHT

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community

Community. Heart. Pride. Celebrating 35 Years of CAMP Rehoboth

June 8-July 31, 2026

CAMP Rehoboth is thrilled to announce Community. Heart. Pride. Celebrating 35 Years of CAMP Rehoboth as our featured exhibition this summer! Community is the heart of CAMP Rehoboth. For 35 years, CAMP Rehoboth has served as a community center for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.

Community. Heart. Pride. brings together over 20 artists to share their artwork and speak to the importance of having a place like CAMP Rehoboth. Through an amazing and impactful display of paintings, photographs, and mixed media works, these artists explore what pride and community mean to them.

Thanks to all of the artists for their wonderful works and stories: Alan B. Tuttle, Robert Fleming, Carolina Mayorga, Patricia Catanzariti, Leslie Sinclair, JuneRose ‘JR’ Futcher, Bev Pasquarella, Jane Knaus, Sondra N. Arkin, Michael Hulme, Joseph P. Vescio, Lorraine Quinn, Daniel Bartasavich, Barry Moshinski, Jacqueline Woinski, Debra Payette, Theresa Taylor, G Michael Beigay, Russell A. Stiles, Kim Klabe, Pat Beckmann, Laura Cannistraci, Kiara Florez, Joseph Salgado, Sabina Troncone, Carissa Meiklejohn, and Jefferson Rougeau.  ▼

CAMP Rehoboth Gallery typically is open MondayFriday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can call ahead to confirm: 302-227-5620.

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.

BY JOE GFALLER

In the Artists’ Own Words

When asked to share their reflections/ thoughts on CAMP Rehoboth or on Pride....

“These days CAMP Rehoboth is a shelter in a storm, a supportive welcoming community I feel comfortable referring people to as a resource.” - ALAN B. TUTTLE

“CAMP Rehoboth has been a welcoming and meaningful place for me over many years. I first exhibited there about a decade ago and have participated several times since, always finding the community friendly, receptive, and generous. Working with different organizers and guest curators has been a pleasure, and it’s a wonderful place to connect with fellow artists and the local community. Living in DC, returning to CAMP Rehoboth feels like an oasis—beautiful in every season, including winter.” - CAROLINA MAYORGA

“Pride is the courage to show up exactly as we are—bold, playful, and unfiltered, as our authentic selves, with no need to apologize.”

- LESLIE SINCLAIR

“CAMP Rehoboth is a safe place for everyone to feel that they matter.” - JANE KNAUS

“Pride to me is feeling comfortable in your own skin, and not being afraid to show the world who you are.” - JOE VESCIO

“We are hope; we exist unapologetically. Despite the times. A reawakened call to activists throughout our community is needed.” - DANIEL BARTASAVICH

“CAMP Rehoboth is the heartbeat of Rehoboth Beach, serving as a powerful testament to the beauty of pride and diversity.”

- BARRY MOSHINSKI

“CAMP Rehoboth has shown me that I am a welcomed LGBTQ individual in our community and how I can be Prideful for our community.” - G MICHAEL BEIGAY

BY MARY JO TARALLO

CAMP REHOBOTH ARTIST PROFILES ⊲

Karen Brause + Kimberly Shaefer

Karen Brause and her life partner, Kimberly Shaefer, are two of those people who have a flair for business and a passion for music and the arts, all rolled into one. They have a lot in common

They both worked as engineers. Karen was a chemical engineer who spent her career in various positions involving research and manufacturing at Merck. Kimberly worked in logistics and inventory management as a mechanical engineer throughout her career.

They both love and play music and are percussionists with local groups including the Rehoboth Concert Band (RCB), Delaware Symphonic Woods (DSW), and the Southern Delaware Orchestra (SODELO). Percussion includes any instrument sounded by striking, shaking, or scraping (like drums, xylophones, and cymbals).

They both are stained glass artists, another retirement passion.

And the similarities don’t end there!

Both are from Ohio and were in the same graduation class from Buckeye Central High School. Karen says that after graduation, they went their separate ways. Kimberly spent time in Ohio, Bardstown, Kentucky, and Rochester, New York. Karen lived in New Jersey and North Carolina.

“[People in] our graduating class were turning 50 and Facebook was where we all were wishing everyone Happy Birthday,” they explained. “This is how Kim and I saw each other “virtually” for the first time since graduation day! We started texting to catch up.”

Karen didn’t want to spend her 50th birthday alone in North Carolina, so she bought an airline ticket to Rochester so she could catch up with Kim in person.

“Long story short,” she adds, “I never left! LOL!” Karen says they enjoy each other’s company, are best friends, and are “just loving life.” They settled in Rehoboth in 2014.

Looking back, their interest in music began at an early age.

Kim’s started with her fifth grade band, where she could choose an instrument to play. Her first choice was trumpet, but she was channeled into percussion instead due to her asthma. She’s played throughout college and in various community bands and pits all her adult life.

Karen focused on trumpet in grade school and high school. After graduation, she never had an opportunity to play. That changed thanks to the RCB being “short-handed” with percussionists.

Their involvement with the Rehoboth Concert Band was rather serendipitous.

Kim spotted an advertisement for a RCB concert and went online to get details. She noticed an announcement that the band was looking for percussionists. She called and left a message for Sharon Still, the original conductor and co-founder of the band (along with her wife, Kay Creech).

Sharon quickly called her back, invited her to dress rehearsal the next night, and then to play the concert the following day. Kim and Karen joined RCB full time for its next music cycle.

Karen and Kim joined SODELO when it expanded to add woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Their first concert with the group was summer 2024. Their involvement with the DSW started in the fall of 2024 and Karen is the current DSW treasurer.

According to Karen, Kim is a lifelong percussionist who can play anything in the section, ranging from snare, timpani, bass drum, toms, all auxiliary equipment (cymbals, temple blocks, triangle, maracas, castanets, and another noise makers) and all mallets (bells, xylophone, chimes, vibes, marimba).

“About the only thing she never mastered was a drum set but we have that covered! Kim is the hands and I’m the feet! Together we make a rocking drum set,” she says tongue in cheek.

“We decided to focus on our two retirement hobbies that we love—music and glass,” said Karen. “Both provide us great joy and challenges as we continue to improve every day.”

“Music is mathematical and has always been Kim’s focus and what she excelled at,” she added. “One cool thing about music is that it’s a life sport!”

“Percussion is unique among instruments. You need to play many different types of equipment v. focus on one instrument. This challenge is intriguing to us. Percussion is a team sport as there are many different hands working together in harmony. Our ‘team section’ ranges from four to six individuals, including us.”

Karen and Kim are unique in that they like all types of music but have always enjoyed it differently. Kim always Continued on page 96

BY JOE GFALLER

PERFORMING

ARTS

A Conversation with Clear Space’s New Artistic Director

This month, the team at Clear Space Theatre Company is being joined by its third-ever Artistic Director, Wes Drummond. Wes succeeds David Button, who served Clear Space for 18 years, first as Company Manager and then as Artistic Director, and founding Artistic Director Doug Yetter.

In advance of Wes joining me at the helm of our cherished theater, he and I chatted some. Edited for length, here is a little bit of our conversation to introduce Letters readers to the newest addition to the creative community here in coastal Delaware.

JOE GFALLER: Welcome to Clear Space! There has been so much momentum in support of the arts across Sussex County over the last several years — and your arrival definitely feels like part of that continued growth. What are you most excited about as you come into the role of Artistic Director?

WES DRUMMOND: me most is the potential. The possibility that comes with new relationships, new conversations, and walking into an organiza tion that’s already doing something meaningful and asking, how can I build on this? The momentum that already exists at Clear Space speaks for itself and there’s something rare and electric about joining at this moment. I’m a big believer that the best ideas live at the inter section of fresh eyes and deep roots, and that’s ex actly where I get to stand. I thrive in that space. I can’t

wait to see what we create together.

JG: You grew up in Kentucky, but have lived in lots of places—New York, Chicago, State College, Pennsylvania, Duluth…. How have the communities you’ve called home shaped your view of live theater and the role it plays inside of a community?

WD: Theater as an art form is about sharing and gaining perspective. It’s about stepping into situations and moments outside of our comfort zone to stretch our imaginations and help us reflect on our own lives. I’m grateful to have been part of so many different communities, because each one taught me something new. I have had to adapt and relearn while also getting to share my perspective with new people. It has kept me on my toes and helps me continue to grow as both an artist and a person. Was there a formative experience in your youth when your love of theater

Honestly, theater wasn’t even on my radar at first. It snuck up on me gradually through all the other art forms that got there first. My love of storytelling came from my mom and dad, who are the best storytellers I know. My love of music came from my mom, who was a Christian/gospel singer. My love of dance came from my local dance studio and the boy

bands of the 90s. My love of musicals came from an overplayed VHS of the 1986 film version of Little Shop of Horrors, the 1977 live-action and animation blend Pete’s Dragon, and the 1988 film Purple People Eater. In high school, I joined show choir and the school play mostly just to meet people and break out of my shell. I found some of my best friends there, learned a lot about myself, and thought, yeah, this is my thing.

JG: What are your hopes for how you will impact Clear Space’s future?

WD: My hope is to help Clear Space’s next chapter be one of continued growth, artistic excellence, insight, integrity, risk, and joy.

• Growth that is intentional and sustainable.

• Excellence that gives audiences something they didn’t know they needed.

• Insight that helps us better understand and serve our community.

• Integrity that makes everyone who walks through the door trust they are in good hands.

• Risk that leads to discovery.

• Joy that reminds everyone why we do this in the first place.

Those six words can serve as both a compass and a challenge. A compass for how we make decisions and a challenge to never settle for what’s safe or easy. Theater at its best doesn’t just entertain. It moves people, shifts perspectives, and brings people together. That’s what I’m here to help build at Clear Space.

JG: Top 5 (or 10?) favorite shows of all time?

WD: I love this question!

Musicals: Into the Woods, Ragtime, The Color Purple, In the Heights, and The Band’s Visit. Plays: Significant Other, Sweat, The Inheritance, Liberation, and Stereophonic. ▼

arts+entertainment

BOOKED SOLID

Books for a Pride Celebration © 2026, various publishers

$19.99 - $39.95

You’re all geared up. You’ve got your best parade-walking shoes, your coolest tee, your most comfortable shorts, and a rainbow flag to carry. You’re set for Pride, but before you go, try one of these great new books about LGBTQ+ life and history.

After the parade, where will you end up? A place to talk your experience over, to re-hash things for the next parade?

Then you may need The Lesbian Bar Chronicles: The Living History and Hopeful Future of America’s Dyke Dives and Sapphic Spaces by Rachel Karp (Beacon Press, $29.95).

Lesbian bars, says Karp, are more than just places to drink. They’re also places to find community, and to organize. For many, she says, they are “sanctuaries,” as they have been for at least a century, and this book introduces you to some of the people who run the establishments, the things they do to support their patrons, and the hundred-

year-plus bravery that it took to own, run, and enter a lesbian bar.

If you had to name a gay icon, there are probably quite a few who come to mind.

So read Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge by Harvey Brownstone (ECW Press, $21.95) and add another name to your list.

This memoir, written by Canada’s first openly gay judge, takes readers from Brownstone’s childhood to his life as a lawyer, then to his work within the justice system in Ontario, and beyond, to his current career. This is a surprising, informative book that gives you an idea what gay life is like, north of our uppermost borders, then and now.

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

last five centuries. Want to know more about religion in the gay community? It’s in here, along with celebrities, presidents, science, business, and more. This is the kind of book that settles bets. It’s one you want to have in any room of your home because it’s comprehensive and perfectly browsable for all of its 600-plus pages.

Pride is a celebration, an event, but it also demands a peek backwards. In The LGBTQ Almanac: 500 Years of Queer Culture in American History by Deborah G. Felder (Visible Ink Press, $39.95), you’ll get a wide look at the pioneers, allies, policy, and gay life over the course of the

CAMP Rehoboth Artist Profiles Continued from page 94

thought first about math and rhythms while Karen always saw the creative side first.

The two women have been CAMP Rehoboth supporters—financially and as SUNFESTIVAL volunteers for several years—since they arrived in the area.

Recently, they entered a few stainedglass art pieces in the FEST Art+ 2026 show. Two were accepted!

“We typically have only done work by commission, so this was a big step for us to put our work on public display,” said Karen

Their focus on music and glass had different ramifications for them. “We have found that we have expanded both

arts exponentially as we explore ways to be more creative and try new things,” said Karen.

They believe that playing with various groups has allowed them the opportunity to meet “fantastic people” and to be exposed to varying genres and skill levels.

“Every note and sound has a purpose in the musical ensemble. You have to open yourself to understand what it is and how it blends with everyone else,” said Karen. “We approach glass the same way. Every cut, every piece blends together to allow us to paint with glass and tell a story for people to enjoy.”

They say they are constantly amazed

And finally, here’s a book to read and think about: No Fats No Fems: A Guide to Queer Empathy and Unpacking Prejudice by Max Hovey (HarperOne, $19.99). How do you eliminate hateful, hurtful words, aimed at gay people—by gay people? What kind of stereotypes do we carry, unintentionally? This book takes those things out into the daylight by talking honestly and thoughtfully about them, as well as other issues. It’s a book to have when doubts creep in, when you need a new way of thinking or a different direction, or when you just want something different to read.

And if these great books aren’t enough, head to your favorite bookstore or library and ask for books that you can read before Pride or after. And Happy Pride!  ▼

at the amount of talent that is concentrated in southern Delaware. They live in Plantations East and currently share their house with their 10-year-old black lab, Ozz. ▼

Logan Farro is CAMP Rehoboth’s Visual Arts Coordinator. They may be reached at logan@ camprehoboth.org.

Joe Gfaller is Managing Director of Clear Space Theatre Company.

Mary Jo Tarallo is a former journalist and public relations professional for various nonprofits.

Historical Headliners

A Man of Many Talents: Ivor Novello

If you’re a classic movies nerd— which I most certainly am—then the chances are good that you’ve heard of actor Ivor Novello. He was one of the great leading men of early British cinema, and contributed to its glitzier Hollywood counterpart.

Born David Ivor Davies in 1893 in Cardiff, Wales, he later took his middle name and his mother’s maiden name, thus forever known as Ivor Novello.

As a child, Novello displayed musical talent, which wasn’t surprising since his mother, Clara Novello Davies, was an acclaimed voice teacher and one of Britain’s most highly sought-after choral conductors. In 1914, with World War One raging, Novello, at age 21, wrote the song “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” which became the anthem of the war’s British homefront.

Novello eventually went on to compose songs and scores for British theater. This introduction to the professional theater led Novello to become a playwright. His successes for the dramatic and musical stage evolved into Novello becoming an actor, performing in his own plays and the work of other playwrights.

But the early years of the twentieth century bred not only a tragic war, modern music, and significant stage plays. It also saw the birth of the movies.

Novello’s strikingly handsome face, coupled with his talent, made him a natural for movie stardom. He starred in romantic-triangle melodramas such as 1919’s The Call of the Blood, and 1921’s Carnival—where he played that staple of early cinema, the scheming European Count—and exotic crime flicks such as 1925’s The Rat, where Novello oozes his way through that always popular milieu of passion and intrigue, the Paris underworld. Perhaps Novello’s most famous performance in silent film was in the 1927 Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, a spine-chilling story of a serial killer preying on London’s women. Novello, the dashing romantic leading man, is

here the terrifyingly mysterious man.

Not only did Novello star in these and other films, he also wrote several films, both silent movies and later, talking pic-

Novello’s strikingly handsome face, coupled with his talent, made him a natural for movie stardom.

tures and television. He remained active in the film, television, and theater worlds until his death from a coronary thrombosis in 1951 at age 58.

But what of Novello’s private life?

Well…surprise, surprise, he was gay. In show business circles, his homosexuality was well known, at least as the proverbial “open secret.” In fact, Novello slyly alluded to his gayness by the title of the last musical he wrote for British theater: Gay’s the Word, a parody of Novello’s early film roles as a swashbuckling European lover. The name of the show was adopted for London’s famous LGBTQ+ bookshop.

The show business community, both straight and queer, was aware of Novello’s relationship with his lifelong partner, actor Bobbie Andrews; their relationship lasted 35 years, until Novello’s death. But Novello wasn’t always faithful. He en-

BY ANN APTAKER

gaged in a series of love affairs, some of which Andrews knew about and evidently tolerated, and some more clandestine. There was speculation of trysts with Noël Coward—though it was said that while Coward respected Novello’s talents, he didn’t much like Novello, a rumor which Coward didn’t clarify or deny—and with Cole Porter, among others. Oddly, even Winston Churchill was rumored to have had a one-night stand with Novello, Churchill’s only foray into the gay experience.

Despite the chatter in theatrical and queer circles regarding Novello’s sexuality, the chatter didn’t extend to the general movie-going public and stage audiences. It’s generally agreed that any open admission or revelation of Novello’s queerness would have been detrimental to his career during the 1920s, 30s and 40s, years when homosexuality wasn’t just an unacceptable way of life, it was criminal.

But Novello’s success in show business rewarded him with financial wealth, and he used it to establish the Fifty-Fifty Club in 1924 in London’s Soho neighborhood. According to the Centre for International Film Research at England’s University at Southampton, the club attracted queer folk largely from the theatrical world. Noël Coward, in his autobiography Present Indicative, wrote that he “spent many happy hours there.” But being a gay establishment, the Fifty-Fifty Club was the target of police raids. It endured until 1927, closing as a result of other legal troubles.

It’s no accident that queer people have populated the worlds of theater, film, music, and literature. As a community, even in the most restrictive societies, our lives are themselves creative. No doubt Ivor Novello would agree. ▼

Ann Aptaker is the author of short stories and the Lambda & three-time Goldie award winning Cantor Gold series. Her latest in the series—Gold for the Dead—was released in October 2025.

Community Transformation

Growing Community

Medical Achievement

Quiet Philanthropy

Rescuing History

Statewide

In 1986, a small group of visionary community members led by former DuPont Executive Pierre “Pete” S. DuPont III, formed the Delaware Community Foundation — changing the state’s charitable landscape for then, for now and forever.

The Sea Salt Table

Easiest Blueberry Pie Ever

In the summer of ‘76, I had just turned 10. I was infatuated with the Bicentennial. It blew my mind that our country was 200 years old. The Great Experiment was working. Yay, US of A!

Of course, as a kid, it’s all about the sentimental good. I saw our declaration of independence through rose-colored glasses.

It didn’t occur to me that not-yet-Americans were deeply divided between Loyalists and Rebels. That many of our founding fathers owned slaves. That Indigenous peoples were losing their freedoms while we gained ours.

No, it was all hoop-y skirts, powdered wigs, and tricorn hats for this little fella. Magic was in the air. And I bled red, white, and blue.

We took advantage of all the local celebrations. Like a huge parade in my town that everyone took part in. We decorated the parsonage truck with crepe paper rolls. I wore knee breeches fashioned out of inverted bell bottoms and safety pins. And of course there were fireworks. The huge cannon-y ones with long

pauses between. I can see us lying there on Dad’s army blanket, oo-ing and ah-ing, while eating Cheez-Its (never Cheese Nips). Then waiting “for the crowds to die down” before wading our behemoth Chrysler out of parking.

Oh, and the Freedom Train stopped nearby...a traveling museum/exhibit that crisscrossed the states. It was packed with brittle parchment writings, rusty bayonets, and war drums. So darn fun.

And now, here we are at 250. I’ve calmed a bit. I know the backstory. And I know all too well our current governing situation. But we’ll still celebrate this great land of ours.

We’ll decorate in glorious, somewhat tacky, style. I’ll watch the movie The Patriot like I do every year. We’ll enjoy a picnic or local food trucks for sure. And fireworks—always, fireworks.

Years ago, in addition to their Independence Day parade, Bethany Beach hosted a blueberry pie eating contest. So, this month, I’m highlighting my Easiest Blueberry Pie Ever. It’s literally that: the easiest, tastiest summer pie you’ll ever make.

Let’s get started, shall we?

BY ED CASTELLI

STEPS

 Preheat your oven to 375° and mix the following:

• 4 cups of fresh blueberries

• ½ cup sugar

• 3 Tbl flour

• 1 Tsp cinnamon

• 1 Tbl orange or lemon juice

 Line a deep 9" pie plate with your favorite homemade or store-bought crust. Pour in the berry mixture.

 Combine the following until crumbly (I use the same bowl from the blueberries—no need to wash before using again):

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ cup flour

• 2 Tbl butter, melted

 Top the berries with the crumbs and bake for about 45 minutes until bubbly. Cool and serve.

TIPS

• If the topping is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

• I’ve had great success swapping in sugar substitutes suitable for baking such as monk fruit.

• Use frozen blueberries in a pinch, especially the little ones labeled “wild.” ▼

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.

SAIL ON! The Beach Boys Tribute

June 17 - 2:00 PM & 7:30PM

DECLARATION OF HILARITY All-Female Comedy July 3 - 7:30PM LIGHTS OUT Tribute To Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons June 20 - 3:00 PM & 7:30PM

THE MAGIC DUEL

Interactive Comedy Show July 26 - 7:30PM

JUNE 18 - COMPLETELY UNCHAINED: Van Halen Tribute

JUNE 19 - WHO ARE YOU: Tribute To The Who

JUNE 21 - 7 BRIDGES: The Ultimate Eagles Tribute

JUNE 25 - JANGLEBACHS: Woodstock Tribute

JUNE 26 - HONK JR: Summer Camp Shows

JUNE 26 - SUN’S OUT, PUNS OUT!: Stand-Up Comedy Show

JUNE 27 - GRATEFULL ALLMAN BAND EXPERIENCE: Music of Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers, and The Band

JUNE 28 - RAT PACK: Together Again

JULY 3 - PETER PAN Jr: Summer Camp Shows

JULY 10 - ANNIE Jr: Summer Camp Shows

JULY 12 - VINYL SHOCKLEY: With Keith Mack

JULY 17 - SEUSSICAL Jr: Summer Camp Show

JULY 19 - DEANNA FITZPATRICK: Psychic Medium

JULY 24 - SHREK Jr: Summer Camp Shows

JULY 31 - BEETLEJUICE Jr: Summer Camp Shows

AUGUST 2 - TRIBUTE TO ELTON JOHN: Featuring Lee Alverson

AUGUST 5 - CLOSE TO YOU: Music of The Carpenters

AUGUST 6 - TRIBUTE TO PIANO MEN; JERRY LEE, ELTON, JOEL, AND MORE: With Josh Christina

AUGUST 7 & 8 - FLOYDIAN TRIP: Premier Pink Floyd Tribute

Sounding Off

Multicultural America

America has always told itself a particular story. A nation of immigrants. A melting pot. A mosaic of different peoples. But for many Americans, especially people of color, LGBTQ+ communities, immigrants, and others who have lived on the margins, that story is just that. A story. Not lived experience.

Is a multicultural America a myth?

Long before the United States declared itself a democracy, it was a colonial project. European settlers arrived on land already inhabited by hundreds of Indigenous nations. And the process of constructing “America” required displacing and erasing those peoples.

Immigration, too, has always been central to America’s self-image. But it has never been equally welcomed. Our history is filled with a litany of embarrassing legislation that excludes certain groups from entering the United States. And that continues to this day.

Meanwhile, the millions of Black Americans whose ancestors were brought here by force were systematically denied basic rights for generations. The Jim Crow era brought on a complex system of exclusion designed to keep Black Americans economically dependent, politically disenfranchised, and socially invisible.

Legal segregation in the United States did not end quietly or on its own. It was dismantled through decades of organizing, protest, litigation, and sacrifice. But unfortunately, passing a law and changing a culture are not the same thing. Today there are no “Whites Only” signs above water fountains. And schools aren’t legally separated by race. Workplaces can’t post job listings specifying the color of skin they prefer. But if you drive through most American cities and towns, including here in Delaware, the racial geography is unmistakable.

Neighborhoods are divided. Schools, which are still primarily funded by local property taxes, remain deeply segregated by both race and class. Wealth and poverty cluster along racial lines that have been drawn from decades of legal exclusion. Even in spaces that are technically integrated, like the workplace, college

campuses, and hospitals, genuine integration rarely follows. Even when diverse people occupy the same physical space, their interactions are often transactional. Spaces for affinity groups exist precisely because most people do not experience true belonging outside of them.

For LGBTQ+ Americans, this dynamic carries its own particular weight. Our community has always been a refuge built across lines of race, class, and background. Queerness cuts across every demographic. And yet our spaces have often reproduced the same racial hierarchies that shape the broader culture.

The story America tells about itself has always been more aspiration than fact. But that’s an aspiration we can keep working towards.

What makes this moment especially urgent is that the legal frameworks built to address discrimination are being actively dismantled. You should be alarmed—if you aren’t already. In recent years, federal protections for LGBTQ+ employees, transgender students, and same-sex couples have been challenged, narrowed, or rescinded. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at federal agencies and universities have been gutted.

Shockingly, the federal government no longer prohibits contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms, and drinking fountains. Even if the underlying conduct remains illegal, deleting explicit prohibitions downplays protections that had been considered essential for decades. For better or worse, federal contracts are one of the government’s strongest tools for influencing businesses. When the federal government eliminated DEI programs, companies like Walmart, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, and Google followed suit. These effects trickle down to small businesses too.

Multicultural America is not entirely a myth. This country has produced extraordinary cross-cultural art, music, cuisine,

BY STEPHEN RASKAUSKAS

and community. And truly, there are few places on the planet with cities and communities that are technically as diverse as those in the United States.

But we have to think harder about what that means. And to examine our own lives and think about who’s in our immediate circles, how we can expand them, and create connections that are more than just transactional. That question, what do we actually do, is not rhetorical. The work of building a genuinely multicultural society starts, albeit awkwardly and imperfectly, with us.

Start with your own life. Take an honest inventory of your relationships. Not your colleagues or classmates or acquaintances. Your actual friendships. Who do you call when you need personal advice about a tough situation? Who do you celebrate your happiest moments with?

If that circle looks very much like you, that is not a character flaw. It’s an outcome of how American society is structured. But you also have the power to change that. Seek out spaces that are not built for you. Attend events, join organizations, and support institutions rooted in communities other than your own. Not as a tourist. Not as a savior. Go with genuine curiosity and humility. Don’t be afraid to have hard conversations. But have them respectfully. And know when it’s the right time.

The story America tells about itself has always been more aspiration than fact. But that’s an aspiration we can keep working towards. It won’t happen all at once, obviously. (We’ve already been working at it for centuries.) And it won’t always be comfortable. It’s okay to make mistakes. But every genuine connection made across lines of difference is a small proof that the vision is not out of reach. We’ve done harder things—both personally and as a society. We can do this, too. ▼

Stephen Raskauskas is a Sussex County native who has produced content for radio, TV, digital, and print.

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

(Continued from page 79)

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Somewhere Restaurant Drag Show: Ivy Blue Austin, Maddie May Prime, Mandy Mango, Shady P, Amethyst Diamond; 2) at Blood Drive at CAMP Rehoboth: Jeff Schuck, Allyson Earles; 3) at John Flynn at Blue Moon: Michael Finley, James Gallo, Steven Swierzy, Chad Stover, Mike Kluk, Chris Pajak, John Flynn, Catherine de Villada, Cathy Picard, Bobby Graham, Rob Land; 4) at Aqua: Wes Combs, Chris Burkley, Pipi Aldez, Greg Albright, Marvin Miller.

OPPOSITE PAGE 5) at Diego's: Magnolia Applebottom, Roxy Overbrooke, A. Hawk, Ernie Diepos, Holly Lane, Paul Frene, George Stakias, Jane Doe, JoAnn Talla-Davis, Liz Lokhard, Whitney Herring, Lisa Flowers, Amy Garson, Kim Lokhard, Donna Talla-Davis, Michael Clay, Andy Dorsky, Chuck McSweeney, Todd Loveland, Toby Dunbar, Greg Oliver, Mark Kehoe, Peter Beck, Lisa DeCandia, Peter Garneau, Joodh Waleedh, Edward Chrzanowski, Charles Vandergrift, Mark Shaw. ▼

Kesha: For the Outsiders

Now, She’s Freer Than Ever

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

The pop icon opens up about her queerness, her fans, and building safe spaces in unsafe times.

Kesha has always made music for the ones who don’t quite fit—the glitter-covered misfits, the too-loud, the still-figuring-it-out. You know, the animals, as she calls them.

In this conversation—one of her most candid—Kesha talks about what it actually means to be queer, and how long it took to figure that out. She reflects on growing up in Nashville, dragging her mom from church to church looking for a community that didn’t come with conditions, and eventually finding her people at a punk rock drag bar in California. And she talks about what, after that search, it feels like to now stand on a stage with a Pride flag behind her and a whole sea of queer people in front of her during The Freedom Tour.

The tour arrives on the heels of 2025’s . (Period), her sixth studio album— released on July 4, no less, on her own label, Kesha Records. Independence, in every sense of the word. If Rainbow was the album she made for her future self, a promise that one day she’d be happy and free, well. Here we are.

CHRIS AZZOPARDI: I want to start by acknowledging that your whole career has been dedicated to making space for the weirdos and outsiders of the world.

KESHA: I love that. I’ve always felt like there’s a part of myself that was not totally socially acceptable, not totally normal, not totally perfect, always reinventing, a little bit messy, needed a little bit of work. I’ve never felt truly perfect and ready to go.

CA: Hearing you say that makes me think of your song “Spaceship,” from the Rainbow album. I listen to that song and it reminds me of being a kid and it gives me the feeling that I felt when I was 10 years old and didn’t fit in.

KESHA: Honestly, I love that song and I love that you’re pulling out a deep cut. That song means so much to me.

CA: I’m sure it means a tremendous

“You're losing me here because how can love of any type be against God? God is love.”

amount to a lot of your queer following.

KESHA: My god, I hope so. I hope the whole catalog is for us. And I just think back to when I was in high school and I remember being in a marching band and being like, “I just don’t feel the same as everybody else, and I can’t be the only one that feels like this, but I don’t know how to connect to my people. Where are my people? I must have people out there, but where are they?”

CA: Do you know when you put your finger on your queerness? Did it take a while?

KESHA: Well, I grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, so we’re talking the South. And I would be obsessed with this community and connection to something bigger than myself. I loved all of that. And then when it would get to the point in the church where being queer or loving someone of the same sex was a sin. Then I’d be like, “You’re losing me here because how can love of any type be against God? God is love.” It doesn’t make sense to me, and so I would literally make my mom drive me from church to church. I had my first kiss at a super-church. And then one summer in high school, instead of having a summer, I went to Columbia University in New

York and studied religion and psychology behind religion because I just couldn’t figure out what the effing problem was.

CA: It takes a long time to unpack those layers if you grew up in the church. I went through the same thing.

KESHA: Yeah, and it’s really isolating as a member of the queer community to feel like you want community and connection, and a connection to a higher purpose and higher self, but be ostracized from the place that creates that community. I think that’s never sat with me well.

CA: I’m thinking about that kid right now— and I’m also thinking about you on stage for The Freedom Tour. What does it feel like when you connect those two people?

KESHA: Well, I think I’m really proud of myself, because when I was 14 or 15 years old, I remember sitting outside in a parking lot listening to a demo I had made that was like some song called “Pink Champagne,” or something like that, which I’d never had champagne. And I’m sitting outside in my beat up car and being like, “If I ever make it, I’m going to make a place for people like me and you,” to my one queer friend. And I feel really proud that with the help of amazing people and incredible loyal animals, we’ve

created that with each other and for each other, and I feel so grateful to my fans for showing up and allowing me to do what I do. And I hope that they really celebrate themselves and enjoy the space because everything I do is to create a safe space for people to live authentically and freely.

CA: When that Pride flag appears on the screen behind you during this tour, what does that feel like for you?

KESHA: I know how much it can change your life if one person can just radically love you. I want every single person there to know that exactly as they are, I radically love them and the space that I create is for them and they belong. And it’s so important to me.

CA: Does the crowd get louder when that flag gets flown?

KESHA: Always. It’s for us. Because I was born in America and I belong here and so do you, and so does every person in that crowd and I will create a safe space. Even if elsewhere doesn’t feel so safe, I will try to create that safe space forever.

CA: How does it feel to be creating this safe space inside a venue when you know what’s happening to the queer and trans community outside of it?

Continued on page 112

For the Outsiders Continued from page 111

KESHA: It’s never fully made sense to me, the levels of hatred and vitriol that come towards the queer community. I come from a place of really not understanding where that hate comes from, so I just want to create light, I want to create love, and I want to create space for that. I’m traveling around the world—not only this country, the whole world—and it pains me. There is so much heartbreak, like a heartache when I see people treating one another with hatred, and that just is across the board. So I try to create these little bubbles of light and love. And hopefully you’ll feel that when you come to the show.

CA: When did you first realize queer people were seeing themselves in your work?

KESHA: Right when I first put music out. I moved out to California and was like, “Well, I don’t know where I belong.” And then I was in Nashville and I found the punk scene and I found the one gay bar and I was like, “OK.” I was in the marching band. I was on the softball team. I was like, “OK, I kind of belong in these places.” But then I came out to California and it was when I went to the Silver Platter, which was this kind of punk-rock drag bar, and I was like, “Oh shit, these are my people. These are my people.”

I was just so inspired by the scene. It was both so playful and light and fun and joyful and celebratory, but it was also cool. And you could tell that that joy was an act of resistance. It wasn’t just joy and like life had come easy. This was hardfought joy by these performers and these people in this bar, and I really related to that very deeply and cellularly.

CA: You’re making me think of this arc between two albums. Rainbow to me felt like an album about survival and rebuilding yourself and . (Period) feels freer and more sexually uninhibited. Do you see this new era as the person that Rainbow was fighting to become?

KESHA: Oh, I love that. Yeah. Listen, all of my music is just me processing my life in real time. So sometimes I listen back to a song and it just feels like I’m listening to a therapy note. [Laughs.] I think Rainbow was me definitely processing what was going on at the time, but also was a little bit of a love letter to my future self. So I love that you put it like that. It was defi-

nitely kind of a promise to a girl who was like, one day I will be happy and free and here we are. So I think you’re right.

CA: Yeah, I’m not sure you’d be as sexually liberated on this album if you didn’t make Rainbow

KESHA: Oh my god, I love that, because I remember making an album cover for Rainbow. It’s just a funny story: I was running around on the beach in this sparkly jumpsuit and my mom was there and she was taking pictures on her phone. On the way home she showed me and was like, “Wow, you just were really running around naked.” And I was like, “What are you talking about?” She showed me a picture and it was like the emperor’s new clothes. I definitely thought I had clothes on. Turns out totally see-through, and that was what ended up being the cover of Rainbow. So maybe it was a little premonition of my sexual liberation.

CA: And now we’ve got the Origami! video. Let’s talk about how naked and queer that video is.

KESHA: Totally. I love that video. I hope you like it too. It’s so campy.

CA: Why was it important for you to put that kind of sexual freedom on screen right now?

KESHA: I think that loving oneself and loving one’s body, and to the hell with everything else, is such an act of resistance in times where it feels like the world’s

trying to really hijack our nervous system and put us in a state of fear and self-hatred. It’s such an act of resistance to be full of love, joy, and horniness. I absolutely love being horny for life. It’s healthy. I really wanted to make a video that felt like a Jodorowsky-style sex dream, but also be true to where I’m at. I wrote this song when I was kind of going through my sexual liberation phase about a year ago. And then this year I’ve decided to be mostly celibate.

CA: You’re busy.

KESHA: I’m too busy.

CA: You’re on a world tour. You don’t have to say it. I’ll say it for you.

KESHA: [Laughs.] But so I wanted the video to really reflect both periods of my life authentically, because I think great art is the truth. So it goes from me being in Italy in a confessional, which is true. But then the actual song and the video are kind of immortalizing this fantasy, very psychedelic, psycho-magic sex dream.

CA: While we’re on the topic of sex— quickly—I saw a photo of you from this tour and you’re on top of a muscly guy in a harness on a chair. It looks very BDSM to me. And you’re wielding a knife. What’s going on there, Kesha?

KESHA: [Laughs.] Wouldn’t you like to know?

CA: I’d love to know.

KESHA: Well, we’re just having fun. The show is actually the story of my life told through my life’s work, which is my music. So I take people to the period of my life that was the sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll section. And that is a portion of the song where I’m actually kind of trying to represent the destruction of self when you lose touch with the groundedness, and in this moment I’m killing off parts of myself. It just so happens to be in the form of a hot, muscly man in BDSM gear. [Laughs.] ▼

Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. He has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey, and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Billboard.

Photo credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Entertainment

“We

PLANNED GIVING OPTIONS

Bequests

Name CAMP Rehoboth in your will or trust

Retirement Accounts & Life Insurance

Designate CAMP Rehoboth as a beneficiary.

IRA Charitable Rollover

If 70½ or older, give up to $100,000 tax-free from your IRA.

Appreciated Stock & Bonds

Donate securities to maximize impact and reduce capital gains tax.

Gifting Real Estate or Personal Property

You may leave your home or other property to CAMP Rehoboth through your will or a charitable trust. Consult your legal and tax advisors to determine the best way to structure your gift.

envisioned CAMP Rehoboth as the heart of the community. CAMP Rehoboth became a gift to the community around us.”

—Murray

Archibald,

CAMP Rehoboth Co-Founder

Contact our Development Manager, Laurie Thompson, at Laurie@CAMPRehoboth.org to learn more about these ways to give. CAMPRehoboth.org/PlannedGiving

We Remember

Silvia Welti Ritchie

Silvia Welti Ritchie passed away on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the age of 82. Silvia was born in Zurich, Switzerland on July 5, 1943.

Silvia studied business in college, then moved to London in the early 1960s. She immigrated to New York in 1969. There she spent much of her career at Solvay America, where she managed the New York corporate office for a number of years.

During her time in New York, she met Bill Ritchie, whom she married in 1978. They were involved in many advocacy groups, including the Gay Men’s Health Associates of NYC. One of the proudest moments of her life came when she naturalized as a US citizen in 1986.

In 1994, Bill and Silvia retired to Bill’s hometown of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Silvia immersed herself in the community of Rehoboth and became especially involved with the Westminster Presbyterian Church, spearheading many committees and groups. Silvia embraced the beach life, spending as much time near the water or on the boardwalk as possible.

Following Bill’s death in 2010, she and a fellow church member, John Hawkins, bonded over their grief following mutual loss of spouses and their love of travel. They spent many years together traveling, visiting family, and hosting loved ones at their homes in Rehoboth and then Lewes, at the Moorings. During these years, Silvia became a certified tai chi instructor, teaching classes in her community weekly.

She is survived by her stepdaughters, Paula Goff (Walter) and Brenda Mariani (Mark); six grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; her longtime partner, John Hawkins Jr.; her sisters, Brigitta Meier (Andi) and Maja Stadler; four nieces and nephews; and many extended family members and dear friends. Silvia was predeceased by her husband, William D. Ritchie, and her parents, Max Welti and Sylvia Randelli Welti.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, May 2, at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Any memorial donations may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 301 King Charles Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 or a charity of your choosing. ▼

Aina Nergaard Nammack A

ina Nergaard Nammack, 96, of Lewes, passed away peacefully April 20, 2026, surrounded by her beloved children. Aina was born March 12, 1930, in Santander, Spain, daughter of the late Federico Nergaard and Anita Dominguez Nergaard.

Growing up in Sevilla, she spent her childhood playing tennis and swimming, though she also developed a love for skiing while attending boarding school in Norway during World War II. Later in life, her four children would vividly remember her teaching them the game of tennis, spending hours together on the courts under the hot sun.

After marrying John Austin Nammack and the birth of their first child, Aina left Spain to begin a new chapter on Long Island. The couple first met in Rota, Spain, while John was serving in the US Air Force—a meeting that sparked a vibrant, 68-year journey across the globe. Aina’s life was defined by adventure and transition; she called 15 different residences home over the decades.

It was in Lewes, Delaware that Aina found her “happy place.” There, she struck a beautiful balance between her creative discipline and a vibrant social life. While she dedicated hours each day to her painting, she remained an active and beloved figure in the community. Whether she was practicing yoga and tai chi, walking with her friends, attending Osher Lifelong Learning classes, or enjoying the camaraderie of her weekly happy hour gang, Aina’s warmth and zest for life earned her many lasting friendships.

Aina’s true essence was found in her art, a passion ignited at the age of 14 that remained her North Star for the rest of her life. Her vibrant acrylics and expressive sculptures earned her a place in numerous prestigious juried exhibitions. Her work graced the walls of galleries in São Paulo, Brazil, as well as the Touchstone Gallery, The Art League in Alexandria, Rehoboth Art League, Gallery 50, CAMP Rehoboth, and Peninsula Gallery.

The later years of her career were marked by significant milestones, including her 2018 solo exhibition, My Countries, My Composers, at the Biggs Museum in Dover, and a celebrated solo retrospective at Rehoboth Art League in 2021. Aina’s legacy lives on through the countless canvases that continue to bring beauty and light to the world.

Aina’s greatest devotion was to her family. She served as an extraordinary role model, embodying the importance of carving out one’s own path and pursuing it with unwavering dedication. She instilled the values of respect, courtesy, and a formidable work ethic in her children. A constant pillar of support, she championed her family’s unique journeys and celebrated their individual passions without hesitation.

She is survived by her four children: Marta Frimann Nammack (Francis Murphy), Richmond, Virginia; John Nergaard Nammack (Manuel Cortes), Washington, DC; Carla Delacroix Nammack (Matt Slaughter), Catlett, Virginia; and Austin Renehan Nammack (Linda), Locust Grove, Virginia; six grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; and 11 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Austin Nammack, and her sister, Maria Rosa Nergaard Sanguino. Services were held in Lewes on June 6 at St. Jude the Apostle Catholic Church. Memorial donations can be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, alzinfo.org/memory-wall/ainanammack; or Rehoboth Art League, rehobothartleague.org/support/donate. ▼

Lewis Rathbone

Lewis J. Rathbone Jr., 75, lovingly known as “Lew,” was born May 30, 1950, and passed away unexpectedly at his home in Lewes Friday, May 15, 2026. Lew leaves behind a lifetime of adventure, kindness, and unforgettable stories.

Born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital, Lew was the oldest of five children and was raised in Norfolk, Virginia and in Newburgh, New York, alongside his siblings, Bobbi, John, Mark, and Rick.

Lew graduated from Rutgers University and devoted his professional life to a distinguished career as a landscape architect, a field that reflected both his creativity and appreciation for the world around him. While living most of his adult life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a devoted partner to Roy and formed many wonderful friendships that lasted more than 50 years. In retirement, Lewis made his home in Lewes, where he remained

active with his gym, church, and endless house projects.

Lew’s family and friends were his pride and joy. He loved so much about life: people, traveling, music, and studying the Rathbone heritage, to name just a few. He explored the world, visiting every US state and nearly every continent, always eager for the next road trip, reunion, or vacation.

Since joining the Unitarian Universalist congregation, he had found a true sense of belonging and community. There, he faithfully served on both the Landscape and Hospitality Committees, generously sharing his time, talents, and warm spirit with others.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Lewis; his partner, Roy; and his brothers, Mark and Rick. He is survived by his sister, Bobbi; brother, John; nieces, Kristen, Melissa, Naomi, Jennifer, and Christina; nephews, Tim and Jason; and many cousins and others with whom he remained very close.

His vibrant personality touched everyone around him. His caring and sentimental heart, gift for storytelling, and the countless memories he shared will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. His lasting impact will never be forgotten.

Visit Lew’s Life Memorial at parsellfuneralhomes.com. ▼

CAMP Rehoboth Volunteer Opportunities

BROADWALK ON THE BOARDWALK

George Munson

Amelia Riley

CAMP REHOBOTH ACCESSIBILITY

Hope Vella

CAMP REHOBOTH ADMIN

Sherri McGee

CAMP REHOBOTH ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Daniel Bruner

David Garrett

Leslie Ledogar

CAMP REHOBOTH CHORUS LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Bill Fuchs

Karen Gantz

Rob Jasinski

Sue Pound

Gloria Richards

Dave Scuccimarra

Rose Verona

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.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES MEETING

Join us on Tuesday, July 14, at CAMP Rehoboth for our quarterly Volunteer Opportunities Meeting! We’re kicking off the season by unveiling the exciting volunteer roles available for SUNFESTIVAL—this is your chance to be part of the magic! Whether you’re brand new, looking to jump into SUNFESTIVAL, or just need a quick refresher on CAMP Rehoboth and general volunteer training, this gathering is for you. Come connect with fellow volunteers, learn where you can plug in, and enjoy dinner on us. We can’t wait to see you there!

JOIN THE RAINBOW THUMB

CLUB!

Love gardening and want to help keep CAMP Rehoboth’s spaces welcoming and beautiful? Join the Rainbow Thumb Club, our volunteers that help care for the courtyard and surrounding grounds through pruning, watering, seasonal planting, and general garden clean-up and maintenance. Each volunteer chooses one shift per week in the morning, finishing up before metered parking begins. It’s an easy and rewarding way to give back, enjoy time outdoors, and connect with others who share a love of gardening and community. If you’re interested, please reach out to Shae Wagner at swagner@camprehoboth.org.

CROP: CAMP REHOBOTH OUTREACH PROGRAM

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

Sign up at camprehoboth.org/volunteers.

Please visit camprehoboth.org/volunteers to register as a volunteer and to sign up for available opportunities.

THANK YOU

CAMP REHOBOTH DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Pat Catanzariti

Lorne Crawford

Mike DeFlavia

Michelle Manfredi

Teri Seaton

Joe Vescio

CAMP REHOBOTH FACILITIES

Carol Brice

Lisa Evans

Eric Korpon

CAMP REHOBOTH VISUAL ARTS

Randy Amoyen

Logan Farro

Leslie Hegamaster

George Munson

Sona Nathan

Patricia Stiles

CAMPCIERGES

Ken Currier

Susan Goudy

Peter Keeble

Jim Mease

Jean Metzar

Meg Morgan

Kim Nelson

Lori Rocheleau

Jefferson Rougeau

Pamela Rule

Maria Scannapieco

Patricia Stiles

Linda Tiano

CAMPSHOTS PHOTO VOLUNTEERS

G Michael Beigay

Tony Burns

CHROMA

CLOTHING SWAP

Desire’e Aurillo

Adam Budd

Raven Egerton

Eva Morrison

Joss Norwood

Autumn Rose

Larry Rosen

T. Snapp

Lucien Thomas

Lee Trueheart

Jennifer Varone

Jill Yetter

CROP: BRANDYWINE

SPCA

Pat Catanzariti

Tracy Denton

Teddi Lowery

Meg Morgan

Cathy Skeet Forthuber

Jan Tricario

CROP: FOOD BANK OF DE

Randy Amoyen

Max Dick

Mark Eubanks

Pete Gulas

Maureen McGeough

Jim Mease

Beverly Miller

Meg Morgan

Tammy Mundie

Elizabeth Powell

Doug Sellers

Dave Walker

Glenn West

Holly West

LETTERS

DISTRIBUTION TEAM

Jim Mease

To all the CAMP Rehoboth Volunteers for the period: April 24–May 29, 2026

LETTERS MAILING TEAM

Nancy Hewish

Joanne Yurik

LETTERS PROOFING

Barb Ralph

PRIDE FILM FEST

Emily Avery

Chris Cascio

Rob Hurlbert

Andrew Keller

Michael Kluk

George Munson

Kevin Pelland

Elizabeth Powell

Amelia Riley

Jefferson Rougeau

Mary Jo Tarallo

Jennifer Varone

RAINBOW THUMB CLUB

Chris Bowers

Carol Brice

Linda DeFeo

Patty DiModugno

Shawn McHugh

THIS MONTH IN QUEER HISTORY

Beth Shockley

AD INDEX

Amanda Valcik, Barrows & Associates Real Estate 47

Aqua

CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsors 10

CAMP Rehoboth Atrium ......................................... 100

CAMP Rehoboth Chorus, I Hear America Singing 13

CAMP Rehoboth Development Ways to Give 2

CAMP Rehoboth Letters Subscription ................... 117

CAMP

CAMP Rehoboth Membership Sign Up 63

CAMP Rehoboth Mental Health Support Program 100

CAMP Rehoboth Online Store 57

CAMP Rehoboth Planned Giving Legacy Society 113

CAMP Rehoboth Pride Month Partners 29

CAMP Rehoboth Required Minimum Distribution 105

CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL 16, 17

CAMPsafe 115

Chris Beagle Group, Realtors 29

CHRIS, Christopher Wilson, PhD, LMF 59 Clear Space

Diego’s Bar Nightclub 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 88, 89 Dogfish Head 52

Elegant Slumming 116

Real

Realtor

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS 9 PM 9 PM