Now that Memorial Day weekend has come and gone, summer 2014 is officially underway. Though the weather has been a little on the cool side, I’m sure that before too long we’ll all be complaining about the heat. There’s no doubt, however, that already, the atmosphere in town is getting hotter by the day, and I love seeing the crowds return to town for another season of Rehoboth fun and friends. Judging from the many fresh, young faces I saw on Baltimore Avenue over the holiday weekend, there’s a whole new generation discovering the joy of being in Rehoboth Beach for the very first time.
I came to Rehoboth Beach for the first time in the late 1970s, but what really sticks in my memory, was the day that Murray (his first time) and I came to town to look for a summer beach house share with our friend Joe McMahan. That summer we settled into the little house right next to the Christian Science Church on Bayard Avenue. It was right before the Blue Moon bar opened for the first time, and on summer afternoons after the beach, we would make frozen drinks in the driveway and play croquet on the church lawn. That was the real beginning of our love affair with this town. We’d love to hear more “first time in Rehoboth Beach” stories from our readers. Please post to the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center facebook page #firsttimeRehobothBeach.
in honor of the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the month of June is officially Gay Pride Month. Gay Pride is celebrated from coast to coast in a variety of ways throughout the month. Gay Pride Month recognizes the impact LGBT people have had on our community and celebrates our colorful history. On May 22, this year’s celebration got a head start with the dedication of the Harvey Milk Forever Stamp at the White House. (Harvey was assassinated one year after he became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the country.) At the dedication, Deputy Post Master General Ron Stroman and others spoke about Harvey’s efforts to achieve equal rights for LGBT people. “When one group is being held down, the rest of us have a responsibility to stand up and fight back,” Stroman said. “We all have a stake in equality.”
Here in Delaware, we’ve had great success in our fight for equality. Last year we added marriage equality and hate crime and anti-discrimination protection for gender identity. It was a banner year for us. Around the country, the push for marriage equality continues at an amazing pace. Just a few days ago, in fact, six couples in South Dakota filed a federal lawsuit aimed at blocking that state’s gay marriage ban. That means that North Dakota is the only remaining state with an unchallenged same-sex marriage ban.
Over the last few years, the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center has hosted a variety of events that provided information on a wide range of topics of interest to the LGBT community, including: housing discrimination, marriage equality, and financial and legal seminars. On Wednesday, June 18, from 5-7 p.m., the folks from McCrery and Harra Funeral Homes will offer an educational presentation at CAMP Rehoboth with a focus on funeral preplanning for the LGBT community. The evening includes light appetizers and cocktails.
The CAMP Rehoboth Black and White Beach Ball takes place the day after this issue comes out, so for the most part, we’re finished promoting the event (though there are still a few tickets left at the time of publication). I would like to say thank you to our Presenting Sponsor PNC Wealth Management (the event couldn’t happen without them), to the many volunteers who put the event together, to the artists who contributed to this year’s HeART of the Community Art Auction, and to the jurors who selected them. The funds raised at the B&W Ball support the work of the CAMP Rehoboth Community Center.