I first met Joan Glass around the CAMP Rehoboth office when she was doing volunteer work there. She has a smiling face one can see around town volunteering for various organizations or attending any number of local events. Not too long ago I saw Joan at a town meeting where she was the first to openly ask an elected official why he had supported and helped pass national legislation that she thought was ill conceived. It was then that I realized there was more to this woman than meets the eye!

Mark: What first brought you to the Rehoboth Beach area?

Joan: I broke up with my first girlfriend and wanted to wipe the slate clean. I was teaching with a gentleman who had just bought a mobile home in Camelot in the mid 80s. I came down to visit and I bought also! I had been coming every weekend and holiday until I retired. As soon as I was able to retire, I did.

Mark: You retired from teaching. What did you teach and what was that like?

Joan: I taught biology in Philadelphia for thirty years. I had wanted to be a doctor, but there were no support groups to mentor or push women along. Way back in 1960 when I flunked organic chemistry, my mother said, "Joan, why don’t you become a teacher? It’s better for a woman." So I did. In those days what was available to us was teaching, nursing, or secretarial work. Because of the women’s movement and other opportunities afforded to young women they can now obtain their true dreams.

Mark: You made a choice between a quiet retirement and one that was more involved. How did you come to choose the latter?

Joan: The decision was to keep those brain cells alive. Retirement is my freedom. This is my second chance at childhood. I was too serious and sad as a child, now this is my time to enjoy life, be silly, and just to be me. I’m unencumbered by a job, unchained from that daily grind and wishing my life away to that next vacation. Retirement is freedom.

Mark: With what kinds of organizations are you involved?

Joan: I mostly volunteer at CAMP Rehoboth and for anybody who asks for help. I just did some work for Rehoboth Beach Main Street.

Mark: You travel a lot. Where have you traveled?

Joan: I’ve been to China, Alaska, Australia, and New Zealand. My goal is to go to every continent on this earth.

Mark: Do you have a little known Rehoboth Beach pleasure?

Joan: The library. I hang out there between appointments and things I do. If I get a good parking spot, that’s where I stay. I love the library.

Mark: What was your coming out experience like?

Joan: It was a very easy process for me. I kept it quiet at work. I went to the bars and I felt more comfortable being in the gay scene. I finally said this is where I feel most comfortable. This is for me.

Mark: Who would you choose if you could ask any celebrity or historical figure out on a date?

Joan: I gave this a lot of thought about wonderful women like Eleanor Roosevelt, Hillary Clinton, and Indira Gandhi. But, I would feel so intimidated I might not have a good time. I would rather go out with someone who I could be silly with and laugh so much I might snort water out of my nose. I choose Ellen DeGeneres.

Mark: What would you do on that date?

Joan: We would walk the boards and play every stupid game, eat french fries and ice cream. I would give her a big hug and wet kiss goodnight, and invite her back home with me!

Mark: Are there any problems with dating here?

Joan: Dating is a difficult problem for me here because many of the women are coupled already. This is a gay Mecca, but there are few single lesbians in my age group.

Mark: Is there anything else prospective dates might want to know?

Joan: I play piano and have a wonderful dog, Izzy, who I love very much. I was married for nine years and have a daughter who lives with her husband in Philadelphia. I also designed my own house and had it built in the area on a wooded lot.

Mark: What do you think has led to the growing prominence of the lesbian community in Rehoboth Beach?

Joan: Face it Mark, we’re all getting older. There’s no alternative. We’re beginning to retire here, because of the community spirit. More women are here who choose to walk down the street and hold hands, to join if they wish, and find sisters who share common denominators.