Letters from CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 32, No. 6

Always PROUD Fun in the Sun Look Who’s Talking

C R E A T I N G

A

M O R E

P O S I T I V E

R E H O B O T H

June 17, 2022 Volume 32, Number 6 camprehoboth.com

inside

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 32, NUMBER 6 • JUNE 17, 2022

32 CAMP Couples

90 CAMP Arts

WES COMBS

36 CAMP Stories

92 Booked Solid

8 CAMP News

RICH BARNETT

4 In Brief 6 President’s View

10 Community News 16 Aging Gracelessly Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam

DOUG YETTER

DAVID GARRETT

Flying the Rainbow Flag

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER

94 Q-Puzzle

38 Guest House Chronicles

Virtual Equality

96 Byways

What’s a Bertha?

Fathers’ Pride

TOM KELCH

FAY JACOBS

40 It’s My Life

18 Prideful

MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

MIKEY ROX

110 The Real Dirt

Dog Daze

Pride Past; Pride Present BETH SHOCKLEY

44 Out & About

20 Before The Beach

ERIC PETERSON

PrEP and Prejudice

Artist, Teacher, Mother, Survivor MICHAEL GILLES

The Longest Day

48 Whoopi Goldberg Says...

The Fight Continues MICHAEL COOK

22 Game On

Our Athletes Go to the Nationals FAY JACOBS

26 Health & Wellness Taking Pride in Our Bodies JON ADLER KAPLAN

28 Words Matter A Moment or a Movement?

50 Historical Headliners Wedding Belles ANN APTAKER

56 Visiting View

Honeymoon For One—Part Two ROBERT DOMINIC

62 Reflections

Remembering Stonewall

CLARENCE FLUKER

PATTIE CINELLI

30 Dining Out

64 CAMPshots

1776: Not Just a Steakhouse LESLIE SINCLAIR & DEBBIE WOODS

ERIC WAHL

See page 18.

68 Be A Sport!

At Sea Level on a Kayak JUNEROSE FUTCHER

114 Deep Inside Hollywood ROMEO SAN VICENTE

72 Celebrity Interview Here’s Johnny!

CHRIS AZZOPARDI

80 The Sea Salt Table Cocktails for Summer Days ED CASTELLI

82 Pop The Question

ON THE COVER

Beach Boys. See page 5.

Photo by Murray Archibald

When I think of Pride, I…

84 View Point

When Guns Are Prized Over Children RICHARD ROSENDALL

Here’s to Blue Skies, Sunshine, Friends, Family, and a Whole Lotta Summer Love!

See page 72

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

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 2

JUNE 17, 2022

EDITOR Marj Shannon EDITORIAL ASSOCIATE Matty Brown DESIGN AND LAYOUT Mary Beth Ramsey ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Tricia Massella DISTRIBUTION Mark Wolf

Letters from CAMP Rehoboth is published 13 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.

CONTRIBUTORS: Ann Aptaker, Chris Azzopardi, Rich Barnett, Matty Brown, Ed Castelli, Pattie Cinelli, Wes Combs, Michael Cook, Robert Dominic, Clarence Fluker, Michael Thomas Ford, JuneRose Futcher, David Garrett, Michael Gilles, Fay Jacobs, Jon Adler Kaplan, Tom Kelch, Tricia Massella, Eric Peterson, Mary Beth Ramsey, Richard Rosendall, Mikey Rox, Romeo San Vicente, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Marj Shannon, Beth Shockley, Leslie Sinclair, Eric Wahl, Debbie Woods, Doug Yetter

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. © 2022 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 a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community service organization dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth Beach and its related communities. We seek to promote cooperation and understanding among all people, as we work to build a safer community with room for all.

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

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

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

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

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

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

PRESIDENT Wesley Combs VICE PRESIDENT Leslie Ledogar SECRETARY Mike DeFlavia TREASURER Bea Vuocolo AT-LARGE DIRECTORS Chris Beagle, Jane Blue, Pat Catanzariti, David Garrett, Jason Darion Mathis-White, Natalie Moss, Tara Sheldon, and Leslie Sinclair

From the Editor

BY MARJ SHANNON, EDITOR

AND, GOSH—IT’S JUNE ALREADY! AND WE’RE CELEBRATING IT IN A BIG WAY. FIRST OFF, IT’S

Pride month! And our writers did not disappoint: Rich Barnett (CAMP Stories) gives us some history along with a glimpse of his own festive flag; Beth Shockley (Prideful) recounts her Proudest moment, and several folks completed the sentence: When I think of Pride, I… (Pop the Question).

Nor did we forget other June notables: Pattie Cinelli has some poignant memories of Stonewall, and Ann Aptaker—with a nod to those ubiquitous June weddings—offers up a couple of wedding “belles.” Robert Dominic wraps up his two-part series on a honeymoon for one, aka his stint as a writer visiting a wannabe wedding destination.

Speaking of weddings—we offer profiles of two CAMP Couples, this issue: Founders’ Circle members Larry Richardson and Joe Filipek, and newer-comers Dennis Diaz and Michael Ewald. Both couples have been together for about 15 years; both have been married for about four. They spoke to interviewer David Garrett on how they became connected to CAMP, their commitment to the organization, and their hopes for its future.

(Next issue, we’ll feature two more CAMP Couples.)

Maybe summer means “sports” to you? It means that to many of us, too. Fay Jacobs tells us about local teams who recently competed in the National Senior Games in Florida (softball, pickleball, and golf). JuneRose Futcher introduces us to local kayaking hot (maybe “cool” would be more apt?) spots.

Or, maybe some gustatory pleasures? Ed Castelli (Sea Salt Table) has some refreshing cocktails in mind (and on hand, we daresay); Leslie Sinclair and Debbie Woods (Dining Out) savored a meal at a favorite local eatery. Want to make your landscape more suitable for hosting a soirée of your own? Eric Wahl (The Real Dirt) has some ideas—and also gives us the backstory on the summer solstice.

Letters is always a good place to meet someone new, or to learn more about someone you’ve perhaps only read about or seen on the screen. See Michael Gilles’s Before the Beach for an intro to a fascinating local lady; Mikey Rox, Michael Cook, and Chris Azzopardi chat with some famous favorites, including Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Turchin (who’s about to celebrate his first Father’s Day).

There’s lots more packed into the pages of this issue—updates on SUNFESTIVAL (it’s gonna be great!), info on local offerings you’ll not want to miss (CAMP Theatre is about to kick-off its season in the CAMP Rehoboth courtyard), and a save-the-date for some upcoming events (Block Party, anyone?). Browse as you bask on the beach (or poolside) and calendar the fun. We hope to see you there! ▼

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

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.

JUNE 17, 2022

3 Letters

SUNFESTIVAL Tickets Now on Sale CAMP Rehoboth is excited to announce the line-up for SUNFESTIVAL, its annual Labor Day celebration: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 The SUNFESTIVAL show and Live Auction features Emmy Award winning comic and TV star Judy Gold. Judy has been making audiences laugh for more than three decades with her brutally honest, fearless, and no-holds-barred sense of humor. Judy’s stand-up specials appeared on HBO, Comedy Central, and LOGO, and she also won two Emmy awards for writing and producing the Rosie O’Donnell Show.

Prior to the show there will be a silent and live auction—so come early to snag one of the unique items up for bid.

6:30 p.m. Doors open 7:30 p.m. Show and Live Auction

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 SUNDANCE, featuring DJ Robbie Leslie and DJ James Anthony, returns after a two-year absence. Legendary Studio 54, Palladium, and The Saint DJ Robbie Leslie starts the night at the SUNDANCE Disco Twilight Tea playing your favorite “songs with words” under the amazing disco ball. Direct from New York, remixer and producer DJ James Anthony finishes the night with his “big room” sound. ▼ 7:00-10:00 p.m. SUNDANCE Disco Twilight Tea with DJ Robbie Leslie 10:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. SUNDANCE with DJ James Anthony

Touring GSAs

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uring the week of May 16-20, Amber Lee, CAMP Rehoboth HIV CTR Counselor, teamed up with teamed up with Dan Cruce, Chief Operating Officer of United Way, to do a GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliances) tour. This was held throughout the state of Delaware, with various members of the Pride Council speaking at local high schools about this year’s 10th annual Anti-bullying Summit. The summit is a half-day gathering to connect and uplift member of GSAs, their advisors, and allies who support them as they fight for equality and justice. It will be held Saturday, October 15, 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., in Georgetown, Delaware; registration is open now at uwde.org. ▼

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

1st ME Festival

T

he 1st ME Festival, led by I AM ME, and sponsored by CAMP Rehoboth, is scheduled for Saturday, August 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at The Green, Dover. The LGBTQ+ community and its allies are invited to enjoy this fun, festive, outdoor family event. There will be book bag giveaways, music, activities, food trucks, and vendors.

The I AM ME Corporation was created in January 2020 to uplift and unify the Delaware LGBTQ+ community and its allies by providing safe spaces, educational resources, health services, and support. ▼ Learn more at iammecorp.org

Upcoming Exhibit at The Biggs Museum of American Art

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rom July 1-October 15, the Biggs Museum of American Art will host an exhibition of Delawarean Tom Wilson’s work. Wilson studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a top fashion model in the 1970s, enjoying the new visibility of LGBTQ artists. He returned to Lewes in 1981 and built a career on rendering photorealistic architectural studies of southern Delaware before succumbing to complications of AIDS in 1995. ▼

“Summer Day” - Milton (1983), oil on canvas, Tom Wilson, collection of the Biggs Museum of American Art.

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JUNE 17, 2022

Juneteenth Program

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n Saturday, June 18, the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs is offering a virtual program on Rosedale Beach. Tamara Burks will discuss the Millsboro, Delaware resort/hotel where Black, Indigenous, and other people of color found relaxation and entertainment from the 1900s to the 1970s. The Tamara Burks FREE program will be streamed live via Zoom at 4:00 p.m. Registration is required; register by calling 302645-1148, or email to zmuseum@delaware.gov. ▼

Dedicating the Atrium

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n May 25, CAMP Rehoboth Community Center’s atrium was adorned with bold gray lettering displaying its new name, the Elkins-Archibald Atrium.

The name honors the organization’s founders, Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald. Elkins presided as CAMP Rehoboth’s Executive Director for more than 25 years, until his death in 2018. Archibald twice served as Interim Executive Director (1993 and 2018), and as CAMP Rehoboth Board of Directors President until 2018.

Stay tuned later this year for a formal dedication ceremony.

Meanwhile, stop by the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard to see the fresh signage. ▼

LGBTQ+ Cooks!

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n Wednesday, June 29, Kimberly Fritsch’s Well Seasoned Heirlooms series will explore how the LGBTQ+ community strengthened its bonds by sharing recipes, the best places to shop for ingredients, and hosting dinner gatherings. The FREE program will be livestreamed at noon. Registration (required) is available by calling 302-323-4453 or emailing ncchmuseum@ delaware.gov. ▼

National HIV Testing Day June 27 is National HIV Testing Day. CAMP will be at Walgreens at Five Points (17239 Five Points Square, Lewes), from 10:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. doing HIV tests.

Come out and see us there and get your HIV test! ▼

David Hernandez

Alonza Parker

Jonathan Butto

On the Cover: Meet the Models Summer is upon us, and that means swimsuit season is, too! Special thanks to Ed Gmoch and Damien Gray from Beach Essentials for helping to coordinate the happy models. Get to know the models below.

Where are you from?

David Hernandez: Lewes, Delaware Alonza Parker: Alabama Jonathan Butto: Magnolia, Delaware What are your beach day necessities?

DH: The radio and a good station.

Probably the Dua Lipa station.

AP: Good company, great weather, and a glass of sweet tea.

JB: Warm weather and a good book.

Sunrise or sunset?

DH: Sunrise AP: Sunrise JB: Sunset Waves or no waves?

All three: Waves!

Funny beach memory?

DH: I accidentally wore an entirely see-through swimsuit to the beach. I had no idea!

AP: I went to a pool party and I was wearing the same swimsuit as three other people!

JB: I forgot to apply sunscreen after I took my shirt off, and I paid the price with a tank top-shaped burn.

Photos by Murray Archibald

JUNE 17, 2022

5 Letters

President’s View

BY WESLEY COMBS

Moving Forward

A

sk anyone who knows me well if I have an interest in catching a glimpse of President Biden and the First Lady when they visit Rehoboth Beach, they will all respond the same way: he’s obsessed.

As a resident of the Nation’s Summer Capital, I feel an amazing sense of pride knowing the leader of the free world has a home not far from where we live. In fact, the motorcade goes by our house every time the president travels to and from his house by car to attend church or drive to Dover Air Force Base when the weather prevents arrival by helicopter. I am sure the Secret Service have me on a watch list because I am always standing in front of the house holding my rainbow Biden for President sign like a teenager at a Taylor Swift concert.

When the president recently visited Rehoboth in early June to celebrate his wife’s 71st birthday, he made one of those trips by motorcade to the convention center to hold a press conference on the June jobs report. It got me thinking about how busy each day must be, how he needs to stay on top of so many different issues, and find time to be with his family and friends.

The good news is despite these bumps in the road, CAMP Rehoboth is meeting and, in some cases, exceeding our fundraising goals for 2022.

I get it, President Biden knew what he was getting into when he ran for office. But still, it is a daunting responsibility to have so many people relying on you to make their lives better, especially when there are so many factors outside of his control. Why are some successful and others not? In my experience, it comes down to a few basic things.

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JUNE 17, 2022

Whether you are the president of the United States or the president of a board, success is measured by the ability to: Set a clear vision for the future, develop an operational plan aligned with the mission, hire staff with the expertise to achieve goals, communicate often about progress, and track progress to create accountability.

Lately my energy has been dedicated to ensuring CAMP Rehoboth is still able to raise the funds necessary to sustain operations due in part to our Development Manager role being vacant since late January. In fact, some of you have asked how this vacancy and the transition in leadership is impacting fundraising.

The good news is despite these bumps in the road, CAMP Rehoboth is meeting and, in some cases, exceeding our fundraising goals for 2022. Here is a quick summary of the sources of revenue at CAMP Rehoboth: 25 percent comes from events (Women’s FEST, SUNFESTIVAL, Block Party), 25 percent from grants for programs, 20 percent from annual memberships, 13 percent from Letters’ ad revenue, and the remainder from CAMP Chorus, rental income, and art shows.

One example is the CAMP Rehoboth Theatre Company, which is presenting two one-act comedies set out in the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard, with show dates of June 23, 24, and 25 at 8:00 p.m. You can buy tickets at CAMP or via our website.

This would not be possible without the continued financial support from our donors and funds raised from events like the highly successful Women’s FEST. I thought I would save the best for last: we have filled the Development Manager role!▼ Wesley Combs is CAMP Rehoboth Board President.

TRANSITION The board remains laser-focused on strengthening day-to-day operations at CAMP Rehoboth, which includes ­filling the vacant Development Manager position. This was the top priority for our Acting Manager, Lisa Evans, when she assumed the role on April 18. While the job description had been posted for about a month, we had not received enough responses from candidates with the skills necessary to manage CAMP Rehoboth’s wide ranging development needs.

Thanks to Lisa’s excellent leadership and extensive human resources experience running nonprofits, a search team was immediately formed that included her, Operations Administrator Matty Brown, and Board Development Committee chair Pat Catanzariti. Working together, they reviewed the job description to ensure it included the skills necessary for CAMP Rehoboth to achieve its annual fundraising goals.

Soon after the job was posted, the team interviewed the qualified candidates, and I am thrilled to report that the top candidate was offered and has accepted the job of Development Manager starting July 5. Laurie Thompson is a seasoned nonprofit fundraising professional with more than 22 years of experience in development, donor relations, special events, marketing, and donor communications. Most recently Laurie served as Assistant Director for Stewardship and Donor Relations at Elizabethtown College.

She recently retired and is in the process of moving to Millville, Delaware.

Finally, the Executive Committee completed interviewing four highly-qualified interim executive director candidates on June 4 and hopes to announce the selection within the next two weeks. Then, our attention will turn to the strategic planning process.

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks and months. Feel free to reach out to me at wes@camprehoboth. com if you have questions. ▼

JUNE 17, 2022

7 Letters

CAMPNews Raising the Pride Flag

Thank you, Local Businesses Early morning on June 6, the City of Rehoboth Beach officially raised the Pride flag to recognize June as Pride month, inviting CAMP Rehoboth for the occasion. Pride month sets out to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and its visibility, and CAMP Rehoboth is proud to be part of a city that recognizes the vitality of that. ▼

Pictured: CAMP Rehoboth Board Vice President Leslie Ledogar, CR Board President Wes Combs, Interim City Manager Evan Miller, RB Commissioner Patrick Gossett, and Mayor Stan Mills.

Delaware Pride Celebrates 25 Years

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n June 4, attendees celebrated the 25th anniversary of Delaware Pride in Dover. CAMP Rehoboth had a presence both in the parade (big thanks to i.g. Burton for three Jeeps!) and at a table in Legislative Mall. The day featured family-friendly entertainment and offered the community the chance to come together, promote LGBTQ+ visibility, and celebrate attendees’ authentic identities.

Those representing CAMP Rehoboth included Aura DuBoyz, CAMPsafe’s Amber Lee, Kassey Gonzalez-Crus, Tamia Mykles, and Jay Xavier Johnson. ▼

CROP at the Concert

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fter a forced hiatus due to the COVID pandemic, the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus returned in a big way on May 13, 14, and 15 with three dynamite performances! And 15 CAMP Rehoboth Outreach Program (CROP) ushers (five each night) were there once again to assist.

The ushers had their own great performance handling at-the-door ticket sales, assisting audience members, collecting for Ukraine relief, and selling water at intermission. Oh, and looking too cute in their vests and bow ties!

Many chorus members expressed their appreciation for CROP’s support.

CROP and our ushers congratulate the CAMP Rehoboth Chorus on a triumphant return! ▼ Letters 8

JUNE 17, 2022

For Showing Pride

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everal businesses and local establishments have shown and are continuing to show Pride this month by giving back and generously donating to CAMP Rehoboth from fundraisers throughout June.

To start, Dogfish Head celebrates each Thursday with Pride Happy Hours featuring a specialty cocktail for CAMP Rehoboth. Meanwhile, on Friday, June 3, Bin 66 Beer, Wine and Spirits auctioned off two Pinhook private barrels and generously donated all proceeds to CAMP Rehoboth. Plus, drag shows at Big Chill Surf Cantina (through July 5, from 8:00-10:00 p.m.) and Northbeach Nightclub in Dewey (each Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. through the end of August) are charging covers to benefit CAMP Rehoboth’s free programming. Thank you, local businesses, establishments, and performers, for supporting CAMP Rehoboth! ▼

Block Party Sets the Date The CAMP Rehoboth Block Party will take to the streets Sunday, October 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For three years, the Block Party has been canceled due to inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. Sorely missed, anticipation is high for the event’s return, and the Block Party committee is already hard at work to ensure that this year’s festivities are a triumph.

Are you a vendor, artist, or business interested in exhibiting at the Block Party? Or, are you interested in sponsoring this blockbuster event?

Stay tuned to camprehoboth.com for more information or email info@camprehoboth.com. ▼

CAMP Theatre in the Courtyard

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here’s one more week until CAMP Rehoboth brings theatre out to the CAMP Rehoboth Courtyard! From June 23-25, the CAMP Rehoboth Theatre Company presents two one-act comedies: Ponce de Leon is Dead and Auto Erotic Misadventure. Starting at 8:00 p.m. each night, the production will feature a house bar, and will be closed off from the sidewalk. Tickets for the show are $20 and are available on Eventbrite. Check camprehoboth.com for more details. ▼

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” Official Pandora Dealer Free watch batter y replacement with mention of this ad.

15% discount with mention of this ad.

313 South Boardwalk Rehoboth Beach Delaware 19971 3 0 2 - 2 2 6 -0 6 7 5

Large selection of: 14kt Gold, Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphires, and Tanzanites GIA Certified Diamonds in all sizes Watches including Movado, Raymond Weil, Seiko, Citizen, Pulsar, and Swiss Army www.harr ykjewelr y.com Exclusive designs by HarryK Have a piece commissioned by HarryK JUNE 17, 2022

9 Letters

CommunityNews Scott Kammerer for the Win

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cott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, was named to the 2022 list of the most influential CEOs in the restaurant business by readers of Nation’s Restaurant News. He is one of 98 honorees on the list, which is released every two years.

“These honors—and they truly are honors—represent the hard work of our entire team,” said Kammerer, who started his culinary career in 1992 as a dishwasher. “From our directors of operations to our chefs to our servers, this dedicated family keeps SoDel Concepts running smoothly.”

Kammerer is as committed to his community as he is to the company.

He founded SoDel Cares to support local nonprofits that help children, at-risk youths, and adults. To date, the nonprofit has contributed more than $740,000 to area charities. ▼

Wings of Hope Art Exhibit

C

ancer Support Community Delaware’s (CSCDE) 12th Annual Wings of Hope will be continuing with an art exhibit.

CSCDE is calling artists of all ages to showcase butterflyinspired art throughout Milton Memorial Park during the June 25 Wings of Hope event.

Art forms such as paintings, pottery, sculpture, textiles, antiques, and photographs will all be accepted. Submissions are due by June 20.

This art exhibit will be organized and managed by the Cape Artists Gallery, with drop off at Cape Artist Gallery, 110 3rd Street, Lewes.

Although space may be limited at the event, images of all registrants’ submissions will be showcased on the CSCDE website. All artists will receive an event t-shirt.

Entry fee is $10 and is waived for student entries. A People’s Choice Award will be announced at the event.

For further information, please contact Kathy Casey at the Cape Artist Gallery, 302-644-7733. ▼ Images, top to bottom, Tiger Swallowtail by Terry Lake; Radiance Butterfly by Patricia Truitt.

Southern Delaware Wine, Food & Music Festival Beneficiaries

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he two charities that are beneficiaries of the seventh annual celebration on October 1 are Pathways to Success and The Children’s Beach House. The organizations will share in the net proceeds from this year’s festival, which has raised more than $165,000 for southern Delaware non-profits since 2015.

The 7th annual Southern Delaware Wine, Food & Music Festival moves to an exciting new venue this year: Hopkins Heartlands Covered Bridge in Lewes.

The festival founder and organizer, Stacy LaMotta, states, “The festival is wildly successful, not only raising funds for deserving beneficiaries over the years but

by providing a community celebration of all the wonderful things our coastal towns bring to the area; award winning food, excellent wines, craft beer and cocktails, and top musicians!”

Discounted, early bird tickets are on sale until June 30. Learn more at sodelfest.com. ▼

CAMP REHOBOTH THANKS OUR PREMIER SPONSORS

For information on how to become a CAMP Rehoboth Annual Sponsor, email development@camprehoboth.com or call 302-227-5620.

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JUNE 17, 2022

“Mom named me as Executrix of her Will, and I am so ashamed to tell my sister that mom left an inheritance to all of us kids, except her.”

We see this often, but not always for the reasons you might think. Yes, some people wish to disinherit a loved one.

Others skip loved ones because they believe myths like, ‘my oldest child will take care of everyone’, or ‘skipping my loved one will preserve their public benefits.’ Our advice?

Communicate your wishes to your trusted and experienced professionals and relay your documented decisions to your loved ones. The result will be accuracy in planning, clarity of your wishes, and a removed burden from those you love and trust the most.

Estate Planning · Elder Law · Estate & Trust Administration w w w. p w w l a w. c o m 3 0 2 . 6 2 8. 4 14 0

JUNE 17, 2022

11 Letters

Save the Date

labor day weekend

Order Tickets Now

September 3–4, 2022 www.camprehoboth.com

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JUNE 17, 2022

comedian

JUDY GOLD Saturday, September 3 6:30 pm - 9 pm Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

es an t on

DJ

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am

h

ie

DJ

b bie Le sl

Ro

y 10 pm - 1 am

7 PM - 10 pm

RETURNS

one ticket two dances Sunday, September 4, 7 pm – 1 am PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS Wes Combs and Greg Albright

Bronze SPONSORS Lewis Dawley & Greg Becker

Natalie Moss & Evelyn Maurmeyer

Christine Lay & Joe Filipek & Dr. Mari Blackburn Larry Richardson

Karl Hornberger

JUNE 17, 2022

13 Letters

BECOME A SUNFESTIVAL 2022 HOST & SPONSOR When you become a Host or Sponsor of SUNFESTIVAL 2022, you are demonstrating your support of CAMP Rehoboth and its important work in our community.

HOST & SPONSOR BENEFITS:

Hosts and Sponsors will have their name and/or logo listed on SUNFESTIVAL promotions (placement varies by sponsor level) including: Recognition Board in lobby of Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, SUNFESTIVAL webpage, SUNFESTIVAL promotional ads in Letters*, Thank you ad in Letters.

There are a limited number of sponsorship opportunities so act now.

HOST: Individual $100/Couple $200 •

1 ticket to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/ live auction (Seating in Front Section B, cash bar)

•

1 ticket to Sunday’s SUNDANCE

•

1 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirt per person

CAMP SUPPORTER: $500

BRONZE: $1,000

•

3 tickets to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/live auction (Seating in Front Section A)

•

4 tickets to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/ live auction (VIP table seating)**

•

3 tickets to Sunday night’s SUNDANCE

•

4 tickets to Sunday night’s SUNDANCE

•

Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food both nights

•

Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food both nights

•

3 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

•

Banner (not larger than 2’x4’ and self-supplied) hung in convention center (back half of the room)

SILVER: $2,500

GOLD: $5,000

•

8 tickets to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/ live auction (VIP table seating)**

•

Up to 12 tickets to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/live auction (VIP table seating)**

•

8 tickets to Sunday night’s SUNDANCE

•

12 tickets to Sunday night’s SUNDANCE.

•

8 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

•

12 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

•

Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food both nights

•

Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food both nights

•

Banner (not larger than 2’x4’ and self-supplied) hung in convention center (front half of the room)

•

Banner (not larger than 2’x4’ and self-supplied) hung in convention center (front half of the room)

•

One full page color ad in Letters between September 2022 to April 2023

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Two full page full color ads in Letters between September 2022 to April 2023

•

Private meet and greet with Judy Gold after the show

•

Private meet and greet with Judy Gold after the show

PLATINUM: $10,000 •

Up to 24 tickets to Saturday’s Judy Gold show/live auction (up to 12 VIP table seating, up to 12 VIP section seating)**

•

Up to 24 tickets to Sunday night’s SUNDANCE

•

24 SUNFESTIVAL t-shirts

•

Access to VIP lounge with open bar and light food both nights

•

Banner (not larger than 2’x4’ and self-supplied) hung in convention center (front half of the room)

•

Four full page full color ad in Letters between September 2022 to April 2023

•

Private meet and greet with Judy Gold after the show

To learn more, or to sign-up to be a Host or Sponsor, visit www.camprehoboth.com/SUNFESTIVAL2022 or Contact CAMP Rehoboth at SUNFESTIVAL2022@camprehoboth.com * Listing on all SUNFESTIVAL promotional ads based on sponsorship payment date. July 8 issue close date for ads is June 27, July 29 issue close date for ads is July 18; August 19 issue close date for ads August 8. ** List of confirmed attendees for the Judy Gold show are due to CAMP Rehoboth by August 19th.

Letters 14

JUNE 17, 2022

JUNE 17, 2022

15 Letters

Aging Gracelessly

BY FAY JACOBS

Give Me a Home Where the Buffalo Roam

W

e were seriously out of our element. Four senior lesbians, two RVs, five national parks in Utah.

We just got back to town and the trip was both glorious and brutal, showing us stunning, awe-inspiring scenery while reminding us how many birthdays we’ve all celebrated.

We hiked, off-roaded, climbed trails to canyon rims, gazed down at the magnificence below, trekked through spectacular rock formations, and managed to find the only liquor for sale in 200 miles. It was the trip of a lifetime.

The highs were many, including the altitude of 8,200 feet at Moab, Utah. Hiking, I panted like a schnauzer, gasped for air, and sported a spontaneous nosebleed.

I hadn’t been at altitude this high since the second balcony for Hello, Dolly. With my Rehoboth house at seven feet above sea level, I was ill-prepared. We all had varying degrees of hypoxia but charged ahead like the Von Trapps climbing every mountain. The sights, literally, were breathtaking.

One time we set out on a 0.7-mile hike

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JUNE 17, 2022

from Sunrise Point to Sunset Point (very Fiddler on the Roof ) in Bryce Canyon.

Somehow, we missed the little trail exit sign at 0.7 and trudged another mile and a half, straight up, still seeking direction signs to the park shuttle. “Look for signs for the named trails,” somebody sputtered. I hoped for one saying Urgent Care.

You had to see me and Bonnie, Kathy Wiz and Muriel Hogan, in hiking shoes, floppy hats, and trekking poles plus backpacks with built-in water bladders so we could suck on tepid liquid to hydrate us as we slogged. And the wonders we saw thrilled us—acres of majestic rock formations, spires, pinnacles, arches, and towering hoodoos (spindly rock towers reaching up to the sky) as well as mesas, buttes, and deep canyon walls. We saw where Butch Cassidy hid out. It was all stunning. Possibly life changing.

Wildlife sightings were few, as animals generally appear at dusk, by which time we were thoroughly exhausted and back at our RVs, hot dogs on the grill, hard-to-find liquor in red Solo cups, and

ready for bed. Sometimes we skipped dinner, too pooped to chew.

We did see some marmots (chipmunk-like), free-range cattle, grazing buffalo, and prairie dogs—popping up and down from their desert homes like the

“Look for signs for the named trails,” somebody sputtered.

I hoped for one saying Urgent Care.

Whack-a-Mole machine at Funland.

I was thrilled for my wife and our companions who chose to scale a ridiculously steep incline and walk an unstable swinging suspension bridge to go ziplining, enduring six different half-mile zips over the canyons. They pronounced it the most strenuous and exhilarating thing they’d ever accomplished. They were proud of themselves and I was proud of them. And relieved to have hunkered down in the RV, dodging the zipline and counting my blessings they didn’t insist I join them.

I have to say, we did not see a whole lot of gay people on our journey. I’m sure they were sprinkled about, but like us, incognito. While waiting for a park shuttle one day, a woman looked at the four of us and exclaimed “How nice that you left your husbands at home!” We just smiled and punted.

Another day, a Saturday Night Live church lady said, “Are you sisters traveling together?” We exchanged glances and thought about clarifying the statement but she babbled on about traveling with her sisters and luckily left us no opening.

We did fess up when a group of 20-something guys and gals on a tour bus started a conversation and, surmising our ages, said they wanted to be like us when they grew up. We were flattered,

I think. Then, they asked how we knew each other.

Kathy, the bravest among us gestured toward Muriel and said “Actually, she’s my wife, and we’ve been together 30 years.” I added that Bonnie and I just had our 40th anniversary. Those kids couldn’t have been nicer or happier for us and it was a delightful conversation. A couple of others on the bus may have suffered the vapors, but we didn’t look.

When we went off-roading, our guide, Tyrone, was very chatty, knowledgeable, and lots of fun. He took us on a thrilling but harrowing UTV tour (that’s Ultra Terrain Vehicle, way more adventurous than the lowly All-Terrain Vehicle). He skillfully kept us from plunging over the canyon edge like Thelma and Louise. On the way back down he pointed out a John Deere tractor by the side of the road. “You gals wanna get out and take selfies with it?” he asked. Methinks he might have had a Ads - Letters - DC Blade - Cape Gazette.pdf 2 5/10/2022 clue.

C

L-R, Kathy Wiz, Muriel Hogan

So we’re home, having learned a lot.

1. If the guidebook says the hike is short, it’s dreadfully steep. If it says it’s flat, it’s dangerously long.

2. If all the folks who said they were proud of us for doing this excursion at our ages were laid end to end the line would still not reach the closest Utah liquor 5:43:33 PM store.

3. Driving along arid, windy byways, it’s best not to exclaim “Wow” about the scenery just as a sand storm approaches.

4. We made a good investment in sunscreen lip balm, keeping us from looking like Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her. 5. We loved experiencing this journey.

It was inspiring, amazing, mind-blowing, and thrilling. I loved it. We recommend you doing the same—but before you have too many more birthdays.

Bonnie is outside right now taking the hose to her hiking shoes. I’m taking a flame-thrower to mine. Kidding. I think. ▼ Fay Jacobs is the author of five published books and is touring with her one-woman sit-down comedy show, Aging Gracelessly. Her reports on Rehoboth’s LGBTQ history can be heard on RadioRehoboth, 99.1.

At The Lodges of Coastal Delaware, we respect, honor and celebrate the individuality of every resident and team member every day, and this month in particular as we celebrate Pride!

Here, we believe that a lifestyle community is a place to live, belong, and enjoy 'Life. Your Way.'

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

The Lodge at Truitt Homestead is proud to be the first SAGECare Certified senior lifestyle community in Delaware, committing to comprehensive and compassionate training of all staff members, treating each resident with dignity and respect while catering to the unique needs of seniors in the LGBTQ+ community. Opening in 2023, The Lodge at Historic Lewes will be home to the same exceptional and inclusive lifestyle, offering vibrant assisted living and groundbreaking The Compass Memory Care™.

Start your journey to “Lodge Life” today by calling 844-993-9888.

LEWES & REHOBOTH BEACH, DE | WWW.LODGELIFEDE.COM | 844-993-9888 JUNE 17, 2022

17 Letters

PRIDEFUL

BY BETH SHOCKLEY

Pride Past; Pride Present

I

’ve run across articles bemoaning “Pride fatigue” in several publications recently. I get it. I’ve done lots of Pride marches and parades during my nearly 62 years on earth too, and the commercialization and sameness have both bored and depressed me at times. But I think it may be more important than ever, with our hard-won civil rights in the crosshairs, that I participate this year.

When I came out in 1980, I was living in Columbia, South Carolina, where being an out lesbian was risky.

Police raids and harassment in the gay and lesbian bars, under the auspices of illegally serving liquor to people under 21, was a common occurrence.

I was spat on, catcalled, name-called, threatened, and had a full beer bottle thrown at my head in the parking lot of numerous gay and lesbian bars at various times during my years there. You didn’t dare hold hands outside the front doors of the bars, lest you drew the wrath of the drunken, angry rednecks.

There were no Pride parades when I lived there, although there are now.

Thank heavens for progress.

In fact, it wasn’t until 1989, after I’d moved to DC, that I attended my first Pride march and parade. And what an amazing experience it was! The multitudes of queers were thrilling, and we danced and sweated our way through throngs of joyous, half-naked people and vibrant floats. I was not out at my job (although everyone either knew or suspected) but the welcoming vibe in the city, and especially at Pride, were almost overwhelming. You never forget your first Pride.

But the best Pride I ever experienced would happen after I moved to NYC. I had attended the Dyke March and Pride parade since I had moved there in 1993, but in 2004, I was actually IN the parade, part of the motorcycle contingent that kicked-off NYC Pride.

My girlfriend at the time was a member of the Sirens Motorcycle Club of NYC, so of course, she had done the parade many times. But being front Letters 18

JUNE 17, 2022

and center, seeing the streets lined with cheering, happy people from start to finish from the back of her bike was epic. I smiled and waved, and the crowds smiled, yelled, and waved back at me. It was an amazing experience.

But being front and center, seeing the streets lined with cheering, happy people from start to finish from the back of her bike was epic.

I moved to Dover in 2005 to be with the love of my life. And the Delaware Pride festival, which was then held in Rehoboth, was no less fun. Like the old

state motto, I’ll always remember my first Delaware Pride as a small wonder.

It’s the spirit that counts most, and that was vividly on display. I felt so much pride to be part of my newly-adopted home state.

It’s important to be with our tribe and it’s important to be visible to the community-at-large. Yet, I’m still ambivalent this year. Some of it is age, some of it is inertia, and some of it is, well, fear.

At this writing there has just been another tragic mass shooting, 19 elementary school children and two teachers at a school in Texas. That’s on the heels of the racist neo-Nazi who killed 10 Black people at a Buffalo supermarket just a week prior. What if some gun-toting whacko decides he’s gonna shoot up a Pride parade? After all, we can never forget the 49 souls who were gunned down in cold blood and 53 wounded in the 2016 mass shooting at Pulse, the gay nightclub in Orlando.

And of course, we’re still in a pandemic. A co-worker and friend both tested positive this week as cases rise once again.

I hope that I decide to go to the Pride celebration this year, but I don’t know that I will. I’ve never let fear hold me back from doing the right thing in the past. But I’m older, wiser, and…tired. For those that celebrate, I hope you have a safe, wonderful time. Lift a glass for me and bring me a t-shirt. ▼ Beth Shockley is a public affairs specialist and a former editor of Letters.

Photo by Charlotte Turner on Unsplash

JUNE 17, 2022

19 Letters

Before the Beach

BY MICHAEL GILLES

Artist, Teacher, Mother, Survivor

I

n this column, I give you the powerful stories of four accomplished women.

One is a photographer of 38 years, leading photo safaris to East Africa and photo ecotours to Costa Rica. Another of these amazing women was a teacher who taught elementary school students in the Baltimore area for over 35 years, teaching kids, grandkids, entire families.

Then there is the mother whose son came out to her when he was in college, leading her to want to move somewhere where everybody was accepted for who they are. Finally, there is the brave soldier who had brain and lung cancer and was told she had six months to live. Four years later, she’s a survivor when she shouldn’t have survived.

How is it that I was able to interview all of these women and still make my deadline? Easy! These four women: the artist, the teacher, the mother, and the survivor, are all Mary Lu Pool.

The Artist: Drawn to photography at the birth of her son 38 years ago, Mary Lu began her photographer’s life taking countless snapshots of him. Jamie in his sleep, Jamie eating breakfast. Jamie in his sleep again. Jamie with flashbulb poisoning. Over the years though, she started taking courses in photography, which led to leading photo safaris to East Africa and photo ecotours to Costa Rica (she had me at safaris!). Her work has been on exhibit in galleries here and in Maryland. Most recently, she served as an official photographer for the Historic Lewes Farmers Market.

The Teacher: During her 35+ years of teaching, Mary Lu loved working with her kids. She says, “What I liked more than anything else was finding a child who had read a book for the first time and had not noticed the number of pages that he or she had turned. That was really great, really satisfying.”

In her time, she taught sons and daughters of former students, grandsons and granddaughters too. It turns out that I may be the only kid she didn’t teach!

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JUNE 17, 2022

She ended her teaching career at Towson University, supervising student teachers in their senior year internships and conducting seminars on all-things-teaching. She smiles and says “I guess they figured out I knew something about education!”

The day he came out to his mom, Jamie said, “I have a partner; would you like me to introduce you two?”

The Mother: Mary Lu recounts her reason for moving to this area. “My son came out to me when he was in college, and I decided that if I were to move, I wanted to move somewhere where everyone was accepted.” So naturally, she chose the Rehoboth area. At first, Mary Lu thought that CAMP Rehoboth was a camp for gay people. Soon she realized CAMP Rehoboth meant Creating a More Positive Rehoboth, and she knew she had discovered the right place to live.

The day he came out to his mom, Jamie said, “I have a partner; would you like me to introduce you two?” So, her son was gay. And she met his partner. All in the same day. That’s a LOT of information for one day, right?

A mother’s words: “My child Jamie is a terrific human being. And I think all we want for our kids is for them to be happy.

And to find someone that they love and want to take care of. And I think if you have that, that’s all you need in life.”

The Survivor: Four years ago, Mary Lu began to forget things. As her symptoms got worse, she remembers thinking “I’m in trouble. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Then they found the brain tumor.

After the tumor was removed, the hard work of rehabilitation began. She actually had to learn how to talk again. Doctors gave her radiation to make sure there were no wandering brain cancer cells.

Then they found the tumor in one of her lungs. The size of a baseball.

But immunotherapy worked! It shrank the tumor successfully, and whatever cancer was left was removed. She has been in remission for four years. Her feeling is, “You never, never, never say the fight is over. We say, so far so good. But you know, I was given six months to live, and I’m alive four years later, and so not a day goes by that I am not grateful.”

It’s been a long journey.

Being an artist and a teacher are both a huge part of what makes up Mary Lu. But the thing she is most proud of is being a decent parent raising Jamie.

The thing she is most grateful for?

Surviving cancer and being alive for whatever happens next.

Mary Lu Pool: artist, teacher, mother, survivor. A woman of strength and character. A woman for our times. ▼ Michael Gilles is a playwright, actor, and director from Milton, and a regular contributor to Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.##

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JUNE 17, 2022

21 Letters

Game On!

BY FAY JACOBS

Our Senior Athletes Go to the Nationals

W

e senior gals love our games.

So it was only natural that a whole contingent of female athletes from Sussex County traveled to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in May to compete in the games presented by the National Senior Games Association.

There, they met on the courts, courses, and diamonds, meeting other senior athletes ranging in age from 50 to 103 from all over the country. To play in the Nationals, an athlete must be at least 50 years old and have qualified by competing and meeting a certain standard in National-sanctioned state games.

The event’s opening parade and ceremonies took place at the Las Olas Promenade, a beautiful place for local pickleball maven Sandy Oropel and Blue Heron Softball team member Bonnie Strang to have the honor of walking in with the Delaware flag.

“I felt so special walking in as Delaware was called and they announced ‘Sandy Oropel, age 78, playing pickleball and golf.’”

There were 162 athletes from Delaware and more than 30 from our area.

Both male and female athletes made up our contingent and I wish I had room to report on everything.

Our local Blue Herons softball team took to the field accompanied by team founder and manager Sharon Kantor.

Together since 2014, the team won first place in the Delaware Senior Games last summer, sending them to the Nationals to play. “This was our first time playing on a national level,“ Kantor said, “and we were so happy to be there.”

While many on the team are in their 60s and 70s, there are some 50-yearolds, requiring them to play teams in the younger bracket. They won some and lost some, Kantor said, “and in some cases we were clearly out of our league—no pun intended.” The team faced women who had been playing as a team for 30 years, many in climates where they could play softball all year long.

“We talked about going to the Nationals a few years ago,” said player Maria Marchegiano, “but didn’t think we

were ready. This time, playing against such stiff competition was humbling, but we did well. And playing so many games in four days made us realize we were not in our teens or twenties anymore.

But it was a great experience.”

Rumor has it that the golfers shared the course with some on-looking iguanas perched in trees, and the athletes worked hard not to have their shots land near the reptiles.

Marchegiano also expressed gratitude to team sponsor Nicola’s Pizza.

“We have to give them a shout-out for being so generous and providing their amazing support.”

The Blue Herons wound up thriving, playing in both the Winner’s Bracket and the Double-Elimination Bracket, playing teams from Wisconsin (“they kicked our ass,” Kantor admits) and winning twice against a team from South Dakota.

Also playing in the games was Rehoboth’s Softball Rebels, joined by members of Rehoboth’s Alley Cats. I hope to have more on them at another time.

Sideline photographer Alicia Mickenberg, who was accompanying her spouse, Heron’s softballer Kathleen Fitzgerald, said the whole experience was “great fun and awesome spring training for the coming summer.”

The Delaware athletes included nine or 10 golfers who went to the games; they qualified by winning first place in their age brackets in the Delaware Senior Games. Linda Kauffman reports playing a very long round in 90-degree heat on the first day.

“It was a grueling day on the course, with very slow play and a storm delay making the whole thing almost seven Continued on page 24

Letters 22

JUNE 17, 2022

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JUNE 17, 2022

23 Letters

Game On!

“This was our first time playing on a national level, and we were so happy to be there.”

Continued from page 22

hours. The rest of the days were similar.

We’d wake up, have breakfast, play a long, long round of golf, eat, drink, and laugh together afterward, go to sleep.

Repeat.”

Kauffman did say she met her two goals: she was not disqualified and did not come in dead last. Rumor has it that the golfers shared the course with some on-looking iguanas perched in trees,

and the athletes worked hard not to have their shots land near the reptiles.

And of course, it would not be a Rehoboth women’s sports article without mention of pickleball. Sandy Oropel and Sandy Sullivan took 7th place in their age group in a fierce pickleball match-up. Pickleball players included Karen Gustafson, Kathy Casey, Rina Pellegrini, Jean Burgess, and many more.

Marion Lisehora won two gold medals in the pickleball 90-95 age group. Way to go Marion! And Marion’s daughter, Diane Lisehora, took bronze in women’s pickleball doubles.

Our small Delaware contingent included several two-sport athletes, like Pearl Morris who played softball and pickleball, as did Lisa Dillon; Lisa Orem golfed and spent time playing softball.

There were also local athletes playing in multiple age brackets.

Deadline precludes my talking to everybody, and I’m sure I’ve missed mentioning lots of athletes’ names, but congratulations to you all for “going national.” From all reports this was a spectacular experience for our hometown athletes. It would not be a surprise to see many of them qualifying for a trip to Pittsburgh in 2023 for the next National Senior Games. ▼

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

Her reports on Rehoboth’s LGBTQ history can be heard on RadioRehoboth, 99.1.

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Letters 24

JUNE 17, 2022

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25 Letters

health+wellness

BY JON ADLER KAPLAN

Taking Pride in Our Bodies

I

am so proud to have just become a Delaware and Rehoboth resident.

After moving from my hometown in Pittsburgh and spending my adult life in Baltimore and DC—it’s great to call Rehoboth my new home. I’ve dedicated my entire life to creating healthier communities as a health coach and fitness trainer and now I get to continue my passion in Rehoboth.

I’ve been coming to Rehoboth since the late 80s and have always considered the Nation’s Summer Capital my summer home. It was the early 90s when I used to mop off the slippery dance floor of the Strand to prepare to teach high-impact aerobics classes. The dedicated fitness enthusiasts would do jazz squares and knee kicks to prep their bodies for the beach, aiming to look and feel great in their bathing suits.

My columns will focus on health and fitness and will feature ways to Create A More Positive (CAMP) you! I cannot think of a better issue to begin this series than in the Pride issue.

We take pride in our community for how far we have come. We worked diligently to get anti-discrimination bills passed in jurisdictions around the country. We marched and held rallies for marriage equality and basked in the glory of our success. Now that we are surrounded by Pride activities, I would like you to take a moment and think about how you can improve your fitness and take more pride in your health.

In the 90s I was the wellness coordinator at Harbor Hospital, which is part of MedStar in the Baltimore/ Washington region. I was hired to start a fitness center for the employees of the hospital. We held a competition to name the fitness center and the winning name was: the FIRM. FIRM stood for Fitness Is Real Medicine. I loved the name and employees loved the FIRM. It was a place where people could gather and enjoy being together while getting fit at the same time.

Personally, I feel that as a society

Letters 26

JUNE 17, 2022

we take far too many medications.

Medications to sleep, medications to focus, and medications for stress. In my view, fitness is the best medicine of all. Through fitness we can stimulate the body to build our immune systems and our minds.

The beach is a huge playground where you can run, swim, walk, and play while getting vitamin D at the same time.

There are many health benefits of regular physical activity. Through fitness you can: • Manage your weight and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

• Reduce your risk of a heart attack.

• Lower your blood cholesterol level.

• Reduce the risk of some cancers.

• Sleep better.

• Lower you blood pressure.

• Have stronger bones, muscles, and joints which will lower your risk of developing osteoporosis.

• Recover faster from injuries.

• Feel better, with more energy and a better mood.

Additionally, a number of studies have found exercise helps depression.

There are many views as to how it does this, including: • Exercise may block negative thoughts or distract you from daily worries.

• Exercising with others provides an opportunity for increased social contact.

• Increased fitness may lift your mood and improve your sleep patterns.

• Exercise may also change levels of chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin, endorphins, and stress hormones.

My goal as a fitness professional in Rehoboth is to encourage us all to take more pride in our bodies and truly adopt a lifestyle of exercise and good nutrition.

We have amazing gyms and specialized fitness studios to help you with this task. Or, take advantage of our large, free, outdoor “gym”— the beach! The beach is a huge playground where you can run, swim, walk, and play while getting vitamin D at the same time. The boardwalk is a mile-long track with benches for step-ups and push-ups. We also have miles and miles of trails including the Junction Breakwater Trail and the Gordons Pond Trail.

As an LGBTQ community, we get to celebrate Pride this month, recognizing how far we have come and how society has changed to accept our constituency in Rehoboth and beyond.

Let’s keep our bodies and minds healthy to continue the journey.

Be PROUD and stay healthy!

Happy Pride! ▼ Jon Adler Kaplan is a health coach and fitness trainer virtually and at Rise Fitness and Adventure. Email Jon with any fitness questions: jonadlerkaplan@gmail.com.

Classes & Events For information about any of these events, please email info@camprehoboth.com or call us at 302-2275620. Zoom links (when applicable) can be found on our website or in the weekly e-mail newsletter.

Unless indicated otherwise, in-person meetings take place at CAMP Rehoboth.

Weekly Events WALK-IN HIV TESTING

Mondays 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Free rapid HIV testing at CAMP Rehoboth. Get your results in 15 minutes. No appointment needed during this time.

Appointments available for other dates and times.

MORNING MINDFULNESS Tuesdays 8:00 a.m. (Zoom)

Erin will lead a mindful exercise or morning meditation for 30 minutes.

CHAIR YOGA

Tuesdays 9:00 a.m. (Zoom)

In this class Erin guides you to synchronize conscious breath with mindful movement.

MEN’S YOGA

Saturdays 8:45 a.m. (in-person)

Join us for our weekly yoga class. All levels are welcome, and everyone will be given the opportunity to modify or advance their practice.

Bi-weekly & Monthly Events WOMEN IN CIRCLE

June 18/July 2, 10:00 a.m. Summer location: Unity Spiritual Center of Coastal Delaware, 98 Rudder Rd, Millsboro

Women in Circle is a gathering of LGBTQ women. The circle is a welcoming, inclusive, and positive place to meet, connect, and share with other women. This group meets on the first and third Saturdays of each month.

MEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP

June 22/July 13, 7:00 p.m. Summer location: Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd, Rehoboth Beach

The Men’s Discussion Group is a safe and nurturing space for GBTQ men to start conversations important to our community. This group typically meets

on the second and fourth Wednesdays each month. For more information, contact William Dye at william.z.dye@ gmail.com.

YOUTHUP MONTHLY SOCIAL

June 17/July 15, 6:30 p.m. (in-person)

Join us for the YouthUp Monthly Social on the third Friday of each month.

This event is designed specifically for 11- to 19-year-old LGBTQ+ youth.

Email youthup@camprehoboth.com for location.

YOUTHUP MONTHLY OUTING July 9, 2:00 p.m. (in-person)

Join us for an outing the second Saturday of the month. This event is designed specifically for 11- to 19-year-old LGBTQ+ youth. Locations and times may vary so please email youthup@camprehoboth.com for more information.

YOUTHUP BOOK CLUB

June 28, 5:30 p.m. (zoom)

The YouthUp Book Club meets the fourth Tuesday of each month. If you need a copy of the book or want to be added to the mailing list for the Zoom links, email julian@camprehoboth.com YOUTHUP DISCUSSION GROUP June 23/July 14, 6:30 p.m. (Zoom)

This discussion group is for 11- to 19-year-old youth to get together and chat virtually with other LGBTQ+ youth and a supportive adult moderator.

These meetings are meant for informal discussions; requests for presentations or questions from/by adults should be directed to julian@camprehoboth.com.

FLAMING KNITTERS

June 27/July 11, 6:30 p.m. (in-person) Location: CAMP Rehoboth courtyard

Flaming Knitters provides a thoughtful and engaging space for working,

conversing, connecting, showing off, sharing resources, and supporting fiber-related crafts/projects in queerand trans-affirming space. The group meets the second and fourth Monday of each month.

CAMP REHOBOTH BOOK CLUB

June 27, 5:30 p.m. (Zoom)

The CAMP Rehoboth Book Club is a queer-facilitated discussion group dedicated to reading novels about queer topics and/or books by queer authors that tackle a variety of interests and subject matters.

COFFEE TALK June 25/July 23, 10:00 a.m. Location: Pavilion (across from Arena’s), Five Points Village, Lewes

Coffee Talk is a place where the LGBTQ community can come together in a positive, non-judgmental atmosphere to share our thoughts and perspectives on a topic.

LESBIAN WIDOWS SOCIAL GROUP

June 21, 5:00 p.m. Location: Gordon’s Pond

The Lesbian Widows Social Group will be gathering for a beach happy hour.

Attendees should bring along their favorite beverage, a chair, something to eat and something to share. Just look for the rainbow kite to find the group.

If you are new to the group, RSVP to Amber Lee at amber@camprehoboth. com with your name and contact information.

REHOBOTH TRANSLIANCE June 25/July 30, 7:00 p.m.

Come spend the last Saturday evening of each month with us. We meet at CAMP Rehoboth and then go out on the town. For more information, please visit our website: transliance.com/. ▼

JUNE 17, 2022

27 Letters

Words Matter

BY CLARENCE FLUKER

A Moment or a Movement?

T

wo years ago, George Floyd was murdered by law enforcement officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The video recording of the last 10 minutes of his life was shared across social media platforms and by news agencies around the world. His killing sparked outrage and a renewed call to examine and address the history of systemic and structural racism in the United States. Millions of people poured into the streets for marches and protests that lasted through much of the summer of 2020.

Two years later, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act still hasn’t passed in the US Senate. Two years later, many of the companies, organizations, and policymakers who made major pledges to advance racial equity have left many of us wondering, was it all just for show?

Two years doesn’t seem like enough time to dismantle 400 plus years of oppression, but it does seem like enough time to make a genuine effort at beginning the process. Where are you in your process? Yes, institutions have a role to play and so do leaders and politicians, but each of us has responsibility too.

June 2022 is a perfect time for all of us to stand in the mirror and do some self-reflection. We’re halfway through a calendar year. This is the month where we’ll acknowledge Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people of African descent in Texas. It is the month where we celebrate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969 in New York City, which is seen as the start of the modern LGBT rights movement.

The common thread here is freedom. There is a popular idiom that says, ‘freedom is not free,’ which is true, and it leads me back to the question above.

Where are you in your process? Freeing yourself and others.

In 2020 and 2021, after reading How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

by Isabel Wilkerson and later, The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee and Race Against Time: The Politics of a Darkening America by Keith Boykin, what did you do with what you’d learned? How have you changed your avoidance or approach

The moment may have passed but the movement for a more just nation and world continues.

Letters 28

JUNE 17, 2022

to difficult conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion? Have you advanced to conversations about restorative justice?

After marching a few times in 2020, have you continued to attend marches and protests? After signing up for a one-year membership to your local NAACP chapter or supporting a local social justice organization with an initial gift, have you gone on to renew that membership or added that organization as a line item in your annual giving? Does everyone who sits at your brunch table still look just like you?

Was your commitment to a moment or a movement?

In his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” Racial justice issues are LGBTQIA issues because people who are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and people of color are also LGBTQIA. LGBTQIA issues are racial justice issues because LGBTQIA people are Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and people of color.

The moment may have passed but the movement for a more just nation and world continues. It is a long road. In this movement, we are bound together and must continue to work individually and collectively for progress to be achieved and felt by all of us. In this movement we have no time to lose or to waste.

Dr. King went on in his letter to state, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. We must come to see that human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and persistent work of men willing to be coworkers with God, and without this hard work time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation.”

Two years after the murder of George Floyd, what have you done with this time, and what will you do with the time you have left? ▼ Clarence J. Fluker is a public affairs and social impact strategist. Since 2008, he’s also been a contributing writer for Swerv, a lifestyle periodical celebrating African American LGBTQ+ culture and community. Follow him on Twitter: @CJFluker or Instagram: @Mr_CJFluker

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29 Letters

Dining Out

BY LESLIE SINCLAIR & DEBBIE WOODS

1776: Not Just a Steakhouse

W

hat can top great food, specialty cocktails, and a warm ambience? Free and available parking! We found all of those at 1776 Steakhouse.

Located at Midway Shopping Centre, 1776 is a winner of the Best of Delaware Downstate Steakhouse, but they are much more than that.

The establishment has been in existence for 35 years. Previous owners have included Nancy Reagan’s hairdresser. And how it got its name? Every entrée was priced at $17.76. And servers were attired in colonial garb.

Current owners Tom Holmes, Tammy Mozingo (chef), and John Farquhar are in their 15th year together and have worked to enhance the menu to ensure it includes many creative offerings such as seafood, pasta, and more.

As we entered the restaurant, we were warmly greeted by the host and escorted to a cozy corner table for two. Our waiter, Alex, was fabulous, and helped guide us through the selection process.

We started the evening with two refreshing specialty cocktails, a lemon drop martini and pomegranate martini, each served with a side car. We sipped while perusing the menu. Two 1776 classic starters beckoned us.

With over 15 herbs and Asian butter, the escargot was an unusual twist on the preparation that definitely worked. The black ravioli is a must-have, filled with lobster and topped with diced shrimp, crabmeat, tomatoes, and basil in a sherry cream sauce. It is also available as an entrée. Other starters include baked Brie, little neck clams, raw oysters, shrimp cocktail, and scallop chips (day boat scallops thinly sliced and breaded in panko; served in horseradish cream sauce).

Two cups of crab and lobster bisque provided a delightful intermezzo. It was creamy but with an infusion of tomato that gave it a beautiful rosy color and delicious flavor.

For the salad course, Alex recommended the Field of Mixed Greens, which was a lot more than tender

Letters 30 JUNE 17, 2022

greens—dried cherries, walnuts, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, and bacon, all gently tossed in a maple vinaigrette. Our one salad was split into two quite ample portions. (Previously we have had their wedge salad, which is equally delicious.)

1776’s entrées include a variety of steaks, as well as non-beef items like cedar-plank salmon, vodka penne, and chicken Mediterranean. For the meat lovers, you can choose steaks of all sizes from a 6-, 8-, or 10-oz. filet mignon,

It was a thing of beauty, a towering wedge with a golden caramelized exterior and a creamy interior.

to their unique barrel (ribeye), Delmonico, New York strip, and a Fred Flintstone-sized tomahawk steak.

The special that evening was rockfish topped with jumbo lump crab. Everything was enticing! We selected two entrees.

One was another classic—the Steak 1776 as recommended by Tom Holmes. It is a filet mignon plated on mashers and

finished with lump crab sautéed in a cream reduction. Our second entrée was a stuffed lobster tail (also available as a surf & turf or unstuffed). Each entrée was outstanding and perfectly cooked (steak medium rare and lobster not over- or under-done). Delectable!

The restaurant has an extensive wine list, both by the glass and bottle. Many glasses are very reasonably priced between $8 and $10, and the pour is quite generous.

The restaurant also has a wide-ranging selection of beers including Trappist beer brewed by Trappist monks in only 13 monasteries world-wide. And of course, there is a selection of non-alcoholic beverages.

Every course of our meal was exceptional, and the dessert was certainly a highlight. Dessert selections include apple tart, coconut cake, key lime pie, and more. Upon many recommendations, including that of a friend who happened to be dining there, we dove into the crème brûlée cheesecake. It was a thing of beauty, a towering wedge with a golden caramelized exterior and a creamy interior. The combination of these two iconic desserts was scrumptious. With two spoons, we were in heaven!

It is worthy of note that 1776 also has a popular, welcoming bar with a lighter fare menu that includes many of the same starters as the regular menu, plus sandwiches and burgers.

With a menu of classics blended with creative dishes and a variety of great options, the cozy interior, and knowledgeable and friendly service, 1776 Steakhouse is the perfect choice for a special celebration, date night, or a casual relaxed meal at the bar. It is a true gem hidden in a strip shopping center. And remember, free parking! ▼ Leslie and Debbie are longtime fans of the Rehoboth Beach fine dining scene and have been full-time residents since 2009.

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JUNE 17, 2022

31 Letters

CAMP Couples

BY DAVID GARRETT

Out on the Town This is the first of a two-part series; part two will appear in the July 8 issue.

“I’ve always loved CAMP Rehoboth and I love the community.

When it came time for me to retire, I remember how grateful I was that I had this community to belong to.

L

arry Richardson and Joe Filipek are an interesting gay couple you’ll want to meet. They are in Rehoboth for six months out of the year and in Ft. Lauderdale the other six. Larry describes himself as a “double dipper,” meaning he had his first career in the Navy and his second career with the US Postal Service. Joe, on the other hand, has been in the pharmacy industry for the duration of his adult life.

He started out as a clinical pharmacist and later created a company that catered to the managed care industry.

This dynamic duo has been together for 15 years and married for four. They bring joy to each other’s lives and complement the best traits in one another. There was a time when they could not imagine getting married as a gay couple. As Larry shares, “This is something that I don’t take for granted.

I wake up and I thank God that I am married. This is all thanks to the efforts of CAMP Rehoboth, courageous legislators, a number of our allies, and others who made it possible. And it is something that we want to make sure we protect.” Joe adds, “Once [same-sex marriage] became legal, it made such a big difference. It also made a difference in the way other people view us and the way we view the world.”

Asked how they established a relationship with CAMP Rehoboth (where they are Founders’ Circle members), Joe shares, “That’s a great question because back then Rehoboth was a much smaller community. I would come down on weekends to relax and enjoy the beach with my friends. In the early days, I had a share in a gay group house that, along with many other group houses, sponsored weekend parties. To acquaint one another, one of our friends (Chris Riss) led the effort to collect names and phone numbers Letters 32 JUNE 17, 2022

L-R, Joe Filipek, Larry Richardson

to create a community beach directory.

Many of us listed in the beach directory attended early Sundance parties and subsequently joined CAMP Rehoboth.

As Sundance grew, I began to see that CAMP Rehoboth was doing a lot of neat things—becoming more involved in community outreach and actively recruiting people.”

“CAMP’s community outreach began to expand. In addition to Sundance, there was the live auction, beach volleyball, follies, pool parties, bachelor auctions, and more. These were large community outreach events with a personal touch. They created a lot of excitement because everyone got involved. In the process, you got to know a lot more people and you developed more close friendships.”

Larry dovetails with Joe, “I’ve always loved CAMP Rehoboth and I love the community. When it came time for me to retire, I remember how grateful I was that I had this community to belong to.

We were used to CAMP being on the front lines. And we are not going to stop

our support for CAMP, but we want to see it be the leader in the community that it has been in recent years.”

Joe speaks from his heart in saying, “I also want to say that we have lived through the positive aspects of CAMP Rehoboth. When I first came here, Rehoboth promoted itself as a small family town. Every now and then you would be walking down the sidewalk, and someone would shout out a derogatory comment from their car. But that began to change, and you realize that CAMP was a major reason why that change took place. It was the efforts of Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald that was the driving force behind this.”

If you happen to meet Larry and Joe in Rehoboth, or perhaps even in Ft. Lauderdale, you will have met two men who are committed to each other and to CAMP Rehoboth. They have so much to offer with their friendship and their insights into life. ▼

Out & About

I

f you happen to meet Dennis Diaz and Michael Ewald, you’ll recognize right away that they have something contagious. Don’t worry, though— what’s contagious is that they are almost always smiling! Sitting down with them recently for an interview via Zoom, I found these two men quite engaging.

Their smiles are very contagious indeed.

Their perception of CAMP Rehoboth focuses squarely on its diversity, within those who volunteer or attend CAMP events, and even on its Board of Directors. They appreciate the fact that the spectrum of the LGBTQ community is represented in some fashion on the Board.

Dennis and Michael have been a couple for 15 years and married for nearly four years. Michael grew up on Long Island, Nassau County, and Dennis grew up in the South Bronx. Having moved from the New York City region in 2017, they settled into a spacious farmette in the Milton/Lewes area.

Michael sold his meat and provisions business that he had established in New York City 20 years prior. His aunt who lived in Milton was the drawing card

to relocate to southern Delaware. He maintains a few rental properties that provide a comfortable income stream.

It did not take long for them to fall in love with the area. Dennis had started a digital marketing company, which was recently acquired by a publicly-traded company out of Miami. His company caters to the laundry industry. An interesting development for Dennis has been serving as an executive member of the Board of Directors of LaundryCares, a childhood literacy foundation. It places children’s libraries inside of laundromats, establishing accessibility to books in this venue.

There is a fascinating story to Dennis and Michael making a connection with CAMP Rehoboth. Dennis says, “The main connector was the Young Professionals Group that CAMP had.

There was an event at Lefty’s, and I had been introduced to Chris Beagle. I became more involved with the Young Professionals development. Then, of course, other events came into play, such as Sundance. Making these connections organically at CAMP made a big difference for me.”

Their perception of CAMP Rehoboth focuses squarely on its diversity, within those who volunteer or attend CAMP events, and even on its Board of Directors.

L-R, Michael Ewald.

Dennis Diaz

“Mutually connecting with other people—just knowing other people helped me. I wish the Young Professional Group still had some momentum. We had as many as 30 people involved. The age limits to the group were not as important as having the professionals themselves.

The older members would be able to provide guidance and expertise to the younger members.”

Dennis shared that what CAMP is good at these days includes its health and wellness component across the diverse members of the community, not just the men. Facilitating all that is a really positive aspect of what CAMP does. He wishes CAMP would expand its opportunities to impacting the greater region. “I wish it would be more of a channel to show people the good aspects of the Rehoboth area. CAMP could expand its footprint both internally and externally.

It could be more of an influence socially, politically, and in other areas of our lives.

Advocacy, education, and social development of CAMP’s programming could provide more of an influence in the lives of people here.”

You may run into Dennis at the gym at King’s Creek. Michael, however, is more likely to be seen back at the farmette.

They both want everyone to be connected to the Rehoboth community. The Young Professionals Group was their connection, and they would love to see it revived. Also, the Rehoboth Beach Bears is a terrific group to meet other people in the area.

As Dennis summarizes, “The only other thing to understand is the mindset we bring to each other and in this time of Pride—we must build up each other’s confidence. You need to find your own ‘tribe.’ And it helps to have a good partner at your side.” ▼ David Garrett, a CAMP Rehoboth Board member, is a straight advocate for equality and inclusion. He is also the proud father of an adult trans daughter. Email David Garrett at davidg@camprehoboth.com.

JUNE 17, 2022

33 Letters

Letters 34 JUNE 17, 2022

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JUNE 17, 2022

35 Letters

CAMP Stories

BY RICH BARNETT

Flying the Rainbow Flag

I

recently purchased my first rainbow flag. Up until now, I’ve never had much desire for one. Why did I need to advertise when I’ve been living an openly gay life since the 1980s? If I’m being honest, I’d have to say I’ve always felt it a tad brash, something for those more flamboyant or activist members of the LGBTQ community. I know that sounds quite snobby, but I assure you I’m not the only one with that opinion.

So why the change? When I saw the live and print images of all the crazies waving their Trump flags, Confederate battle colors, and white nationalist banners at the failed January 6 coup d’état, I was shocked and repulsed. I still am whenever I see one of those blue Trump flags waving on a pole or on the back of a pickup truck.

Alternatively, all the blue and yellow Ukrainian flags that proliferated everywhere this year speak to unity, hope, and support for the forces of good. In both cases, I am reminded of the powerful symbolism inherent in these simple squares of fabric. And it got me wondering if it might be time for me to reconsider the rainbow flag.

The rainbow flag was created by Gilbert Baker of San Francisco in 1978.

Baker, an Army veteran and local drag queen, was well-known in the city for his creativity in designing costumes and political banners. City Supervisor Harvey Milk approached his friend Baker about creating a new symbol for the gay and lesbian community to be debuted at San Francisco’s Gay Freedom Day celebration in June of that summer.

Up until then, the gay community used the pink triangle, a symbol of persecution the Nazis assigned to homosexuals, as a rallying sign. Baker landed on the rainbow because it was beautiful and natural, its colors representing the diversity of the gay community. It was bold and it made a statement, which the gay movement was all about in those days. This is who I am, no longer hidden away in a closet. It was a new image for a new movement.

The flag’s design did not, as some

Letters 36 JUNE 17, 2022

have argued, come about because of the rainbow’s link to actress Judy Garland, a gay icon. Gay men, some readers will remember, were occasionally called “friends of Dorothy,” in reference to Garland’s role in the movie The Wizard of Oz and her iconic version of the song “Somewhere

The original flag—actually, two were produced—measured 30 feet by 60 feet. Each stripe was hand-stitched and dyed by an army of 30 volunteers…

Over the Rainbow.” When the Museum of Modern Art acquired a rainbow flag for its permanent collection in 2015, Baker said in an interview he was inspired primarily by the American flag and the abstract expressionist work of artist Jasper Johns.

Baker assigned symbolic meaning to each of the flag’s eight colored stripes.

Pink represented sexuality. Red was for life, orange for healing, yellow for the sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for art and magic, blue for serenity, and purple for spirit. The original flag—actually, two

were produced—measured 30 feet by 60 feet. Each stripe was hand-stitched and dyed by an army of 30 volunteers in the upstairs attic of the local gay community center. It was an immediate hit when unveiled. A year later, the pink and turquoise stripes were removed, and the six-stripe flag became the standard.

Baker, who refused to apply for a trademark for his flag design, died in 2017, the same year the City of Philadelphia unveiled a new rainbow flag with black and brown stripes, added to better reflect the racial diversity of the LBGTQ community.

More recently, Daniel Quasar, a designer in Portland, Oregon, proposed an even more inclusive design. Called the Progress Pride flag, it adds pink, light blue, and white stripes from the transgender pride flag and keeps the black and brown ones from the Philadelphia version. These new colors are presented in an inverted chevron against the classic six-stripe rainbow standard. I get what this new interpretation is saying, but from an aesthetic point of view—very important for flags—it’s not a particularly noteworthy design.

Today, there are numerous rainbow flags reflecting many identities that fall under the umbrella of the LGBTQ community. It’s hard to keep them all straight (pun intended). But one thing remains constant and that’s change. And in a world of increasing violence, negativity, and polarization, there’s something hopeful and uplifting about the rainbow flag, even more so when you understand its history.

Though I doubt I’ll ever become a full-fledged flag queen, I did plant my 11” x 18” six-striped rainbow flag in a terracotta pot alongside an American boxwood and placed it right in the middle of my front porch steps. Okay, it’s not the boldest statement, but it does make a statement— in an understated way…. ▼ Rich Barnett is the author of The Discreet Charms of a Bourgeois Beach Town, and Fun with Dick and James.

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JUNE 17, 2022

37 Letters

Guest House Chronicles

BY TOM KELCH

What’s a Bertha?

I

n previous columns I have mentioned upcoming drama and turmoil; now, it’s time to introduce you to “the Berthas.”

It’ll help to keep some important things in mind as we get to those introductions.

In the 80s, many members of Rehoboth’s city hall and Rehoboth’s homeowners’ association were attempting to combat the “gay problem” they felt was infecting their city. They came up with a dimwitted slogan—Keep Rehoboth a Family Town—and attempted to spread the message with signage, bumper stickers, and even at city and association meetings.

Bertha Pusey, whose home was located basically across the street from today’s CAMP Rehoboth and Elkins-Archibald Atrium, was just about the loudest and most recognizable member of the growing opposition to the downtown gay community. (I had to mention the atrium not only because it is an extremely well-deserved honor for Murray and Steve, but also because those guys are very relevant to our story.)

Although Bertha was a real person, the Berthas is a name I made up. Technically not an organized group, the Berthas is a descriptive term I use for those citizens of Rehoboth, in the 80s and 90s, who couldn’t believe that a gay person could have or be part of a family.

In the 1980s, the gay community was struck with the deadly virus HIV/AIDS, and no one understood it yet. It seemed to be targeting gay men, but before any real evidence could be presented, the general population very quickly demonized gay men. They named it GRID, Gay-Related Immune Deficiency, or Gay Cancer. We can all relate to this awful labeling, given our experience of the COVID epidemic.

Remember “the China virus” and “Kung Flu,” names made famous by a strange orange man?

The religious were quick to point out that this pandemic must be a direct punishment from God himself. People were scared of the HIV virus, but seemingly just as afraid of gay men. Gay men were also

Letters 38 JUNE 17, 2022

terrified, starting to even fear each other.

Again, just like during COVID, they spread a lot of bad information among themselves. During COVID, not all of us wanted to wear a mask or get a vax. And at the outset of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, gay men didn’t want to stop being gay or doing the things gays tend to do. It’s easier to believe a lie that doesn’t require you

...the incredible gay universe delivered to Rehoboth the very best and most qualified two people possible.

to change anything in your life, than it is to accept a truth that requires sacrifice.

As I studied the HIV/AIDs pandemic— during the COVID pandemic—and watched us make the same exact mistakes all over again…well, it left me muttering to myself about my faith in humanity.

As gay men were being shunned by their community, they were also often being abandoned by their families. They became rightfully fearful that they could lose their jobs, homes, health, and even their lives. Many men were so afraid of being outed or infected they would end up in solitude, and without any support.

The beliefs and rules they had abandoned in the 70s were now being used as fuel for intense guilt and depression.

Nonetheless, some still found comfort in perceived sanctuaries like Rehoboth Beach. Only to have the Berthas rally against them.

Peter Pizzolongo shared with me his experience with a Bertha in Rehoboth during these times (1980s): “I was with my DC group of friends, Black and white; we rented a house on Hickman [Street]. When we came home from the Renegade one night, this paper towel was taped to our front door: ‘Gays, AIDS, and Blacks Get Out of Rehoboth!’

Daunting, but it didn’t keep us from returning several times each summer....”

The Berthas were not an organized group, but their fears infiltrated the city of Rehoboth. Times of fun and sanctuary were evolving into misunderstanding, non-acceptance, and unjustified hatred.

Gay businesses seemed to be getting squeezed out of existence with unfair city rulings and ordinances directly targeting them.

Just as it seemed all hope would be lost…the incredible gay universe delivered to Rehoboth the very best and most qualified two people possible. Both came from strong religious backgrounds. One worked in the Carter administration and had a deep understanding of politics and law. The other was an amazing artist with serious smarts and a lot of love. They embodied the knowledge and skills to take on the Berthas in a totally new and unexpected way.

Next article, we can really start to appreciate why Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald now have a community building named for and dedicated to them in downtown Rehoboth. I can’t wait to tell you about my favorite superheroes! ▼ Tom Kelch is the innkeeper and property manager of the Rehoboth Guest House.

Photo, L-R, Murray Archibald, Steve Elkins

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JUNE 17, 2022

39 Letters

It’s My Life

BY MICHAEL THOMAS FORD

Dog Daze

“G

reta has to have a ball with her when she goes to bed. The orange one is her favorite, but if you can’t find that one she should be okay with the green or yellow ones. The purple one is in the drawer, but that’s an emergency backup in case the other three are missing.”

The young woman I am speaking to nods and types something into her phone. “Got it,” she says.

“No purple ball. Anything else?”

I chuckle. “Just a few more things,” I tell her.

The young woman, the daughter of a friend, is going to be staying with our dogs, Greta and Lillie, while Cubby and I go away for a weekend. It’s the first time we’ve gone anywhere in the three years we’ve been together, and the first time I’ve been away from the dogs in almost a decade.

Finding someone to stay with the girls was not easy. Because Lillie is missing a leg, as well as having multiple conditions that require daily medications, she needs some special care. And because I am home pretty much all the time, both dogs are used to a certain level of attention and to going out whenever they need to.

Cubby and I will be gone for just over 48 hours. To prepare, it has taken me weeks to write up the care instructions for the dogs. There are pages of notes.

There are emergency phone numbers. There are schedules and possibly charts.

“We could just take them with us,” Cubby suggested the other day, after I showed him the list I’d made of the 37 different fleece blankets that Lillie has, in order of her preference for sleeping under them.

We could. The campground we’re going to allows pets. But a huge reason for going is to get away from the dogs for a few days. Also, I have attempted to travel with Lillie before and it has not gone well. She barks at every unfamiliar sound. When I drove from Texas to Utah, a 24-hour trip, I had to do it straight through both ways because when I tried to stop for the night, Lillie made so much noise that the hotel asked me to leave.

And so they’re getting a sitter.

“Lillie has to be fed by hand,” I tell her. “One piece at a time. If you try to feed her more than that, she’ll stop. Then you have to wait an hour and try again.

Oh, and if anything touches her feet or her ears while she’s eating, it’s game over.”

The orientation session takes two hours. The young woman is shown how to give Lillie her meds,

It’s…the first time I’ve been away from the dogs in almost a decade.

Letters 40 JUNE 17, 2022

how to tell when Greta needs to go out, and what their various barks indicate. (One means “I want off the couch” but two means “the water bowl is empty.”)

To her credit, she doesn’t roll her eyes even once.

“Of course, this will all be in the handbook,” I tell her when we’re done. “And you can call or text if anything comes up. Also, I gave your name to their vet as a temporary guardian and they have a credit card on file should you need to take them in for any reason.”

Look. I am fully aware that this is all a little much.

I also know that the dogs will be fine, and that all of their eccentric behaviors will probably disappear for the time they’re with the sitter and they’ll behave like normal dogs who eat without an elaborate ritual and sleep through the night without requiring hourly bed checks. They’ll just be happy that someone is here and that they get fed. Even Lillie’s multiple physical issues will likely not be issues at all.

But still.

I mentioned this to a friend who has both children and pets, all of whom she occasionally leaves with sitters so she and her wife can get away. “It must be even harder with kids,” I said.

“No,” she said firmly. “The kids are never the problem. Give them food and something to watch on TV and they’re perfectly fine for a week. It’s the dogs. I spend so much time explaining to the sitters how Hector has to have a fan blowing on him when he sleeps, and how Colonel Mustard hates the mail carrier and can’t be allowed outside between eleven and one because that’s when he comes. It’s ridiculous. When our last sitter moved away it took me two years to find another one I trusted.”

I suppose it should be some comfort that I am not alone in having this problem. But ultimately it doesn’t solve the issue. When we leave on Friday for our weekend away, I know I’ll be on high alert, waiting for a frantic call because Greta has chased a squirrel into the surrounding woods and hasn’t come out again, or that Lillie is barking in bursts of three and the sitter doesn’t know if that means she wants to be held or that her pancreatitis is flaring up, because I failed to include it in the handbook.

Eventually, when no calls or texts come, I’ll start to relax. Probably sometime around 4:00 on Sunday afternoon. As we’re pulling into the driveway. ▼ Michael Thomas Ford is a much-published Lambda Literary award-winning author. Visit Michael at michaelthomasford.com.

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41 Letters

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JUNE 17, 2022

43 Letters

Out & About

BY ERIC C. PETERSON

PrEP and Prejudice

L

ike, ohmygod, Happy Pride, you guys.

It’s June, which means everything from ice cream to financial advice comes with a big ol’ rainbow flag attached to it, and what’s more fun, lots of TV shows and movies to match every gay sensibility. The rebooted Queer as Folk is sashaying onto Peacock soon (everything about that particular clause is gay), and Billy Eichner’s Bros, the first major studio film with an all-LGBTQ+ cast, will also be unleashed on the world. But the gayer-than-glitter release that I’ve been most looking forward to is Hulu’s Fire Island, which dropped on June 3.

Mostly, I’ve been looking forward to it because it’s a gay adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, sort of the way Emma was transplanted to a posh Beverly Hills high school in 1995’s Clueless. And honestly, I don’t know how many readers join me in the middle of that peculiar Venn diagram where bookworms who love sprawling tales about poor, unmarried girls in empire waistlines meet fans of bawdy gay comedy featuring hot boys in Speedos drinking too much and telling raunchy jokes about why bottoms should avoid cheese—but if you find yourself there, hello. You are my people.

To make its links to Ms. Austen perfectly clear, Fire Island opens with Jane’s immortal first sentence: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Of course, this is immediately followed by noting that not every man is looking for a wife, per se.

And pretty much from that point forward, the Friends of Jane (we’re like the friends of Dorothy, but nerdier), and those who don’t know Pride and Prejudice from Fast & Furious, are watching two completely different movies. Both movies are funny, charming, satirical, and full of social commentary. But as we all watch a gaggle of gays spend a week at the Letters 44 JUNE 17, 2022

titular, iconic, homosexual hideaway, the Austen Army knows exactly what’s going to happen next, which (I believe) makes the whole experience even more fun. I’ll try not to spoil anything too much here, but it might be an impossible task, akin to doing a triple minor country dance to a Charli XCX remix.

Our headstrong, intelligent Elizabeth Bennett in this version is Noah, played

by Joel Kim Booster (who also wrote the screenplay). Before I was absolutely clear on who was who, I wondered if Noah might be destined to fall in love with his best friend Howie, played by SNL’s Bowen Yang.

But the gayer-thanglitter release that I’ve been most looking forward to is Hulu’s Fire Island, which dropped on June 3.

However, it soon became obvious that Howie was Fire Island’s Jane Bennett, Elizabeth’s older sister. So no, Noah and Howie are not going to settle down together. And that’s fine; in fact, it’s completely realistic. A few years ago, after my friend Matt’s husband passed away, my mother suggested that I invite Matt out on a date, and my first four words were quite literally, “Ew! Sisters!

No. Ew.” So just as Lizzie and Jane were confidantes, soulmates of a sort, and each very much loved by the other, Noah and Howie were not going to do the down and dirty, which is as it should be. Rounding out the family are Luke, Keegan, and Max as the sillier of the five Bennett sisters, and—in an inspired continuation of the gender-bending

going on here, Erin, a lesbian mother hen played by Margaret Cho who fills in for the caring but aloof patriarch, Mr. Bennett.

As the suitors, the substitute for earnest, somewhat shy Charles Bingley is Charlie, who we initially meet at a tea dance rather than a country cotillion.

The standoffish, prideful Fitzwilliam Darcy is simply Will here. If you didn’t know where this was going, you might not notice Will at first—and for those completely ignorant of the original story, I’ll stop right there. Keep your eye on Will, that’s all I’m saying. And yes, we also get glimpses of the rakish and troublesome George Wickham (known here as Dex) and the haughty Miss Bingley (here named Cooper).

What I love so much about Fire Island is not just the chance to revisit one of my favorite stories in a completely new way, but how the modern recasting sheds new light on Austen’s masterwork. The critiques of class might be hard to spot when everyone in the novels live on huge estates, waited on by countless servants. But the contrast between Erin’s homey bungalow (still worth millions, let’s not kid ourselves) and Charlie’s multistory, ultra-modern mansion overlooking the beach, is pretty hard to miss. Also, the way that class is defined here—not only money, but also in visible abdominal muscles, masculinity, whiteness (the very opposite of “no fats, no femmes, no Asians”)—is some 21st century social commentary that would make even Jane Austen exclaim, “Yaaaaaass Queen!” ▼ Eric Peterson is a diversity & inclusion practitioner who hosts a podcast about old movies and modern times. Look for The Rewind Project wherever you listen to podcasts, and for his debut novel Loyalty, Love & Vermouth at Browseabout Books.

JUNE 17, 2022

45 Letters

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47 Letters

Whoopi Goldberg Says...

BY MICHAEL COOK

The Fight Continues

O

n-screen she has made our hearts ache (and soar) as Miss Celie in The Color Purple, and helped us fall in love with love as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost. But what the LGBTQ community truly adores about Whoopi Goldberg is her strong passion for equality and her demand for what is right.

I was honored to sit down with Whoopi Goldberg for a chat about her passion for the LGBTQ community, and why following the “bright light” of Elizabeth Taylor was a natural step in her advocacy work.

MICHAEL COOK: The LGBTQ community has such a reverence for you, but it is most definitely a mutual love affair. Where does it begin for you?

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: I think it began when I was a little kid. I always knew— they used to be called “uncles.” You had uncles who you knew were never going to get married, and you knew it, but you didn’t know what it really meant because you were a little kid. They were people you loved and who looked out for you.

And my dad was gay; it’s always been part of my life.

MC: So much of what you have done throughout your own career has become so much of the fabric of what the LGBTQ community loves. Do you look back on your storied career and wonder how that all happened?

WG: I just got lucky, I guess. For me, the characters that I have played have always been a little bit different from the mainstream, so their ideas were different. They did things differently and they were smart in the way that they executed things. When you look at Miss Celie from The Color Purple and her going into creating those pants and all of the clothing…. And you look at The Associate—in order to make life better, she had to come to a decision that I think a lot of people have worked with over the course of their lives: “How do I explain to you that I am as good as you are, I am as smart as you are? I have to show you what you want to see, and then I can Letters 48 JUNE 17, 2022

show you what I want you to see.”

MC: You have protested against California’s Proposition 8 and your work with the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation

hat there are more and more people fighting for the right stuff. The right stuff. The fight continues. And we are fighting for those who aren’t even born yet. is truly a huge part of your own legacy and life’s work. National attention came to it when you were given the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award on The View in 2017.

While your relationship with Elizabeth Taylor may have been part of the impetus for you getting involved in the organization, is it fair to say it’s a passion of your own as well?

WG: That, and the fact that I lived in San Francisco. AIDS raised its ugly face.

I saw what other people did to other people. Human beings putting other human beings out when they were sick, leaving people on the streets, having to go around and collect people and get them to someplace safe. When Elizabeth (Taylor) said that she was trying to get people to do this benefit for her, it was a no-brainer for me. A lot of other people came and were doing amazing things, but she came along and kicked the door open and said, “my friends are getting ill and I want to be there, I want to help raise money.” And what can you do, besides stand beside a bright light that says, “we can do better”?

MC: Coming from San Francisco and seeing the lives we lost in the 80s and now seeing the community being a vibrant, active, and bright part of America’s fabric—it must be absolutely surreal for you.

WG: For me, it comes with a codicil, because I also know that we are not done. We are now fighting for shit we have already fought for and won. Now we are starting to see a slide backwards because we are in the throes of a nation that has lost its mind. We are fighting for ourselves as human beings, for our dignity as people of color, as women, as gay men, straight men, gay women, straight women—we’re all in the fight.

MC: You’ve accomplished so much for yourself, but you’ve also accomplished so much for the LGBTQ community. What gives you the most pride right now?

WG: That there are more and more people fighting for the right stuff. The right stuff. The fight continues. And we are fighting for those who aren’t even born yet. ▼ Michael Cook has been a part-time resident of Rehoboth Beach for over a decade. He is currently a contributor to Instinct Magazine, World of Wonder’s WOW Report, and South Florida Gay News. Photo: courtesy of ABC/ Robert Ascroft.

JUNE 17, 2022

49 Letters

Historical Headliners

BY ANN APTAKER

Wedding Belles

Annie Fields & Sarah Orne Jewett

O

n June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court made marriage, by all accounts a happy one, lasted until his death same sex marriage legal in all 50 states. With the in 1881. During their union, Annie gained a reputation not only stroke of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s pen signing as the charming hostess expected of the wife of a prominent the majority opinion in the landmark Obergefell v. literary man, but as a talented literary figure in her own right.

Hodges case, same sex couples could now officially enter into Through her husband, she met and befriended a number of marital bliss and partake of matrimony’s legal benefits: taxes, important literary personages: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wills, banking, housing, property ownership, child custody, Willa Cather, Mark Twain, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., etc.; all the financial and social among others. But Annie goodies the American system earned their friendship and provides the legally hitched. respect independently of her Weddings were conducted, husband for her sharp literary champagne poured, honeyinstincts. She was instrumental moon pictures were posted in bringing Emma Lazarus’s all over Facebook, Instagram, poetry into publication, and Twitter. Love conquered— wrote a biography of Harriet well, if not all, it certainly Beecher Stowe, a biography of enjoyed a successful invasion Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited of social media. the collection of letters of Even for those of us who James Greenleaf Whittier, and were still un-partnered, the wrote numerous essays. triumph of marriage equality Sarah Orne Jewett, brought joy. In the eyes of the meanwhile, was busy law, and a sizeable number of establishing her own literary Americans, we were no longer career. As early as 1868, Like many of the women in Boston oddities who lived and loved when Jewett was a mere 19 outside the law. We were now, years old, the Atlantic Monthly marriages, Fields and Jewett were well, people. published her short story, educated, relatively financially secure, For decades, centuries “Jenny Garrow’s Lovers.” More even, same sex companions literary success followed, and had careers of their own. had already been living in dowith several short stories, mestic relationships; married, essays, poems, novels, and for all intents and purposes. even children’s books gaining Those marriages, though, attention. Jewett’s work could never be officially acknowledged, at least not outside a was even noted by Willa Cather, who dedicated her 1913 small circle of trusted friends. Among late nineteenth-century masterpiece, Oh, Pioneers!, to Jewett. women, these domestic relationships were known as Boston Unlike Fields, Jewett never married but instead had a marriages, a term attributed to Henry James’s 1886 novel The series of relationships with women. Her writings often referred Bostonians. Though James didn’t use the term in his book, the to these liaisons; certainly in her novel Deephaven, published story features a domestic relationship between two women. in 1877, and “Martha’s Lady,” a short story. Jewett, as a literary Thus, the term Boston marriage was subsequently embraced light, was of course part of the intellectual circle around Annie to describe these real-life relationships. and James Fields. After Field’s death in 1881, the widowed According to numerous sources, among them friends Annie eventually entered into a relationship with Sarah. The and acquaintances of James as well as later scholars, James two remained together until Jewett’s death in 1909. based the fictional couple in The Bostonians on two very real Their life together was a rich brew of literary gatherings women of his acquaintance: Annie Fields and Sarah Orne and travel, and of course writing. When not traveling, the Jewett. Like many of the women in Boston marriages, Fields couple shared homes in Boston and in Maine. The most and Jewett were educated, relatively financially secure, and prominent literary and cultural figures of the day were had careers of their own. frequent visitors to the Fields/Jewett residences, where the Of the two, Annie Fields travelled the era’s more usual conversation was lively, indeed. route to her relationship with another woman. She’d married The couple’s affection was evident in their nicknames poet, editor, and publisher James T. Fields in 1854. The for each other: Fuff for Fields, Pinney Lawson for Jewett, as

Letters 50 JUNE 17, 2022

expressed in one of Jewett’s poetic love notes to Annie: Good night, dear dear Fuff—if you could only dream how I want to see you!

Your own PL Though Fields and Jewett’s relationship was accepted by many in their literary and cultural milieu, the women did not entirely escape the slings and arrows of the time; for though Henry James based his characters of Olive Chancellor and Verna Tarrant on Fields and Jewett, a great deal of The Bostonians is a satire on the mores and social practices among well-off, educated, and socially independent Boston women. The novel reflects James’s ambiguity about—some would even say disapproval of—the new independence of women afforded by the Industrial Revolution’s opportunities for work, education, and socializing outside the traditional family. The novel,

therefore, does not treat Olive and Verna especially kindly.

But no matter. Whether Henry James liked it or not, his novel gave a name to the loving relationships between women: Boston marriages. And the real-

Their life together was a rich brew of literary gatherings and travel, and of course writing. life inspiration for his female characters, Annie Fields and Sarah Orne Jewett, did indeed live a married life. They, and other Boston marriage couples of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—notably Sarah Ponsonby

and Lady Eleanor Butler (The Ladies of Llangollen), Katherine Coman and Katherine Lee Bates, Charlotte Cushman and Matilda Hays, among scores of others—set the path which led to the twenty-first century triumph of marriage equality.

And so, for those of you who are enjoying marital bliss, when your own anniversaries come around, raise your glass in toast to Annie Fields and Sarah Orne Jewett: “Here’s to you, Fuff and Pinney Lawson!” ▼ Ann Aptaker’s Cantor Gold crime/mystery series has won Lambda Literary and Goldie Awards. Her short stories appear in numerous publications and anthologies.

JUNE 17, 2022

51 Letters

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55 Letters

Visiting View

BY ROBERT DOMINIC

Honeymoon For One—Part Two

G

reetings from Merida, Letters readers! OK, so yes, I am back in Brooklyn after my vacation touring the state of Yucatan but ‘Greetings from Merida’ is a better opening line.

Quick refresher: Robby from Brooklyn here. Last issue I wrote about my first-ever trip as a freelance writer. Same-sex marriage recently became the law of the land in Merida, Cancun, Valladolid, and the surrounding areas.

I was invited to the region on a destination wedding/honeymoon tour with eight other journalists, influencers, and editors. Sights were seen, food was eaten, drinks were drunk, and friendships were formed. It was a really nice five days south of the border, but sorry to disappoint…I did not come home with a husband. Nor did I come home with a nagging desire to get married.

Basically, Merida would love to be the new Puerto Vallarta and tap into that billion-dollar wedding market. And honestly, that newness is the biggest attraction the state of Yucatan has going for it at the moment. Gays LOVE discovering the “next best thing.”

Tel Aviv Pride. Iceland. The gays also seem to know what and where is about to blow up and become super popular.

Like Samantha Jones said, “First come the gays, then the girls, then the industry.”

Merida is hoping that rings true for their tourism and city.

A beautiful destination wedding in a stunning Mexican location, with a small group of friends, is considerably cheaper than a wedding at a venue here in the states. Taking six or 10 friends (depending on how well-off my future imaginary fiancé is) to a gorgeous locale in Merida and getting married in front of them does sound nice.

Though 10 does seem like a lot of people. Don’t mention that to my cousin Jeannine who, lovingly, had all the cousins in her bridal party. Twelve. On each side. So yes, there were 24 of us. The priest exclaimed after we all made it down the aisle, “Well, now that the opening

Letters 56 JUNE 17, 2022

ceremonies of the Olympic Games have ended, let’s get you two married!”

We did see quite a lot of venues, haciendas, and luxury resorts. My mind is a little foggy trying to remember everywhere we went. Good thing I still have the itinerary and the photos time stamped on my phone to refresh my memory. Easily, my favorite locale was the last hacienda we visited, Hacienda Xcanatún by Angsana.

Like Samantha Jones said, “First come the gays, then the girls, then the industry.”

It’s hard to explain why this was my favorite. We can’t help what or who we are attracted to. The staff was remarkably friendly and personable.

The grounds were gorgeous without being pretentious. I even envisioned my future imaginary bachelor party at the fabulous, but not grotesquely huge, pool area. Unfortunately, when I inquired about the packages offered, I was told a groom does not come with the deal.

Foiled again!

I think I am doing OK without a

husband. Better than OK, in fact. As Carrie Bradshaw famously said in a Sex and the City episode, she is “single and fabulous exclamation point.” Poor gurl ended up on a magazine cover not looking her best with the words “single and fabulous?” Notice the question mark.

Not what she signed up for, she mused.

Like Ms. Bradshaw, I too am single and fabulous exclamation point.

I always thought if the whole soulmate, wedding, two kids, picket fence thing happened for me it would be amazing and wonderful. But if by some chance it doesn’t, my life will be just as happy and just as full. There are other kinds of love besides romantic love.

Gen Y twenty-somethings are buying homes with their friends. Whether that is due to current astronomical real estate prices, or just the desire to own a home without having to wait for that future husband or wife, is yet to be determined. We love those memes about normalizing “living with your three best friends in your 60s.”

I still love my rom-coms, devouring them all—Never Been Kissed, Notting Hill, and 13 Going on 30 prob top the list—(can’t wait to add Bros to that list when it is released later this year)—but I am smart enough to know that’s not how life works. We all deserve the happy ending. Just believing that you deserve a happy ending is a very powerful thing.

Happy endings don’t all look the same and my happy ending (come through Avril Lavigne!) might look different from yours. Whatever your happy ending is, I hope it happens for you.

Mine might include a husband, might include a wedding, but it’s definitely going to include a flash mob proposal. OK so maybe life can be like a rom-com! ▼ Robert Dominic splits his time between Brooklyn and Rehoboth Beach. He writes for publications including Instinct Magazine and his own blog, The Gays of Our Lives.

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JUNE 17, 2022

57 Letters

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JUNE 17, 2022

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CAMP REHOBOTH BEACH GUIDE BEACH AREA LODGING Atlantic Sands Hotel, Boardwalk & Baltimore Ave.........................302-227-2511 Atlantis Inn, 154 Rehoboth Ave.....................................................302-227-9446 Breakers Hotel, 105 2nd St & Baltimore Ave.................................302-227-6688 Canalside Inn, 34 6th St.................................................................866-412-2625 Rehoboth Guest House, 40 Maryland Ave.....................................302-227-4117 Sea ‘n Stars Guest Suites, 44 Delaware Ave.................................302-226-2742 Summer Place Hotel, 1st St & Olive Ave........................................302-226-0766 The Shore Inn, 37239 Rehoboth Ave Ext.......................................302-227-8487

LEWES FOOD & DRINK Go Brit, 18388 Coastal Hwy...........................................................302-644-2250 Harbour Waterfront Dining, 134 West Market St...........................302-200-9522 Matt’s Fish Camp, 34401 Tenley Ct...............................................302-644-2267

Visit the Beach Guide Directory on the CAMP Rehoboth website to find links to these area businesses in BOLD. The Guide includes: Food and Wine, Shopping, Lodging, and Services—all at camprehoboth.com.

OTHER AREA FOOD & DRINK Bluecoast Seafood, 1111 Hwy One, Bethany................................302-539-7111 Catch 54, 54 Madison Ave, Fenwick..............................................302-436-8600 Matt’s Fish Camp, 28635 Coastal Hwy, Bethany...........................302-539-2267

SERVICES AT THE BEACH REHOBOTH RETAIL SHOPS New Wave Spas, 20660 Coastal Hwy............................................302-227-8484 Unfinished Business, Rt. 1 behind Panera Bread..........................302-645-8700

REHOBOTH ART | GALLERIES | MUSEUMS Caroline Huff, Fine Artist ...................................................www.carolinehuff.com Gallery 50, 50 Wilmington Ave......................................................302-227-2050 Philip Morton Gallery, 47 Baltimore Ave........................................302-727-0905 Rehoboth Art League, 12 Dodds Ln...............................................302-227-8408 Rehoboth Beach Museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave..............................302-227-7310

REHOBOTH FOOD & DRINK 1776 Steakhouse, Midway Shopping Center................................302-645-9355 Aqua, 57 Baltimore Ave................................................................ 302-226-9001 Back Porch Café, 59 Rehoboth Ave...............................................302-227-3674 Blue Moon, 35 Baltimore Ave........................................................302-227-6515 Café Azafrán, 18 Baltimore Ave.....................................................302-227-8100 Café Papillon, Penny Lane Mall......................................................302-227-7568 Coho’s Market & Grill, 305 Rehoboth Ave......................................302-227-2646 Diego’s Bar Nightclub, 37298 Rehoboth Ave................................302-227-1023 Dos Locos, 208 Rehoboth Ave.......................................................302-227-3353 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant, 3 South First St.......................302-527-1400 Go Fish, 24 Rehoboth Ave..............................................................302-226-1044 Goolee’s Grille, 11 South 1st St.....................................................302-227-7653 Indigo, 44 Rehoboth Ave.............................................................. 302-212-5220 Just In Thyme, 38163 Robinsons Dr..............................................302-227-3100 Lori’s Café, 39 Baltimore Ave.........................................................302-226-3066 Loves Liquors, LLC, 305c Rehoboth Ave........................................302-227-6966 Lupo Italian Kitchen, 247 Rehoboth Ave.......................................302-226-2240 Purple Parrot Grill, 134 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-226-1139 Rigby’s, 404 Rehoboth Ave............................................................302-227-6080 Shorebreak Lodge, 10 Wilmington Ave.........................................302-227-1007 The Pines, 56 Baltimore Avenue....................................................302-567-2726

Letters 60 JUNE 17, 2022

BUILDING/CLEANING/REMODELING/LANDSCAPING

A.G. Renovations ...........................................................................302-947-4096 bsd, 18412 The Narrow Rd, Lewes...................................... 302-684-8588 Randall-Douglas.............................................................................302-245-1439

CHURCHES/SYNAGOGUES

All Saints’ Episcopal, 18 Olive Ave.................................................302-227-7202 Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd.......................................302-227-7743 Grace of God Lutheran, ELCA, 20689 Shoppes at Long Neck.......302-947-1044 M.C.C. of Rehoboth, 19369 Plantation Rd.....................................302-645-4945 Seaside Jewish Community, 18970 Holland Glade Rd..................302-226-8977 St. Peter’s Episcopal, 2nd & Market Sts, Lewes.............................302-645-8479 Unitarian Universalist, 30486 Lewes-G’Town Hwy........................302-313-5838 Unity of Rehoboth, 98 Rudder Rd, Millsboro.................................717-579-2612 Westminster Presbyterian, 301 King Charles Ave.........................302-227-2109

COMMUNITY RESOURCES

AARP of Delaware (age 50+)..........................................................866-227-7441 ACLU of DE—Lesbian & Gay Civil Rights Project............................302-654-3966 CAMP Rehoboth Chorus—Program of CAMP Rehoboth................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth—LGBTQ Community Service Org........................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth Families—LGBTQ parents connect......................302-227-5620 CAMP Rehoboth Parents of Transgender & Gender Non-conforming Children............................................302-227-5620 Cape Henlopen Senior Center—Rehoboth (age 50+)....................302-227-2055 CHEER Centers of Sussex County (age 50+)..................................302-515-3040 Delaware Aging & Disability Resource Center...............................800-223-9074 Delaware Human Relations Commission Housing & public accommodation............................................877-544-8626 Delaware Information Line............................................................................2-1-1 Delaware Pride—Community events, annual Pride Festival..........302-265-3020 Delaware Transgender Resources—transdelaware.net, delawarelgbtq@gmail.com Delaware Transgender Support.....................................................302-402-3033

Gay/Lesbian Alcoholics Anonymous—add’l schedules..................302-856-6452 Saturdays 6 pm: Epworth UMC, 19285 Holland Glade Rd (step meeting) Saturdays 7:30 pm: All Saints’ Church, 18 Olive Ave (step meeting) Tuesdays noon: St. Peter’s Church, 211 Mulberry St, Lewes (step meeting) Thursdays noon: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (open discussion) Sundays 9 am: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (open discussion) Tuesdays 8 pm: CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave (Young Persons) Gay Men’s Discussion Group—Program of CAMP Rehoboth.........302-227-5620 Lesbian Support Group—Program of CAMP Rehoboth..................302-227-5620 Lewes Senior Activity Center (age 50+).........................................302-645-9293 LGBTQ Student Union—University of DE, Newark.........................302-831-8066 Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth................................................302-645-7449 PFLAG-Rehoboth—3rd Tuesdays, Public Library, 111 Adams Ave, Lewes SLAA and SAA—Thursdays, 7:30 pm, All Saints’ Church 18 Olive Ave ............................................................................302-745-7929 Social Security Administration—Lewes office................................800-772-1213 TransLiance of DE—Rehoboth—4th Tuesdays at 7 pm, MCC of Rehoboth; contact: TransLiance@gmail.com

INSURANCE

COUNSELING/THERAPY/LIFE COACH

Critter Beach, 156 Rehoboth Ave..................................................302-226-2690 Pet Portraits by Monique................................................................717-650-4626

Jewish Family Services........................................................ 302-478-9411 Karen Abato, ATR-BC, LPAT, Licensed Art Psychotherapist... 302-232-5330 Kevin J. Bliss, Personal/Professional Coaching.............................302-754-1954 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting, Lewes ............................302-574-6954

ELECTRICIANS

Silver Electric..................................................................................302-227-1107

EVENT PLANNING/CATERING

Flair................................................................................................302-930-0709 Plate Catering.................................................................................302-644-1200

FINANCIAL SERVICES

County Bank, 19927 Shuttle Rd.......................................... 302-226-9800 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley.........................................................302-644-6620

FLORISTS

Bayberry Florist..............................................................................302-227-5725 Windsor’s Florist, 20326 Coastal Hwy...........................................302-227-9481

FUNERAL SERVICES

Parsell Funeral Homes & Crematorium................................ 302-645-9520

HAIR SALONS/TATTOO & PIERCING

Beach Cuts, 214 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-226-ROBB Gregory Meyers Hair Studio, 20245 Bay Vista Rd & Rt 1..............302-727-5331 Stephan & Co Salon & Spa, 19266 Coastal Hwy................... 302-260-9478

HEALTH-RELATED

AIDS Delaware – Kent & Sussex Counties.....................................302-226-3519 AIDS Delaware – New Castle County............................................302-652-6776 AIDS Hotline – Delaware statewide...............................................800-422-0429 Brandywine Urology Consultants...................................................302-824-7039 Beebe Healthcare, 26744 J.J. Williams Hwy.................................302-645-3300 CAMPsafe AIDS education & prevention program of CAMP Rehoboth ..................................................................................................302-227-5620 Christiana Care HIV Wellness Clinic ..............................................302-933-3420 Christiana Care LGBTQ Health Initiatives.......................................302-733-1227 Delaware HIV Consortium - Statewide..........................................302-654-5471 Delaware Hospice..........................................................................800-838-9800 Delaware Total Foot & Ankle Center.................................... 302-297-8431 National Alliance on Mental Illness of DE (NAMI)...........................302-427-0787 Rehoboth Beach Dental, 19643 Blue Bird Ln....................... 302-226-0300 Steven B. Wright, D.M.D., 18912 J.J. Williams Hwy............. 302-645-6671 The Aesthetic Center......................................................................302-827-2125

Eric Blondin, State Farm...................................................... 302-644-3276 George Bunting, State Farm................................................ 302-227-3891 Jeanine O’Donnell, State Farm............................................ 302-645-7283

LEGAL/ACCOUNTING/TRUST SERVICES

Lawson Firm, 402 Rehoboth Ave...................................................302-226-3700 PWW Law LLC, 1519 Savannah Rd, Lewes................................... 302-703-6993 Steven Falcone CPA, Taxes & Planning..........................................302-644-8634

LOCKSMITHS

Rock Lock/Robin Rohr/Your Community Locksmith.......................302-386-9166

MASSAGE THERAPY/FITNESS

Midway Fitness & Racquetball, Midway Center.............................302-645-0407 One Spirit Massage, 169 Rehoboth Ave........................................302-226-3552 Rehoboth Massage/Alignment.......................................................302-727-8428 Reiki CENTRAL, thecentralfirm.com...............................................302-408-0878

PET RETAIL

PET SERVICES

Brandywine Valley SPCA, 22918 Dupont Blvd, G’twn.......... 302-856-6361 Delaware Humane Association, 18675 Coastal Hwy........... 302-200-7159 Parsell Pet Crematorium, 16961 Kings Hwy, Lewes............ 302-645-7445

REAL ESTATE

Allen Jarmon, NextHome Tomorrow Realty...................................302-745-5122 Bill Peiffer, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy....................302-703-6987 Chris Beagle, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave............302-227-6101 Debbie Reed Team, 319 Rehoboth Ave.........................................800-263-5648 Donna Whiteside, Berkshire Hathaway, 16712 Kings Hwy...........302-381-4871 Hugh Fuller, Realtor........................................................................302-745-1866 John Black, Patterson Schwartz, 18958 Coastal Hwy...................302-703-6987 Lana Warfield, Berkshire Hathaway, 37230 Rehoboth Ave...........302-227-6101 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, 16698 Kings Hwy....................... 302-645-6664 Lingo Realty, 246 Rehoboth Ave....................................................302-227-3883 McGuiness Group, 246 Rehoboth Ave...........................................302-227-3883 McWilliams Ballard, Kevin McDuffie.................................. kmcduffie@mcwb.com McWilliams Ballard, Justin Orr.....................................................jorr@mcwb.com Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Lingo Realty................................302-227-3883 Sea Bova Associates, 20250 Coastal Hwy........................... 302-227-1222 Troy Roberts, Mann & Sons, 414 Rehoboth Ave............................302-228-7422

RETIREMENT LIVING/SENIOR CARE FACILITIES

Springpoint Choice, 17028 Cadbury Cir, Lewes............................302-313-6658 The Lodge at Truitt Homestead, 36233 Farm Ln.................. 302-232-6372

TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION

Accent On Travel, 37156 Rehoboth Ave.............................. 302-278-6100 CHEER Transportation (age 50+)....................................................302-856-4909 ITN Southern Delaware (age 60+ or disabled)...............................302-448-8486 Jolly Trolley Shuttle from Rehoboth Ave & Boardwalk...................302-644-0400 Olivia Travel...........................................................800-631-6277 ext. 696

POPULAR LGBTQ BEACHES

Poodle Beach, south end of the Rehoboth Boardwalk Cape Henlopen State Park, Ocean Dr north to Cape Henlopen State Park. Daily parking rate in effect March-November.

JUNE 17, 2022

61 Letters

Reflections

BY PATTIE CINELLI

Remembering Stonewall

I

t’s been more than 50 years ago this month that four days of demonstrations by members of the gay community began in New York City’s Greenwich Village in response to a police raid of the Stonewall Inn. Engaging in homosexual acts was illegal at that time in every state except Illinois. The event made the headlines of most New York newspapers.

Even though I lived just 25 miles north of the city, the historic event might have eluded my attention: I was a teenager in an all-girl Catholic high school. But, I had a crush on Brian, an older boy from a town close by. I was so much in love that it hurt.

Brian became even more appealing when he moved to an apartment in the Village with his friend Bill. I used to tell my parents I was going to the movies and head to Manhattan with a carload of friends to hang out at Brian and Bill’s.

Brian and I had dates. We were affectionate and experimented but, as a good Catholic girl, I drew a line in the sand. I was thinking of asking him to my senior prom the following year.

We’d eat, we’d get high, and we’d walk. We’d walk around the neighborhood. Often on those walks the boys wanted a beer. I was under 18, so Brian would tell me to wait outside while they went in for their brews. After several times waiting outside one of these bars,

observing the clientele walking in and out, I began to get curious.

Then there were Brian and Bill’s friends that stopped by their apartment.

Interesting, handsome young men for sure, but asking me make-up questions?

Really? And, except for my friends and I, there were no other girls around. I was confused.

In fact, I was so confused I went to the public library to look up homosexuality. I believed that homosexuals wore dresses and were effeminate which did not at all describe Brian, Bill, or most of their friends. I could think of none of my girlfriends who would have understood what I was feeling. They were dating jocks from the all-boys Catholic school. I hung out with the public-school boys.

I loved Brian and loved going into the city. I remember one afternoon we walked to Washington Square to his friend’s apartment. Inside this stark, black-and-white modern split level sat American playwright Edward Albee. I had read The Zoo Story and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? I was over the moon with excitement. I felt so cool, yet the thrill that consumed me remained only mine, tucked away deep inside. No one I knew would understand.

How could they, when I didn’t?

My reporter’s curiosity and instincts kicked in. I needed to know yet I was

uncomfortable asking Brian myself. What would I say? How could I say it? So, I asked my friend Chris to find out for me.

He invited them to come to the country for the weekend, where he had converted a horse stable on his family’s property into his living quarters.

Inside this stark, black-and-white modern split level sat American playwright Edward Albee.

Chris did as I’d asked. However, he discovered that not only were Brian and Bill gay, but that he was, too. When I got mad at Brian for “changing Chris” that fateful night in the country, Brian’s retort was, “It shouldn’t be such a big deal.

You know about Gary and Greg.” They were my girlfriends’ boyfriends. And no, I didn’t know.

Brian and I never went to my senior prom, although we remained friends until his death. Stonewall will always remind me of how Brian came out to his mother and brothers: they saw him in one of the photos in the newspaper with the story about the riots. Brian’s mother was so happy to have me in his life. She had sent him to a psychiatrist who put him on lithium. I guess they thought at the time that Brian could be “fixed.”

Brian and Bill were lovers at a time when the word ‘gay’ was not used to describe a homosexual. They were gay at a time when no one in my sphere really knew what it meant to be gay. It was also a time when AIDS didn’t exist.

It was a time of free love for all sexes, rebellion, and experimentation. We were going to change the world. Looking back 50 years later, I guess we did. ▼ Pattie Cinelli is a wellness coach, yoga and Pilates teacher, and a health and wellness writer.

You may contact her at fitmiss44@aol.com.

Letters 62 JUNE 17, 2022

JUNE 17, 2022

63 Letters

CAMPshots

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

Here's to Blue Skies, Sunshine, Friends, Family, and a Whole Lotta Summer Love!

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Grill: Joe Coates, Freddie Lutz, Payam Hariri, Andrew Jardine, Aura DuBoyz, Matty Brown, Michelle Manfredi, Sandra Skidmore, Katrina Colby, Kasey Gonzalez-Cruz, Jay Xavier Johnson; 2) at Purple Parrot: Chad Hrivnak, Sam Steward, Kyle Hrivnak, Jason Abela, Marc Chase, George Toma; 3) at Rehoboth Arts Festival: Linda Williams Aber, Lexi McKenzie.

OPPOSITE PAGE 4) at Above the Dunes: Bill Paveletz, John Hackett, Dave McAuley, Tim Curley, Stephen Francis; 5) at Blue Hen: Julia Orza, Teri Agosta; 6) at 30 Years/30 Photos Art Reception at CAMP Rehoboth: Greg Albright, Wes Combs, Debbie Woods, Leslie Sinclair, Joe M., Tim Murray; 7) at Poodle Beach: David Lenz, David Salie, Jay Mathias, Ryan Blake, Alex Gross, Jared Bieschke, Moe Elkhatib, Marvin Miller, Justin Field, Lou Panos, Jacob Austin, Christop Vaeth, Giovanni Pena, Tony Zacchei, Andrew Perry, Logan Perry.

(More CAMPshots page 66)

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JUNE 17, 2022

65 Letters

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(Continued from page 65

THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Clear Space Theatre/Timbella Foundation Ukraine Benefit: Izabela Parsons, Timothy Parsons, Riley Vinson, Wesley Paulson, David Button, Marian Sunnegreen, Berkleigh Fadden; 2) at Ava's Pizzeria & Wine Bar: Erin Short, Mary Jenkins, Laura Reitman, Rick Yarborough, Joe Winter, David Shotwell; 3) at Aqua: Willis Bininger, Todd Hovey, Kevin Brown, Bruce Ruth, Cory Peterson, Al Drulis, Michael Taggert, Scott Silber, Randall Malick.

OPPOSITE PAGE 4) at Aqua: Stephanie Denson, Bruce Chamberlain, Angelo Tabbita, Ah Bashir, Josh Buchness, Mary Buchness, John Hackett, Kevin Naff, Brian Buebel, Robert Monroe, Jacob Anthony, Lucas Ricardo, Geoff Jackson, Keith Fatula, Michael Fishman, Mark Tucker, Paul Hazen, Matthew Rosal, Tom Kantor, Alex Seymoor, Rut Paal, Holly Lane (with Penny Lane), Steve Reiss, Scott Royal, Bruce Clayton, John Kaplan, Joe Petrone, Shawn Evans.

(More CAMPshots page 108) Letters 66 JUNE 17, 2022

Summer Days, Summer Nights!

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JUNE 17, 2022

67 Letters

BE A SPORT!

BY JUNEROSE “JR” FUTCHER

At Sea Level on a Kayak

I

f you can imagine gliding in peaceful serenity or churning in along town canals to established park features found on state a swift current on a kayak, then you can imagine the gloriand federal lands. The highlight of many public parks is water ous waterways of the Delmarva Peninsula. access served by the quintessential “boat ramp” carved in Hundreds of miles of coastal and tidal bays, creeks, and every park boasting recreation on the water. rivers yield the very best in the scenic wonder of coastal plain In Delaware, Lums Pond and Trap Pond State Parks are fatopography, and there is plenty of access on any kayak in the mous for their kayak excursions and explorations. Lums Pond’s states that compose the peninsula. An entry level or recreationwaters are tucked away in the heart of New Castle County and al kayak is the first step towards are a welcome retreat in the an open waterway of an inland most populous county on the bay, nearby tidal creek, or enpeninsula. In the southwest closed pond in a pine forest. corner of Sussex County, surBut with so many kayak rounded by heritage farms and models and features, how do hundreds of acres of preserved you know the right fit for the lands, lies Trap Pond. Reright “paddle”? Basic knowledge nowned for the Great Bald Cyof these tiny but capable vessels press Swamp, in a preservation will make your entry smooth district managed by Delaware and comfortable, matching your Wild Lands, the kayak trail is a skill and comfort on the open signature amenity nestled in waterways. this famous swamp. The appeal Most kayaks are made of of these state parks’ enclosed plastics, wood, or fiberglass waterways is the protected and range from just a few feet nature of the land and forests, in length—what I call the “sport” and charted navigation with kayak—to full-length tour (or markers and maps.

For the paddler with solid skills and weather sea) kayaks at approximately 16 For the more athletic and knowledge, the refuge provides a glorious vista intermediate kayaker, who may feet on average. Wide bodied recreational kayaks are the best of pristine waterways between the Chesapeake want an open bay experience, for a beginner in contrast to the the Delaware Inland Bays or and Delaware Bays. sleek hydrodynamic architecture Blackwater Wildlife Refuge on of the tour kayak, better suited the Maryland Eastern Shore to the expert or professional. provide many natural and The tour kayak evolved from the centuries-old original physical features to satisfy the soul of an explorer who has “qayak” concept. Trusted among many Indigenous tribes as far sufficient skill to traverse many miles. Access to the Inland Bays north as Greenland for efficient travel and hunting by water, the is supported by Seashore State Parks with small lots and sand sea qayak is a contemporary favorite across North America. beaches tucked along Coastal Route 1 in Sussex County. Black Specialty clubs not only celebrate the heritage of navigation Water Refuge is often likened to the Florida Everglades (though by water, they honor the historical craft for performance and on a smaller scale) and is no less majestic and significant in the design. natural world. Access at the refuge is also managed by park At the recreational level of many brands and models, availsystems. For the paddler with solid skills and weather knowlable accessories include seats, beverage caddies, storage bins, edge, the refuge provides a glorious vista of pristine waterways and shock cords for personal items. Even the two-blade paddle between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. has various shapes, sizes, and materials for efficiency in the With so many waterways and parks providing access, rotation and the drive of power with each scoop in the water. kayaking at any skill level on a pristine summer day will bring While the rotation of the paddle acts in concert to supyou closer to nature, give you a sense of the tides, and deliver port balance, the keel acts in concert with the propulsion and satisfaction with each stroke of the paddle. ▼ produces the drive or “track” through the water. Large blade symmetrical paddles are recommended for open bay waters to JuneRose (aka JR) Futcher is a native of Delaware, a lifelong sailor and accommodate the current’s pressure and make a solid and efcertified private sailing instructor, an award-winning photographer, and ficient track. Asymmetrical paddles are equally efficient in tidal a community and arts activist. creeks, smartly navigated according to high and low tides.

Photo: JR Futcher Access to kayaking varies from simple municipal ramps

Letters 68 JUNE 17, 2022

ALL

THE

EXPERIENCES

IN

ONE

PLACE

AQUAREHO AQUAREHO

FOOD

DRINKS

FITNESS

MUSIC

EVENTS

57 BALTIMORE AVE, REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE. PHONE:(302)-226-9001 JUNE 17, 2022

69 Letters

BEEBE HEALTHCARE,

The Premier Healthcare Facility in Sussex County Beebe Healthcare has become the premier healthcare facility in Sussex County, serving a thriving beach and vacation resort area and a growing year-round population.

For a complete listing of all Beebe job openings, please visit our website

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Attracting and retaining the best healthcare professionals is Beebe Healthcare’s top priority.

We offer an excellent patient-focused environment, exciting career opportunities, and leading-edge technology with supportive, progressive leadership.

Joining Beebe Healthcare means joining an exciting healthcare team that is deeply committed to the community. Our customer-service focus is recognized on a daily basis through our patient satisfaction surveys. Our clinical expertise strives to surpass patient expectations.

A variety of work/pay options are designed to meet the needs of team members, including: • Flexible schedules and shifts available based on the needs of the department • Full-time/comprehensive benefits • Part-time/pro-rated benefits • Per diem incentive plan • Competitive shift differential Join us now to take advantage of our excellent benefits and compensation package.

Beebe Healthcare is committed to hiring qualified professionals who provide the best patient care in the region.

EOE | 424 Savannah Rd, Lewes, DE 19958 | www.facebook.com/beebecareers Letters 70 JUNE 17, 2022

Giving back is my way of saying “Thank you.”

George Bunting Jr, Agent 19716 Sea Air Ave #1 Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 Bus: 302-227-3891 george@gbunting.com

1211006

We’re all in this together.

State Farm® has a long tradition of being there. That’s one reason why I’m proud to support Camp Rehoboth.

Get to a better State®.

State Farm, Bloomington, IL

JUNE 17, 2022

71 Letters

Celebrity Interview

BY CHRIS AZZOPARDI

Here’s Johnny!

I

f you think you’ve heard the name Johnny Sibilly, you have. Or at the very least you’ve seen him, whether on FX’s groundbreaking trans-focused series Pose, where the 34-year-old actor had a three-episode stint as Costas Perez, or on HBO’s Hacks, appearing alongside Jean Smart in one of last year’s best new shows. That series is currently in its second season (and still just as deliciously queer).

But the show guaranteed to give Sibilly’s profile a generous boost is his role on the reboot of Queer as Folk, where he plays Noah, a smoke-and-mirrors lawyer.

Groundbreaking when it premiered in the UK in 1999 and then in the US in 2000, the show was one of the more authentic representations of LGBTQ+ life when it premiered. Peacock’s new Queer as Folk understands what the show was then and what, in 2022, it has to be now.

But this self-proclaimed “reimagining” also knows that being a queer person in our modern day means, in some ways, what it did in 2000: homophobia, fear, and acts of anti-queer violence so horrific they hurt your heart. The trailer doesn’t hide the fact that the first episode is a hard, gutting, and emotional watch: reminiscent of the Pulse nightclub tragedy in 2016, there’s a shooting at Babylon, the local gay club.

Chris Azzopardi: How have you been doing?

You’ve been really busy.

Johnny Sibilly: Yeah.

With the pandemic and everything, and being so busy, it’s been truly a blessing. I’m so happy to be working and to be doing this.

Letters 72 JUNE 17, 2022

CR: During the beginning of the pandemic, were you afraid of work drying up?

JS: At the beginning of the pandemic, it was like, “Ha, now the rest of the world knows what it feels like to be an actor or an artist, where your job isn’t guaranteed.” And then, after a while, it was like, “Oh, wait. OK. What’s going on?” But then, I got the call for Hacks, the first season, and I was like, “Oh, yes.

Yes, we’ll do this.” [I filmed] that in the height of the pandemic, and then Queer as Folk when things were tapering down.

CR: It sounds like the producers of Hacks just called you. Or Jean Smart personally called you.

JS: [Laughs.] She’s like, “I don’t know who you are, but I think you’d be great.” Yeah, no. I auditioned for it, but it was a Sunday night [when] I got a call asking for my availability, and they asked if I could put something on tape that night to film on Wednesday that week. And then, we got a call on Monday that said I got it. It was pretty quick. Queer as Folk, not as much….

CR: What was the process for Queer as Folk?

JS: For Queer as Folk, for me, the process in my head started when I found out that there was going to be a reboot made. Back in 2018…

Flash-forward to the actual thing getting launched and the auditions happening, and I was like, “I got to be a part of this somehow.”

The audition came through, and it was that same thing, where you audition, and then you get the call back, and then you do the chemistry session. But it’s a month to two months of your time just waiting to know.

I can only hope that, by me being on-screen, whoever is watching can be like, “Oh, yeah. I’m absolutely unafraid to be myself after this.”

CR: When I watched Queer as Folk as a teenager, the big draw for me then, as a closeted gay kid, was watching guys on screen have sex. And clearly, that’s still a big part of the show. Is gauging sexual chemistry an important part of the audition process?

JS: The sexual chemistry, not so much.

My only chemistry read was with Devin [Way], who plays Brodie. And it’s funny, because when I saw him pop on the screen, I was like, “That’s him. That’s the one,” whereas he did a couple of chemistry reads with a couple different Noahs. But it is interesting, because we were doing it on Zoom, too, so you’re not in the room. You don’t feel the vibes of what it would feel like. But it clicked with Devin and me.

CR: What has it been like to be a part of Hacks knowing that it treats its queer characters so matter-of-factly?

JS: It’s a dream, because the show itself is very much queer-coded, in that there’s a strong female character that is rich.

So many things that we grew up loving [about] strong female characters, and then to add in the queer characters, not only the ones that worked with her, but just peppering the universe of Hacks with these characters was super exciting and important. I love that this show feels like a reflection of what the world looks like.

Continued on page 74

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JUNE 17, 2022

73 Letters

Celebrity Interview

Continued from page 72

CR: If you look at your Wiki page, it’s like an episode here, an episode there, an episode here, and then three episodes on Pose.

JS: Pose was my first big thing. It’s so nice that my first big series regular role is also another queer show, because a lot of times, as queer actors, people are like, “Oh, I don’t know if I want to pigeonhole myself….” And I’m just like, “Oh, thank god we have more opportunities to play gay characters.”

CR: It seems like you might be happy playing queer roles for the rest of your acting career.

JS: For the rest of my days. Because, if I do get to play queer characters for the rest of my days, that means that there are queer characters being written and created. The whole point of this thing is to continue to move the needle forward, because three, four years ago, we were all fighting for it. It’s nice that they’re opening space for us.

CR: I always think, when I interview a queer actor who plays queer roles, what it must be like to connect with your younger self, thinking, “What would this have meant to 14-year-old Johnny?” Do you ever think that way?

We are under attack, and I think it’s important that, while we celebrate a lot of queer representation, we also take a moment to understand where we still are in this time.

JS: All the time.

CR: And what’s that like for you?

JS: I was watching Heartstopper, and I just had a moment where I had to pause it, and I was like, “Wow, if I would’ve had this as a kid....” Because it is also a very child-friendly show about sexuality. I can only hope that, by me being on-screen, whoever is watching can be like, “Oh, Letters 74 JUNE 17, 2022

yeah. I’m absolutely unafraid to be myself after this.”

CR: Did you watch the original Queer as Folk growing up?

JS: I watched it in hiding. I wasn’t an avid, weekly watcher when it was on Showtime, or before, when it was on in the UK. But I did go back and watch a lot of it after the fact in 2018, when I found out it was getting rebooted.

CR: What were the conversations you had with the cast and crew about how to honor the show’s legacy while also moving the needle forward?

JS: I can’t really speak for anyone else, but I think it was important for me to acknowledge how important Queer as Folk, both of them, were at the time that they came out. I think it’s also important to honor the actors that portrayed these characters at a time when it was not popular, or sometimes even safe. I think it was important to know the legacy that it has, and to also be willing to create something new that hasn’t been seen before.

CR: Even now when I see queer sex on screen, I’m still marveling at the fact that it exists. What was it like knowing that you were signing up for a show that would mean that sex was pivotal?

JS: You see “nudity required” in the breakdown for the audition, and as an actor, I think it’s important for me to push myself and move out of my comfort zone, but I also think it’s important that we tell authentic queer stories, and queer people have sex in those stories, just like if we were to watch Euphoria or any other show on TV that has cis, heterosexual people.

CR: As you know, the whole show is centered on a Pulse-like shooting at Babylon. And for me, admittedly, it was really hard to watch, though I have a real understanding that it’s dealing with trauma and working through that. What did it feel like when you got to that part in the script?

JS: I remember when I first read the pilot, I was shocked. I was like, “Oh my god, I did not know that this is where we are going.” And then, the more I

thought about it, the more I thought how important it was to show something like that. I think there is a responsibility for us as queer people to acknowledge the things that our community has been through, whether it be HIV/AIDS or all of the [other] things our community has been victim to.

I also think it’s super important that we show stuff like that now because we are still undergoing a lot of fire from not only legislation, but bars getting broken into and potentially burned down. We are under attack, and I think it’s important that, while we celebrate a lot of queer representation, we also take a moment to understand where we still are in this time.

I really am grateful to the creators for creating space for this story, and not only in a way that shows the tragedy as it is, but also makes it about so much more than the tragedy: makes it how queer people are incredibly resilient and come together in times of strife, as we always have and always will. ▼ Chris Azzopardi is the Editorial Director of Pride Source Media Group and Q Syndicate, the national LGBTQ+ wire service. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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75 Letters

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79 Letters

The Sea Salt Table

BY ED CASTELLI

Cocktails for Summer Days

E

very couple of years, I have a guttural urge to use a power tool.

It’s like I have some primal need to get my testosterone pumping.

My chest puffs. The hair on my back stands proud. The clouds part and my Dad, the carpenter, shines sunbeams down from heaven.

My project this time was a new bee condo. It’s simple really. You take an untreated 4x4 wooden post and drill “hives” of varying widths. Dig a hole and stand it up.

Solitary bees move in to decorate with pollen and reproduce. They benefit from this habitat and keep the garden buzzing. We benefit from the pollination and help abate the declining bee population.

Truth be told, by the time I was done, my wrists hurt like hell. OK, so did my knees. And my lower back. It felt like I had just tilled a field, shoeless, and uphill in every direction. I had all I could do to stagger onto the porch.

It’s times like these we need soothing refreshments. So this month, I’m featuring a cocktail trifecta for hot summer days. One, a well drink that quenches a crowd. Second, a bougie cooling martini. And third, a refreshing white sangria.

Let’s get started, shall we?

MOJITO SLUSHY

Perfect for your after-beach, no-showerhappy-hour! The original recipe called for 1/3 cup mint. I go with my mood (or depending on the strength of the mint), going down as low as a couple leaves, or up as high as 1/2 cup. If you have extra slush, put the pitcher in the freezer to refill glasses later.

In a blender, combine: 3/4 cup white rum, half of a 12-oz container of frozen limeade, and mint leaves to taste. Fill the blender to the 5-cup mark with ice cubes. Pulse to break up the ice, then blend until slushy.

CUCUMBER MARTINI

I’m not a fan of flavored alcohols or specialty ingredients that can only be used in one or two drinks. I hate having expensive stuff in the liquor cabinet collecting dust. But I make an exception in this case for a good, highend cucumber vodka. Try Effon. Or even Kettle One Botanical Cucumber & Mint.

Chop about an inch of seeded cucumber into ½-inch pieces. Cut half a lime into ½-inch pieces. Place cucumber and lime in a shaker with a few mint leaves and 1 tsp. of super-fine sugar. Smash these ingredients with a wooden spoon. (Or use a muddler, a fun gadget that really brings out the flavors/oils.) Add 4.5 oz of cucumber vodka and 4.5 oz plain vodka. Cover and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. (If Letters 80 JUNE 17, 2022

your shaker is metal, your hand should almost stick to it—like that kid with his tongue on the flagpole in A Christmas Story.) Strain into a martini glass.

BLONDE SANGRIA

Make this sangria the day before or the morning of the day you plan to serve it. It looks great in one of those fancy spigot jars. Trying freezing the grapes as extra “ice” and adding them with the fizz just before serving.

Mix two 750ml bottles of dry white wine or rosé wine in a large container.

Add 2 cups of orange juice, 1 cup triple sec, and 2 to 4 Tbls. peach schnapps.

Add 1 nectarine, 1 orange, and 1 lemon that have been cut into small chunks or wedges. Add 2 cups of white or red grapes. Chill. Just before serving, add something fizzy like club soda, tonic, lemon-lime soda, or even Fresca. Serve over ice with pieces of each fruit.

Happy Summer 2022! ▼ Ed and his husband Jerry split their time between homes near Harrisburg Pennsylvania and Bethany Beach. Ed builds websites to pay the bills but loves to cook, garden, hike, and dote on their dog Atticus. Recipe requests and feedback welcome: ed@seasalttable.com.

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81 Letters

[

Pop the Question [

When I think of Pride, I... …think of believing in one’s own values—no matter the headwinds! ... [ . . .

…remember marching down NYC’s Fifth Ave topless with so many others (Dyke March…1995?) and feel myself a part of a long & ever-evolving lineage of glbtq/nbgqia+ people (with genuine appreciation for all our countless ways of being). ... [ ...

JANE

HRS

…think of my first Pride parade in Washington, DC—the feeling of acceptance and being able to be myself—no need to play games anymore!

…think of all those before me who fought so hard for what my husband and I enjoy today.

I’m proud of them! ... [ ...

ED

…THINK ABOUT PERSONAL AND CULTURAL OBSTACLES OF COMING OUT WHILE FINDING LIBERATION IN SELFAWARENESS. MY FIRST PRIDE EVENT WAS PHILADELPHIA ON THE DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT, 1993.

... [ . . .

... [ ...

JR

MAUREEN

…am reminded that I have been out since 1975 with no regrets. ... [ ...

ROBB

Letters 82 JUNE 17, 2022

…appreciate that we are celebrating not just our sexuality, but also our culture. We may be diverse, but we are also the same: AMAZING! ... [ ...

GLEN

…think of the joy and fun of marching in the streets of Boston at Pride Parade in 1973, holding hands with my girlfriend and being surrounded by so many other gay people. . . . [ ...

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83 Letters

View Point

BY RICHARD J. ROSENDALL

When Guns Are Prized Over Children Defeating the Cold, Inhuman Heart of the GOP

A

s evening came on the first day of Pride Month, Joy Reid and guests on MSNBC were discussing the mass shooting in Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas when news broke of a deadly shooting on the campus of St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Under the circumstances, it is fair to ask if “America First” refers to our preeminence in gun death statistics.

The cries of “Do something!” have led to the usual theatre of US senators discussing possible legislation.

Republicans, however, eager to blame anything and everything but the proliferation of guns for the mass shooting of schoolchildren and their teachers, have taken a ban on assault weapons off the table, leaving a menu of lesser options.

Gov. Greg Abbott fingers mental health as a factor in mass shootings while starving it of funding. Sen. Ted Cruz proposes locking school doors, a blatant fire code violation. Families of murdered fourth graders demand to know why the “good guys with guns”— police who responded to the scene in Uvalde—waited over an hour before storming the classroom where the gunman was shooting nine- and 10-yearolds. This raises the question of why we should even have police if they prefer tackling distraught parents to facing danger inherent in their work.

The all-too-common atrocity in Uvalde inspired the Federalist online magazine to repeat opportunistically its call for more homeschooling. How the socialization of children is furthered by locking them in home fortresses—a COVID shutdown on steroids—is not explained.

Laura Ingraham of Fox News blames the shooting on “pot psychosis,” echoing the notorious 1936 film Reefer Madness.

Former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron, who decries public schools’ “far-left agenda” including Critical Race Theory and “gender ideology,” Letters 84 JUNE 17, 2022

has a new documentary advocating homeschooling. He says, “The problem is that public school systems have become so bad…. [T]hey’re doing more for grooming, for sexual chaos and the progressive left than any real educating about the things that most of us want to teach our kids.”

Cameron has no idea what CRT is other than a pretext to ban teaching about America’s racial history. He uses “gender ideology” and “grooming” as

We cannot charm our way past the culture war being waged against us and our loved ones. frames for demonizing and erasing gender-nonconforming children and those who support them. His embrace of homeschooling is part of a long right-wing effort to undermine public education and further disadvantage minorities.

One might wish inflammatory chatter would be avoided when children are being terrorized. This appears not to dawn on people for whom guns are more sacred than children. A gun-centric culture has been sacralized here in a way not seen in any other country.

How else to explain an advertisement showing a toddler handling a rifle? How to explain demands to arm teachers by the same people who don’t trust them with books or curricula?

Those of us who oppose our country’s slide toward fascism need to be clear that we cannot shoot our way out of the problem. Slanders about CRT and grooming are designed to push us toward Armageddon, not resolve differences.

When Black, brown, gay, and transgender children are associated with a feverishly asserted threat to civilization, violence can be seen not as an unforeseen tragedy but as the inevitable outcome.

I was reluctant to write that sentence.

But with conservatives’ heartless wedge politics and demonization of public schools, they bear responsibility for what their reckless talk inspires. After rightwing sources spread a false claim that the Uvalde shooter was transgender, a terrified trans girl in Texas was set upon by four men fueled by group blame, one of whom called her a “mental health freak.” Imagine having the courage to remain true to yourself despite being the nation’s favorite scapegoat.

The GOP has given itself over to holy warriors determined to portray anyone but white, cisgender, heterosexual, evangelical Christians as an existential threat. Given the far right’s vicious nonsense about replacement theory, does it really surprise us when children who embody various imagined threats are targeted for violence?

We cannot paper this over with soothing talk and unsatisfying compromises on red-flag laws. We cannot charm our way past the culture war being waged against us and our loved ones.

In order to defeat the politics of intolerance, we must work in coalition—a true rainbow coalition such as we’ve seldom seen. All of our understanding, imagination, and respect must be brought to bear. Only by rising to the best in ourselves can we overcome the looming threat. ▼ Richard J. Rosendall is a writer and activist at rrosendall@me.com.

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85 Letters

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87 Letters

ZOE Zoe, seen here pursuing horticultural studies in her new fur-ever home. This spot is good for ornithology too, as it overlooks the birdfeeders.

FUN FACT: Maybe it’s the fuzzy ears? Zoe hears nothing—till the faintest crinkle of an opening treat bag sounds from three rooms away….

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Letters 88 JUNE 17, 2022

JUNE 17, 2022

89 Letters

arts+entertainment

BY DOUG YETTER

SPOTLIGHT ON THE

arts

CAMP Rehoboth Puts Art at the Heart of Our Community As I See It…from Kodachrome to iPhone Stop by the CAMP gallery to see Geri Dibiase’s one-woman show—on display through July 2. Geri’s creativity and talent are shine in this exhibition, which has something for everybody!

Renewed Perspective on Glass

I

Richard Thibodeau images, top to bottom: Relaxing Merman; Sitting Pretty.

n his new solo show, artist Richard Thibodeau transforms what was once an old artistic technique into a modern vision incorporating vibrant colors and dimension. Thibodeau’s endless love of experimentation with diverse types of media led him to reintroduce reverse painting on glass—an early 20th century technique incorporating Art Deco with modernized images. Thibodeau has exhibited at the Vienna Art Society, the Fairfax Art League in Virginia, the 205 Lavinia Street Gallery in Milton, is a frequent exhibitor at CAMP Rehoboth’s Handmade Art Market, and has won numerous awards.

We know you’ll enjoy his fun and vibrant art when you visit the gallery—on display from July 5-28, with an artist’s reception on Saturday, July 9 (5:00-7:00 p.m.). ▼

CAMP REHOBOTH highlights our community’s unique history and culture, and serves to further diversity, equity, and inclusion, by building unity and understanding. Exhibits may be viewed Monday-Friday (10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.) and Saturday (10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.).

View and purchase art on the CAMP Rehoboth website under “SHOP.” Doug is the Artistic Director of CAMP Rehoboth Chorus and Minister of Music at Epworth UMC. You can contact him at dougyetter@gmail.com.

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 www.DelawareScene.com.

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JUNE 17, 2022

arts+entertainment

artist SPOTLIGHT MARIBETH FISCHER & THE REHOBOTH BEACH WRITERS’ GUILD Doug Yetter: Please share a bit about your background and how the Guild began.

Maribeth Fischer: I received a Master of Fine Art in Fiction Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, taught writing at the undergraduate and graduate level, and have published two novels, with a third in search of a publisher.

My younger sister (who lived in Wisconsin) was raising two little boys who both had mitochondrial disease—a terminal condition. I started a creative writing conference to raise money for and awareness of mitochondrial disease. I wanted to do this while the boys were still alive, so I could raise money in their honor, not their memory.

I invited 12 authors to come to teach workshops and give readings, and we raised over $10,000 for the Mitochondrial Disease Foundation that weekend. Overshadowing that success, my seven-year-old nephew, Sam, died the night before the event.

The Rehoboth Beach Writers Guild was formed out of that community, a cause, and a story. I only wanted to do a one-time event, but there was a crucial need to tell our stories.

Telling Sam’s story, even now, keeps him alive. Over the course of five conferences, we raised over $65,000, given in my nephews’ names.

DY: What an amazing story! The website lists a lot of programs and events—Art in the A.M., Writing Boot Camp, Book Club, Writers’ Coffee and Chat…as well as summer classes.

MF: Our longest-running programs are our Free Writes—four a week during the summer, five in the offseason. Boot Camp is every Saturday

of advertising—with a waiting list. Our challenge is how to make people feel welcome and appreciated as we get bigger….

The best thing about our classes is our amazing teachers. I am thrilled by the creativity of their classes and honored that they teach for us. When a group of people in a novel workshop start arguing about something a character has done—a made-up, fictional character? In that moment, the character comes alive!

DY: You mentor a cornucopia of writers, and I’m certain you have some great examples of success.

There’s the success of simply writing every day—even if it’s only 150 words. But making that commitment—that’s huge for so many of us.

at the Rehoboth Beach Library (8:3010:00 a.m.), where people come and just write. We take a break halfway through, socialize a little, then get back to work. Our Night of Songs and Stories has also been going for nearly 15 years, evolving from audiences of 30 to 95 RSVPs in the first eight hours

MF: Success is the person who stands up in front of 90 people at Songs and Stories and reads for the first time.

Success is the person who publishes their first piece of writing in Delaware Beach Life at age 60+. The success of the president of our board, Ethan Joella, whose novel A Little Hope was featured in People magazine and on the Today Show this past December.

There’s the success of simply writing every day—even if it’s only 150 words.

But making that commitment—that’s huge for so many of us. There’s the success of the woman who recently quit her job so she could write, something she’s always longed to do.

I can’t wait to take her out for a drink to celebrate. The success of everyone who has published a book—and we have to be talking close to a 100 by now…the successes are constant! ▼

We wish Maribeth and the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild continued success!

Visit rehobothbeachwritersguild.com to learn more.

JUNE 17, 2022

91 Letters

arts+entertainment

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

BOOKED SOLID Playing With Myself

by Randy Rainbow c.2022, St. Martin’s Press $28.99, 256 pages It takes two to tango.

And foxtrot, and waltz, and polka, for that matter.

You might dance in a circle with other couples but those are couples, remember, not lines of people boot-scootin’.

No, it takes two to tango and spaghetti kiss and to sing a duet but, as in the new book, Playing with Myself, by Randy Rainbow, it just takes one to podcast.

People ask Randy Rainbow all the time if his last name is real. Yes, it is, he writes with glee, and it’s one of the best things his father ever gave him. Because, seriously, could there be a more fitting name for a gay “topical comedian”?

Being in the limelight has always been in Rainbow’s blood: he recalls staging a Disney play for neighborhood parents when he was very young. He was the lead actor, the director, the stage manager, and the costumer. His playmates were rather less-than-enthusiastic but the parents applauded, and Rainbow was hooked.

It probably helped that his mother was a big Broadway fan and so Rainbow grew up with show tunes. As an adolescent, he collected soundtrack CDs and, after he was introduced to “a form of religion that was...Barbra Streisand,” he collected videos of certain performances he grew to love best.

Also as an adolescent, he grew awkward. His other religion

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JUNE 17, 2022

was crunchy snacks and he spent a lot of time in his room; his parents had moved the family from New York to Florida; their marriage was in shreds, and it took awhile for Rainbow to get his confidence back. It wasn’t until he was in high school that he found that old rhythm, his scathing sense of humor, and a cadre of like-minded theater-and-drama friends.

After graduation, Rainbow returned to New York, where he ultimately found his community and sharpened his talent.

Restaurants and clubs kept the lights on while he was learning to monetize the podcasts he was making, when an agent told him that he was “still a nobody!”

“Enter,” says Rainbow, “the 2016 presidential candidates.”

You didn’t really think Playing with Myself would be as hilarious as author Randy Rainbow’s videos, did you? Yes, this book’s funny but alas, not quite as LOL as his parodies.

You probably won’t mind, though: Rainbow’s biography is still plenty entertaining, nonetheless. From his first pair of Ruby shoes to the shoo-off he jokingly gives readers at the end, we get a peek at how he gained what he admits is “an encyclopedic knowledge of Broadway musicals,” how his sense of humor was honed, and how that all led to a library of YouTube bits that roast those in the news. Politicians seem to be special targets for Rainbow—not surprisingly, as you’ll see here—but anyone’s fair game for the needling.

Playing with Myself is slightly bruised by an overdose of name-dropping, the presence of which may surprise nobody.

Still, if you don’t hate on that and you love a little faux-pearlclutching, this book is too good to pass up. ▼ Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old and never goes anywhere without a book. Always Overbooked, she lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 15,000 books.

S R A E B H C A E B REHOBOTH CELEBRATING 8 GREAT YEARS

Top of T 56 Balt he Pines imore Av Startin g at 6p e m

JUNE 17, 2022

93 Letters

Q Puzzle Virtual Equality

Solution on Page 116 ACROSS 1 Streisand, familiarly 5 Comes out on the beach 9 Monks’ head 14 Streetcar director Kazan 15 Cut the crop 16 Uncastrated porkers 17 “Gay people do not fight for freedom to live in ___...”

20 Lobbyist Hilary 21 Hair color, e.g.

22 Phallic fish 23 Boy in a Johnny Cash song 24 Cost-of-living stat 26 House seat holders, e.g.

27 Love Story composer 28 Heteros, on PlanetOut? 29 Fruit in a slot machine 31 Linda of Another World 32 One of the “Maneater” singers 33 Are able to, to Shakespeare 34 Virtual Equality author and source of this puzzle’s quote (19582022) 37 Hard to penetrate 39 Islamic leaders 40 Prefix that means “queer”

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JUNE 17, 2022

41 Did an axel, say 43 Latin I verb 46 Tyler of Lord of the Rings 47 Facial application 48 “___ was saying ...”

49 Snatch 50 Summer for Colette 51 Box to Vidal 53 Lennox of the Eurythmics 55 ...but in a ___ 58 Michael of The Village Voice 59 Got a little behind 60 Cut the skin off 61 You might shed this 62 What Sam twitched on Bewitched 63 Aspen vehicle DOWN 1 Amanda of Married... with Children 2 Closet-emptying cry?

3 Prejudice and then some 4 Bargain sign at Barneys 5 Ocean flier 6 Hours for hitting the sheets 7 Jethrene Bodine portrayer Max 8 Ankle injury 9 Borders on

10 Choreographer Fosse 11 Erotic toy store 12 What Joan of Arc was maid of 13 Author whose poems inspired Cats 18 Chelsea in Manhattan, e.g.

19 Storage spots 25 Antifur org.

30 Milo of Oz 31 Emcee’s platform 32 Italian bear 33 Kind of arrest 34 Single stanza by Millay?

35 Stale mates, e.g.?

36 Biographies, to Baudelaire 37 Ethical challenge 38 Cut 41 Pandora’s Box heroine 42 Light heavyweight 43 Heat and cool, to strengthen 44 Ecole teacher 45 Submitted to a master 47 Ursa ___ (nighttime bear) 52 Words used in setting the tempo 54 They may show through a wet t-shirt 56 Sked info 57 It may be Sapphic

JUNE 17, 2022

95 Letters

BYWAYS

FATHERS’ PRIDE

An Interview with DaddyArtist Michael Turchin

BY MIKEY ROX

P

op artist Michael Turchin— and his husband, NSYNC’s Lance Bass—welcomed fraternal twins to the world in October 2021, which makes this June a milestone month for the proud papas: Not only are they celebrating Pride, but also their first Father’s Day. In a recent interview, Turchin details his newfound daddy-hood, plus how you can pick up his Pride-inspired prints to benefit The Trevor Project.

MIKEY ROX: When did you and Lance know you were ready for kids?

MICHAEL TURCHIN: Independently from each other, we both grew up wanting a family, and so when we first started our relationship, the prospect of children was always on the table. We’ve been with each other now for almost 12 years, so a few years back we decided it was finally time to start that journey—and I’m beyond thrilled that we did.

MR: This is your first Father’s Day as parents. How will you celebrate?

MT: It sure is! We’re so excited to finally be able to celebrate this day. I think we’ll probably spend a nice day at home with the kids since it’s really all about them.

MR: It’s Pride Month! What’s a proud papa moment you’ve recently had?

MT: It doesn’t seem like much, but our twins finally started sitting up and playing with each other and it’s been such a joy watching them explore each other and their surroundings. It seems like they accomplish something new every week, and every time my heart expands more and more.

MR: What are you most looking forward to as a new dad?

MT: The thing I’m most excited about is celebrating the holidays and experiencing it all again through their eyes. The older you get, holidays seem to lose their magic and so I can’t wait to see their excitement and joy.

MR: What’s been the most unexpected challenge?

MT: I think the biggest—although not very unexpected—challenge is the lack of sleep. I’m still trying to get used to it.

Luckily, I love my babies more than I love my sleep because it sure is exhausting… in the best way possible.

MR: How do busy parents like yourselves co-parent? What tips do you have for other new LGBTQ+ parents?

MT: My husband and I are usually on the same page, so we don’t butt heads too much. But we definitely have our moments. I think the best way to coparent is to keep the communication flowing and always support one another.

Continued on page 98

Letters 96

JUNE 17, 2022

clear space theatre company JUNE 24 thru AUGUST 27

Continued on page 14

20 Baltimore Ave. (Beach Block) RB, DE 19971

Catch every show twice each week!

WEEKENDS ONLY!

Saturdays ONLY, 11 am

Masks are required for everyone while inside the building.

No food or beverages allowed inside the theatre.

For complete show schedules & tickets, please visit:

www.ClearSpaceTheatre.org Or call

302.227.2270

ThisThis program supported, in by a program is is supported, in part, part,grant by from a grant from the the Delaware Division of the Delaware Division the Arts, with Arts, a state agency,of in partnership a state agency, in partnership the National Endowment for the Arts. withThe Division promotes Delaware arts theevents National Endowment for on www.DelawareScene.com. theClear Arts.Space Theatre Company, Inc. is a The501(c)(3) Divisionnon-profit promotes organization.

JUNE 17, 2022

97 Letters

BYWAYS

Continued from page 98

We take turns with the kids most days so the other can nap, and we’ve built a great support system of friends and family who can always be there when we need a helping hand—which has been a lifesaver on many occasions.

MR: Do you find time to relax, decompress? What does that look like these days?

MT: As busy as we are with our jobs and kids, we do make a point to take time for ourselves. We’ve taken several staycations in the city where we live so we can get away and recharge without being far from home. Periodic spa days have also been a real treat. The more relaxed and uplifted we feel the better we are as parents, so taking the time whenever you can to help yourself is so important.

MR: Finally, does Lance sing lullabye-bye-byes at night? (Sorry, we had to.…)

MT: He does! Both Lance and I always sing around the house to each other, and now with children the singing seems to never end. ▼ Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBTQ lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @ mikeyroxtravels

Letters 98

JUNE 17, 2022

In celebration of Pride Month, pop artist Michael Turchin has partnered exclusively with ArtSugar, the cutting-edge, charity-driven contemporary art retailer offering an assortment of striking framed prints and decor from the most popular global artists on social media.

ArtSugar and Turchin have launched ready-to-hang framed art prints of two of his rainbow-themed original artworks. Proceeds from each sale will benefit The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth.

reho dental 28-02_Layout 1 3/30/2018 2:12 PM Page 1

You’ve Always Belonged Here . . .

Lana Warfield

16712 Kings Highway, Lewes, DE Office: 302-645-6661 Cell: 302-236-2430 E-mail: lcwarfield@hotmail.com

rehoboth guest 28-02_Layout 1 3/30/2018 2:13 PM Page 1 A member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates, LLC

JUNE 17, 2022

99 Letters

OUR SUPPORTERS MAKE IT HAPPEN PURPLE LEVEL Greg Albright & Wes Combs X Sondra N. Arkin X Aaron, Heather, Gia & Joe Book* Catherine & Katie Brennan Carol Bresler & Carolyn Billinghurst X Pat Catanzariti & Carole Ramos* Edward Joseph Chrzanowski * Skip Dye & Steven King* Judy & Carole Jesiolowski James W. Johnson & Matthew H. Shepard* Wesley Lin & Brian Chapman Fred Munzert & J.P. Lacap Beth Pile & S.A. White X Mark Purpura & Matthew Adams* Chris Rinaldi & Brian Powers X Mary Rossettini & Kathleen Taylor Jennifer Rubenstein & Diane Scobey X Gary Seiden & Ah Bashir X Evie Simmons & Barb Thompson X Leslie Sinclair & Debbie Woods X Diane Sweeney* Hope Vella William E. Cross Foundation Arthur Brisker, Director Steven Wright DMD PA*

INDIGO LEVEL Terry Albarella Murray Archibald & In Memory of Steve Elkins X James Beal & In Memory of David Van Patter Wesley Blickenstaff* Jane Blue & Louisa Watrel X Joe Brannen & John Klomp X Tom Brown X Chris & Richard Cahill X Elizabeth Carl & Tori Hill X Richard Coss & Mike Hull* Elbert Leroy Dage Lou Fiore & Jim Burke* Gary Gajewski - In Memory of Dr. John A. Boscia Richard Gamble & Paul Lindsey* David & Marti Garrett* Harry Hallock Fred Harke - In Memory of Robert Rougeau X Holly Horn & Kathleen Garrity X Peter Karsner X Melissa & Amanda Kaufman X Maureen Keenan & Teri Dunbar X Jerry Kennedy & Robert Quinones X Russell Koerwer & Stephen Schreiber X Roger Kramer* Susan Kutliroff & Barbara Snyder* Christine Lay X Curtis J. Leciejewski, DDS, PA X Thom Morris & Jim Slusher Natalie Moss & Evelyn Maurmeyer X Rick Mowery & Joe Conn X Tom Negran & Marc Anthony Worosilo X John Newton & Mowry Spencer X Mark Niehaus & Brooks Honeycutt X Jeanine O’Donnell - State Farm* Gwen Osborne & Katie Handy X The Pearsall Family* Porter-Gordon Family* Deborah Qualey & Karen Gustafson X

Letters 100

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John Roane & Doug Lingenfelter In Memory of Jeff Hosley Lori & Renee Rocheleau Mark Roush & Dave Banick* Mark Schweizer & Robert Voelker Susan Tobin & Cathy Martinson* Terry Vick* Mel W. & Linda Lee M. Weller Ronald Wetzel & Nathan Hench* Brian Yanofchick

BLUE LEVEL Marge Amodei* Ronald Bass & George Robbins X Rocky Bible & Kevin Bosley - In Memory of Jackie Morris Tim & Meredith Birrittella Teresa Bolduc & Kim McGeown* Chris Bowers* Karen Brause & Kim Sheaffer* Tony Burns X Donna Davis & Gail Jackson X Scott Davis & Chris Shaheen* Connie Fox & Donna Adair* Tom Galloway & Les Diggs Perry Gottlieb & Tim White* John Holohan & William Ensminger* Irene & Lou Katz* Nancy & Tora Kennedy* Paul & Anne Michele Kuhns* Glenn Lash & Mark Paugh Bob Mancuso & Doug Murray Marvin Miller & Dan Kyle X Chris Rouchard X Michael Shaffer & Benjamin Wilson X Sandra Skidmore X Frank Surprenant, DDS & Chris Wisner X

GREEN LEVEL Sharon Bembry & Lois Powell* Alex Benjamin & Pete Grover* David Bower* David W. Briggs & John F. Benton X Charlie Browne & Rod Cook X Barry Bugg* Cheryl Buxton* Jay Chalmers & John Potthast X Stephen Corona Lewis & Greg Dawley-Becker* Robert Defendis & Ronald O. Dempsey* Mike DeFlavia & Tony Sowers* Ann DeLazaro & Annette Potemski Marianne DeLorenzo & Linda Van de Wiele* Max Dick* Diane Dragositz Kathy & Corky Fitzpatrick X Keven Fitzsimmons & Jeff Stroud X Cynthia Flynn & Deirdre Boyle X Lisa Gilley Richard Green & Asi Ohana X Joe Greenhall & Tom Klingler Bob Gurwin & John Rourke David Hagelin & Andy Brangenberg* Jo Hamilton & Donna Voigt* Terry Hollinger & Mike May Steve Hoult & Rick Bane X Karen Hugues & Cathy McCallister X Anthony Incalcatera & James Buswold Alex IX & Gare Galbraith Nola Joyce & Brenda Eich*

Jocelyn Kaplan & Idalie Adams In Memory of Adeline Kaplan X Linda Kemp* Deborah Kennedy & Beth Yocum* Eric Korpon & Steven Haber* Lee Lambert Leslie Ledogar & Marilyn Hewitt* John J. MacDonald & Douglas James Susan Morrison* Dennis Neason & Steve Bendyna* Kim Nelson & Lori Simmons X Fran O’Brien & David Gifford* Keith Petrack & Michael Fetchko* Anne Pikolas & Jean Charles X Gail Purcell & Sandy Kraft* Tony Purcell & In Memory of Daniel Espejel Marty Rendon & John Cianciosi* Douglas Sellers & Mark Eubanks* Scott Shaughnessy & John Hassell* William Snow X Mary Spencer & Kathy Lingo* Joseph Steele & Chris Leady David Streit & Scott Button* Anne Tracy & Mary Gilligan* Peter Trost & John Worek Cal Weible & Daniel Halvorsen X Kathy Wiz & Muriel Hogan X Jon Worthington & Bryan Houlette X Karl Zoric & Mark Pipkin X

YELLOW LEVEL Brenda Abell X Ria Allman Keith Anderson & Peter Bish X Gwen Atwell & Marla Hoon Dale Aultman & Paul Gibbs X Shannon & Sarah Avery* Pamela Baker & Diane Dixson* Linda Balatti & Shirley Gilmer X Susie Ball & Susan Delaney X Mike Ballinger & In Memory of Martin Thomas* Miriam Barton* Chris Beagle & Eric Engelhart* Tom Beall Barbara Beavers & Kathy Carrell Sherry Berman & Deb Hamilton X Abby Bernstein & Karen Frank X Michael Boyle & Greg Murphy X David Carder Kathy Casey & Jean Burgess X Kate Cauley & Pat Newcomb Bob Chambers* Jean Chlastawa & Susan Griesemer* Paul Christensen & Dennis Morgan* Jim Chupella & Jim Wigand* Steve Clayton & Brad Lentz* Gary Colangelo & Gerald Duvall X Nancy Commisso* Thomas Conway & Thoth Weeda* Billy Cox & John Carr* Drexel Davison - Bad Hair Day?* Anthony Delacruz & Ronald Mangano Fred DiBartolo & Steve Wood X Maureen Dolan & Karen McGavin* Albert Drulis & Scott Silber* Sandy Duncan & Maddy Ewald Karen & Lisa Faber* Alice Fagans & Ruth Ann Mattingly* John Farley & Dennis Wilson X Dent Farr & Erick Lowe* Dee Farris* Jerry Filbin* Cecily Fisher & Loretta Higgins

CAMP REHOBOTH MEMBERSHIP 2022 Monica Fleischmann & Lona Crist X John Flournoy & Jim Chrobot Roland Forster & David McDonald John Furbush & Tom Feng* Ricki Geiger Gail Gormley* Susan Goudy* Ken Green & Joe Kearney* Renee Guillory & Melissa Vila-Guillory Mary Gunning Wesley Hacker & David Block* Pete & Joanne Harrigan* Robert Henthorne & Roger Bolduc David Herring & Karl Hornberger Carol Holland - Holland Jewelers X Caroline Huff & Brenda Robertson* Nan Hunter & Chai Feldblum Pete Jakubowski* Dorsey Johnson & Kay Jernigan* Philip Johnson* Dee Dee Jones & Julie Blake Frank Jump & Vincenzo Aiosa* Bob Kabel* Marilyn Kates & Laura Glenn* Andy Kite & Karl Martin Rose Korten & Brenda Pinkney* Jay Kottoff & Mark Matey* Greg Kubiak* Carol Lazzara & Sheila Maden* Edmund LeFevre & Keith Wiggs X Greg Lehne Monica Lewis & Ann Zimmerman* David Lindeman & Andrew Phipps Frank Liptak & Joe Schnetzka* Jim Lonsdale & Bryan Hoffman John Mackerey & Donald Filicetti Teresa Madonna & Stacey Mazzacco Patricia Magee & Anita Pettitt X John Marson Jill Masterman & Tammy Jackson* Tony Mazzarella Michael McCarthy & Lars Kontz In Memory of Vickie Stapleton Mickie McManamon* Howard Menaker & Patrick Gossett X Phil Merola & Rocco Scutaro Ray Michener & Tom Carlson* Sandy Neverett & Pam Cranston X Robert Nowak & David Bergman X Donna Ohle & Susan Gaggiotti X Judy Olsen & Joanne Kempton X Maggie Ottato X Dotti Outland & Diane Mead X Peninsula Gallery - Tony & Carol Boyd-Heron* Joanne Picone & Kathy Bostedo* Frank Pirhalla Stephen Pleskach X Jim Pressler X Sam Profeta X Lisa Rabigi & Bea Vuocolo* Gene Roe X Thomas Rose & Thomas Sechowicz X Lucien Rossignol & Tom Harris* Mark Saunders & Bob Thoman* Richard Scalenghe & Thomas Panetta* Sheryl Schulte & Jeanne LaVigne* Troy Senter & Stacey Chan* Mary Ann Slinkman & Sharyn Santel* Polly Smale & In Memory of Charlotte Reid* David Smith & Kenn Williams Susan Soderberg & Terri King X

John Michael Sophos & Miss Dot Sophos* Diane Sozio & Patricia Hutchinson* Dee Speck & Linda Kauffman X Matthew Stensrud & Michael Cohen* Robert Stoltzfus & Gerald Warhola* Lenny Stumpf & John B. Pitchford* Brett Svensson & Bill Quinn - Dust Doctors LLC* Thrasher’s French Fries* Don Wainwright & Tom Jamison* Lana Warfield & Pamela Notarangelo X Elizabeth Way & Dorothy Dougherty* Michael Weinert X Justin Weitz William Wheatley* Joseph & Diane Wood Tony Wright & Mary Jo Bennett X Steven Wunder & Rod Hastie Jean Sutliff Young* Joanne Yurik* Larry Zeigler X John Zingo & Rick Johnson*

ORANGE LEVEL Ruth Ball & Mary Ellen Jankowski* Romulus Barba & Dean Yanchulis* Paul Barbera & Joseph Nolan Nancy Bearss & Jenni Lindsay Kathleen Biggs & Maria Campos* Janet Blaustein Kathy Board & Jackie Maddalena Boland Family - In Memory of Michael J. Kelly* Richard Bost & Thomas Moore* Linda Bova & Bridget Bauer - The Sea Bova Associates* Victor Branham & Mark Clark William Briganti & Gary Moore* Anita Broccolino - In Memory of Cathy Fisher Wendy Bromfeld* Ronald Butt & Steve Cannon* William Byron & Ali Lazur Ingrid Callmann & Karen Askins* Charlie Codacovi* Beth Cohen & Fran Sneider X Community Bank Delaware* Mark Conheady* Lois Cortese & Jill Stokes X Kay Creech & Sharon Still* Kenneth Currier & Mike Tyler X John D’Amico* Julie A Danan Linda DeFeo X J. Lynne Dement & Lisa J. Snyder* Jim DiLalla & In Memory of Frederick Episcopo* Tony DiMichele & Jeff Smith* Donna Dolce* Kevin Doss & Arie Venema Arlyce Dubbin & Kathleen Heintz* Susan Dube & Diana Patterson* Brenda Dunn & Karen Anderson Richard Egler Susan Eig & Ellen Schiff X Jeanne Embich* Robin Esham Maureen Ewadinger* Ellen Feinberg & Lesley Rogan X Barbara Fitzpatrick & Denise Centinaro Sara Ford & Anne Donick* Deb Fox & Deb Bonneau Continued on page 102

Waterfront in Canal Corkran, Rehoboth Beach 58 Eleanor Lee Lane Dock, Pool, 7BR, Solar, Garage for 6 Cars

$3,850,000

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246 Rehoboth Avenue Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 (302) 227-3883 Jacklingo.com

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Country Club Estates 5BR, 5.5BA Heated pool

List Price: $2,979,000

RBYCC

5BR, 3.5BA, Waterfront, Dock

List Price: $2,500,000 JUNE 17, 2022

101 Letters

Continued from page 100

Charles Gable Christopher Galanty & James Apistolas Ron Glick & Tien Pham* William Gluth & Channing Daniel* Ed Gmoch* Mike Gordy & Ed Brubaker* Joe Gottschall & Scott Woody Charles Graham* Deborah Grant & Carol Loewen* Robert Grant & Chris Cossette Todd Hacker Siobhan Halmos & Beth McLean* Sharon Hansen X Pat Harte & Nancy Sigman Jacqueline Havriliak Tracey & Erica Hellman Nancy Hewish & Vicki Martina* Bill Hillegeist X Mary Anne Hoopes & Dianna Johnston* Vance Hudgins & Denny Marcotte* John Hulse X Mary Huntt & Angela Creager* Janet Idema & Patricia Higgins* Anne Kazak & Chris Coburn X Maryl Kerley X Bonnie Kirkland & Wanda Bair X Myra Kramer & John Hammett* Rob & Jean Krapf X Barbara Lang & Diane Grillo* Jim Lesko Dale & Sue Lomas* Duncan MacLellan & Glenn Reighart* Marsha Mark & Judy Raynor* James Mastoris & Edward Chamberlain X Jonathan Mattner & Chad Rinker Michael & Stephan Maybroda* Kathy & Steve McGuiness* Kate McQueen* James Mease & Philip Vehslage* Sherril Moon & Louise Montgomery* Margaret Moore & Sheree Mixell X R Moore Carol Morris & Ann Abel Lisa Mosley Pat Nickols* Lisa Orem & Debby Armstrong* Sandra Oropel & Linda Frese* Carolyn Ortwein & Ann Barry* Rutland Paal & Robert Mittleman* Sandra Pace & Barbara Passikoff X Steve Parker* Ellen Passman X Marilyn Pate & Dorothy Smith* Patricia Pawling & Jennifer Butz* Rina Pellegrini Colleen Perry & Jane Kuhfuss* Marianne Perry & Jeanette Laszczynski* Deena Pers X Grace Pesikey & Janet Urdahl* Peter Pizzolongo & Carlos Prugue* Pierce Quinlan & Ginny Daly* Susan Reinagel & Dawn Henderson* Pat Renninger & Tammy Plumley X Bill Rogers & Jeff Wilkinson Judy Rosenstein & Elva Weininger X Deborah & Charles Ross X Katherine Sams* Richard Sargent* Gary Schell & Jim DiRago Laurie Schneider & Margie Ripalda* Carol Scileppi & Valerie McNickol* Teri Seaton & Rena Frampton-Seaton Michael Seifert & Harvey Holthaus* Craig Sencindiver & Gary Alexander* Tara Sheldon Frank Shockley & Arthur Henry* Anita Smulyan

Letters 102

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Tina Snapp & Susan Leathery Christine Stanley & Joyce Rocko* Greig Stewart & Jake Hudson* Caroline Stites & Elizabeth Coit X Brian Straka* Sandra Sullivan & Lorie Seaman* Terrence Sullivan Trudie Thompson Susan & Rich Thornberg James Vernicek & Jeff Dailey* Joseph Vescio Tama Viola Patricia Walker Don Wessel Ralph Wiest & Anthony Peraine* Daryle Williams & Steven Fretwell Terri Windlan Melanie Wolfe & Monica Niccolai Robert T. Wright & Jack Lim* Sherri Wright & Dick Byrne* Janet & Ron Yabroff Niki Zaldivar & Cecil McNeil X Kathryn Zimmerman Helaine Zinaman & Roselyn Abitbol X

RED LEVEL Guy Abernathey X Dale Adams Adrienne & Kim* Jim Affonco X Mark Aguirre & Wayne Gleason X Bill Alldredge X Chris Allison Stephani Allison & Judith Gorra X Alan Anderson X Daniel Anderson & Greg Melanson Andrea Andrus & Maggie Shaw X Peter Antolini X Patricia Antonisse X Wanda Armwood & Illona Williams Cynthia Arno Terry & Gayle August Josh Bach & Edward Ginley Kathleen Bailey X Christine A. Baker John Baker & Richard Latham X June Baker* Sarah Barnett Curtiss Barrows X Brian Bartels* Eric Barton & Greg Nagel Barbara Bastow & Margaret McHale John Batchelor X Karen Beck* Beebe Medical Foundation* Pat Beebe Mike Behringer & Nelson Correa* Alex Belano Sheryl Bender & Doreen DiLorenzo* George Benes & Michael Mallee X Suzanne Bennethum & Deborah Smith* Joe Benshetler & Kurt Angell Jeri Berc X John Berdini X Joel Berelson & Charles Maples* James C. P. Berry & Matthew Stanislao Lisa Beske - In Loving Memory of Steve Elkins* Christine Bielenda & Karen Feuchtenberger* Thomas Biesiadny X Deb Bievenour & Susan Shollenberger* Beatrice Birman & Mary Malgoire Lorraine Biros* Cathin Bishop & Laura Simon X Ann Black & Kaye Wachsmuth X Carol Blair* Eric Blondin - State Farm Insurance Rehoboth Beach X Jacquelyn Blue X

Rev. Dr. Tom Bohache & Tom Laughingwolf Simmons X Annabelle Boire* Carl Bomberger & Mike Rhoads Robin Bond & Leanna Johannes* Bob Bonitati X Joy Boone & Marina Simmers X Randall Borgerson X Pete Borsari X Laura Borsdorf X Nancy Bouse & Norma Morrison X David & Donna Bowman X Deni Boyer & Loretta Imbrogono Brian Boyle & Larry Gee X Beth Bozman* Jim Brady & Mike Hays X John Brady X Kelly Brennan & Susan McVey* Susan Brinsfield & Barbara Devenport Debora Brooke * Kevin Brown X Lyn Brown & Winsome Boyd Matthew Brown Diane Bruce & Annie Sorvillo* Daniel Bruner & Tim Beymer Jack Bucchioni Carol Buck Al Bulliner X Belinda Buras & Linda Simeone Geoffrey Burkhart & Bruce Williams* Lyn Burleson & Sharon Werner* Carol L. Burnett X Mary Jean Burns & Novalyn Winfield Stephen Burt & Michael Jones Timothy B. Bush X Sherry Butler Randy Butt & Emerson Bramble* James Byrnes X Robertine Cale Debbie Cali & Maddie Cunningham Leslie Calman & Jane Gruenebaum* Pat Campagna & Debra Sansoucie Terri Campbell & Victoria Smith Michele Campisi & Julie A. Slick X Joe Canter Matt Carey X Jim Carlo X Justine Carpenter X Shirley Carpenter & Mary Coldren X Deborah Carroll & Jill Steiner Alice Casey & Anthony Codella Jo Cason & Peggy Neidlinger Teresa Cason & Lynda Schepler X Sara Cavendish & Wendy Bunce X Denis Chandler & Sebastion DiMauro Linda Chaney & Irene Lawlor* Helen Chang & Pat Avery Dr. Harvey J. Chasser X Mike Chateauneuf X Dan Childers & Ted Hernandez* Tom Childers & John Hall X Sandra Chinchilla & Michelle Holmes X Curt Christensen & Ellen Heald* Billy J. Christian X Dennis Chupella & Rob White X Dottie Cirelli & Myrna Kelley X James Clark Norma K. Clark X Rob Cline Barbara Clipper Amy Clouse & Betty Long X Julie Cockley Anne Cole & Sandy Freeman Carolyn Cole & Sandy McDevitt X Stuart Comstock-Gay X Inez Conover X Blanche Cook & Clare Coss Bill Cooley & Ken Watkins DVM X Josh Cooper & Steve Rathburn Jeffery A. Coover X Michael Cornell X Lois Corson X

Mary Costa & Kris Nygaard* Becky & Tom Craft X Wendy Cramer & Carolyn Baranowski* Theresa-Ann Crivelli & Angela Murray* Robert Crocetti X Bill Cross & David McCall X Donald Crowl* Mark Cunningham & Ken Tattersall X Rich Custer Jamie Cuthbert & KT Tinney Howard Cyr & Lynn Ashley* Ellen Dahl Charles Daniels William T. Darley X Denise Davis & Jeanne Bilanin Jeremiah Davis Marsha Davis & Bev Lesher X Patricia Davis Kathy Davison & Ruth Dickerson X Celeste De Bease Frederick Dean & Steven Swierzy X Linda Dean & Donna Whiteside* Penny Lee Dean Scott Dechen & James Maino* Michael Decker & Arley Jaimes X Michael DeGraffenreid Susan Deise & Jerri Budzinski Maureen Delaney & Madonna Aldrich Bernie Delia X Frank Dell’Aquila X Claire Dente & Leslie Campo* Tracy Denton & Brenda Welsh Karen DeSantis & Carol Brice* Nancy DeToma & Meg Smith* David DeVargas & Steven Champion X Carolyn DeVito Dawn Devries & Helen Krum Henry & Marcia DeWitt X Romy Diaz & Dennis Bann Geri Dibiase Photography* Julie Dickson X Richard Dietz Phyllis Dillinger Mary Dipietro & Wendy Schadt* Deb Dobransky & Ketty Bennett* Arthur Dochterman X David & Lizann Dockety X Peg Dolan & Mary McDevitt X Mary & Polly Donaldson Millie Donnell Debbie & Karen Dorris* Kathryn Downs Frances Doyle X Paul Dradransky X Zita Dresner Michael Driscoll & Ben McOmber X Deanna Duby & Carol Bruce* Barry Dunkin Gene Dvornick X Sue Early X Frank Echols & Robert Robinson Eden Restaurant X Claire Edmondson & Louise Bylicki Brad Edwards Gail Elliott & Bea Hickey* Pamela Elliott W. Kay Ellis* Ann Evans* Lisa Evans & Joann Gusdanovic Susan Farr & Joanne Pozzo Jane Farrell Alexis Faust Larry & Ro Fedorka* Karen Ferguson* Virginia Fessler * Jayne & Ro Fetterman* Irene & Edward Fick* Ben Ficks & Bob Angell Allen Fred Fielding X Joe Filipek & Larry Richardson X

Mark Finkelstein & Michael Zeik X Paul Finn & Joseph Porporino* Rick Fischer X Barbara Fischetti & Janet Thoden Gary Fisher & Josh Bushey* James Fitzsimmons & Brian Burdelle* Chuck Flanagan X Paul Florentino & Chris Pedersen X Sandra Fluck & Beverly Morgan* Mary Ford & Judy Hedrick X Beebe Frazer X Phil Fretz X Billiemichelle & Evelyn Friel* Neil Frock & Bob Harrison* Bill Fuchs* Marilyn Fuller & Teresa Marigliano Susan Furman Lorraine Gaasche & Jill Mayer* Frank Gainer & Ramon Santos* Lynn Gaites & Faye Koslow X Nina Galerstein* Charles Gallagher & James Day Marcia Gallo & Ann Cammett Jerry Gallucci & Conrad Welch* Kathryn Gantz & Kathryn Gehret Don Gardiner X Cheri Garnet Patricia Garrison Mindy Gasthalter* Wilson Gates X Charles George & Dennis Rivard X Tracey Gersh & Amy Johnson Gary Gillard X Michael Gilles Jordan Gipple & Paul Weppner* Angela & Cheryl Gladowska Joan Glass X Karen Glooch X Ronald Gluck* Jane Godfrey* Randall Godwin X Jackie Goff & Mary Vogt X Katherine Goff Dave Gold & In Memory of James Yiaski X Robert Gold X Suzanne Goldstein & Dana Greenwald X Cindy Gonzalez Milton Gordon & Bill Hromnak X Teresa Gordy & Barb Ford X Dan Goren & Peter Robinson X Anita Gossett & Ronnie Smith* Robert Gotwalt & Norman Jones Amy Grace & Karen Blood* Bill Graff & Jeff Schuck* Lisa & Raymond Graff* Angela Grant & Zoe Fitzpatrick* Paul R. Grant & Marc Watrel* Cheryl Graves Harvey Grider Kenneth Grier* Richard Grifasi X John Grillone & Paul Schlear Jr. X Joseph Gritz X Wendy Grooms & Barbara Fishel X Carol Gross X James Gross X Richard & Frances Grote* Paula Grubbs X Christopher Guidone Helene Guilfoy X Lori Guitson Bill Gunning & Joe Greoski X Marie & Ken Haag* Carolyn Haas & Debbie Williams Jay Haddock & Hector Torres* Gerard M. Haley & George D. Zahner X Cynthia Hall X Barbara Hals & Sharon Dyke Mark Hare & Mike Newman X Continued on page 104

windsor's 28-02_windsor's 14-15.qxd 3/30/2018 2:26 PM Page 1

“WHERE FLOWERS SPEAK A BEAUTIFUL LANGUAGE” FLORIST SHOP • GREENHOUSES 20326 Coastal Highway • Rehoboth Beach, DE (Next to Arena’s Café)

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103 Letters

Continued from page 102

Kelley Harp X David Harrer & Floyd Kanagy* Thomas F Harris II Mary Hartman & Laurie Nelson Jeff Haslow X Janece Hausch* John & Mary Havrilla* Nancy Hawpe Daniel F.C. Hayes* Helen Healy & Lisa Whitehouse Gail Hecky* Barb & Len Hedges-Goetti Leslie Hegamaster & Jerry Stansberry* Linda Heisner X Matthew Hennesey* David Herchik & Richard Looman X Fred Hertrich X Howard Hicks & Stephen Carey X Helen Hilderbrandt Barbara Hines & Nancy Froome X Howard C. Hines, MD X Karen & Mickey Hinman Janel Hino & Patricia Ann Scully X Cynthia Hogue David Hogue & Michael Utasi Harris Holden X Connie Holdridge* Robert Holloran & Ed Davis* Brad Holsinger & Ed Moore - Mod Cottage* Chris Holt & Emory Bevill X Mollyne Honor & Shelley Garfield Larry Hooker X Penni Hope* James T. Hopkins X Elaine Horan & Debbie Sciallo X Frank Hornstein & Mark Henckel X James Hospital & Jack Fraker* Robert Hotes X Peggy Ann Hughes Kaz Huston & Sylvia Daniels Ellan Hylton Batya Hyman & Belinda Cross* Thomas Ingold X Claire Ippoliti X Chris Israel & John Stassi X Debbie Isser & Fran Leibowitz* Geoffrey Jackson & Will Delany X Fay Jacobs & Bonnie Quesenberry X Sharon Janis X Rich Snell X Steve Janosik X Kathy Jantzen & Debi Cunn Allen Jarmon & Ward Ellinger X Robert Jasinski* Mary Jenkins & Laura Reitman Susan Jimenez & Cathy Benson X Chip Johnson - In Memory of Joseph Lachac* Donna A. Johnson* Ken Johnson X Randi Johnson Jim Johnston Richard Jolly & Charles Ingersoll X D. J. Jones* Gay Jones & Barb Bartels Glenn Jones X Sparky Jones Tom Jones X Wayne Juneau X Mick Kaczorowski X Darleen Kahl & Susan Poteet* Bob Kaplan & Jeff Davis X Daphne Kaplan & Steve Scheffer* Sharon Kaplan & Pamela Everett* Kevin P. Kaporch X Amylynn Karnbach - One Day At A Time Gifts, LLC Peter Keeble & Tom Best Margaret Keefe* Alan Keffer*

Letters 104

JUNE 17, 2022

Mark Kehoe X Donald Kelly* John Kelly & Randy Sutphin X Michael J. Kelly X Ann Kemper John Kennedy Rosemary Kerwin & C Robinson Hunter Kesmodel X Ned Kesmodel & Matt Gaffney X Tom Ketterman Marge Keyes & Julie Arenstein X C. David Kimmel* Charlotte King Rachel King Spencer Kingswell X Daniel Kinsella* Ilene Klein Jane Knaus & Cindy Myers Stephen Kopp John Kort & Hung Lai* Robert Kovalcik & Bob Howard X Marcia Kratz* Karen Kreiser & Beth Nevill* Kathleen Kress Kevin W. LaBarge X Adam Lamb & Eli Martinez Cheryl Landry & Lisa Corrado Peter Lanzaro & Frank Bodsford X Dr. Mathilda Laschenski & Dr. Kathleen Heacock X Ruth Lauver & Judy Wetzel* Kate Lavelle X Jim Lawrence & Bob Palandrani Charlie Lee X Nicholas Lee Jon Leeking & Dieulifete Jean* Sherry Leichman & Keith Snyder Kim Leisey & Kathy Solano Lisa Lekawa Jen Leonard & Claire McCracken Jill Leonard Marsha Levine & Susan Hamadock X Arlene & Ginny Levy-Balmforth Barbara Lewis Barbara Lilien* Alexander Lincoln Cindy Lins & Diane Milam Duwayne Litz X Eleanor Lloyd & Celeste Beaupre Jonathan & Karlyn Lokken* Robert E. Long X Pat Loughlin* Cynthia Lowe & Rae von Doehren Debbie Lupton & Romana Dobbs Diane Lusk X P. Michael Lutz* Minda Lynch Becky Lyons & Ebie Hamrick X Christopher Magaha* Joe Maggio X Loretta Mahan* Bernadette Maher & Cheryl Tarlecky* Jack Maher X Nancy Maihoff X Eddie Major X Bruce Majors X Harvey Manchester X Domenic Mannello X Stephanie Manos & Reber Whitner X Robb Mapou & Mike Zufall* Anyda Marchant X Charles Marino & Alan Berman* Diane Markey & Randi Snader* Harold Marmon & Robert Hill* Sharon Marquart Michelle Marsh & Barb Sann Colleen Martin Norma Martin X Linda Martinak & Susan Baker Nan Martino* Marie Martinucci* Jason Darion Mathis Nancy Mathis

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JUNE 17, 2022

105 Letters

jacklingo.com

Discover Your Wonder with Jack Lingo, REALTOR®

Coastal Delaware Sales & Rentals

REHOBOTH BEACH

246 Rehoboth Avenue Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 office: 302-227-3883

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LEWES

1240 Kings Highway Lewes, DE 19958 office: 302-645-2207

MILLSBORO

28442 Dupont Boulevard Millsboro, DE 19966 office: 302-934-3970

Continued from page 108

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107 Letters

SCENES FROM REHOBOTH BEACH

2

1

(Continued from page 67) THIS PAGE (left to right) 1) at Off 24 at Bethany Blues: Doreen Hartley, Diane Cook, Linda Wilson, Debbie Barbour, 2) at The Pines: Channing Daniels, Christopher Kenney, Bill Gluth, Clay Ellis, Jeff Raver, Mat Gulick, Sherrie Brown, Lisa Schlosser, Rick Perry, Garret Gacusana, Larry Pennington, David Lasher, Tony Burns, Mark Lenard, Carmen Zinni, Marcella Peters, RB Commissioner Edward Chrzanowski, Karl Hall.

OPPOSITE PAGE: 3) at The Pines: Chris Beagle, DE U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester, Leslie Ledogar, Kevin Naff, Dan Truitt, Eric Korpon, Joe Healy, Debbie Woods, Leslie Sinclair, Jim Lucas, Richard Bankowitz, Craig Hales, David Gonce, Kristina Kelly, Julia LeVasseur, Mimi LeVasseur; 4) at Maddie’s Surprise 60th Birthday: Lisa Mosley, Gloria Francavilla, Kim Richards, Dawn Kasow, Lisa DeStefano, Rina Pellegrini, Maddie Cunningham, Linda Matulaitis, Aileen Thompson, Linda Mazie; 5) at Gallery 50: Dale McGann, Ed McGann, Rae Hamilton, Sue Hamilton. ▼ Letters 108

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109 Letters

The REAL DIRT

BY ERIC W. WAHL

The Longest Day

J

une is the official start of summer in the northern hemisphere. It designates the point at which the north pole is angled so that is closest to the sun and the south pole is the furthest from the sun. This specifically happens on June 21, and the longest amount of daylight will occur.

In ancient times, especially in the Scandinavian countries, celebrations and rituals coincided with the summer solstice.

Many called this time Midsummer. It was thought that magic in nature was its most pronounced and auspicious at this time.

Flowers and herbs were often cut and brought indoors. Maypoles were decorated and danced around, and bonfires were enjoyed during the nights leading up to and including that day. Flowers were made into garlands and worn around necks to chase away demons. The most powerful plant was “chase-devil.” These traditions were performed hoping to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck in the year’s harvest to come.

The Greeks celebrated with Kronia, a festival honoring Cronus the god of agriculture. And the Romans held Vestalia, a celebration to Vesta, goddess of the hearth. Once Christianity came

on the scene, it was appropriated and celebrated as St. John’s Day, for the birth of St. John the Baptist. Coincidentally the flower, “chase devil,” is now known as St. John’s Wort.

That was a lot of background before getting to the subject of this article, one of my favorites and often-used flowering shrubs in the garden, St. John’s Wort.

Bright yellow buttercup-shaped flowers sit adorning arching stems of this small to medium sized shrub. The blooms are most proliferous in late spring and early summer but will sporadically bloom all growing season.

There are numerous species and varieties of this plant, some of which are invasive. Let us look at one of native species to North America, Hypericum frondosum, the golden St. John’s Wort. Native to central and southeastern United States, this small to medium shrub has a number of varieties. “Sunburst” is a common variety found in nurseries.

The leaves are tinged blue and the shrub only grows to a compact four feet tall and wide. This makes it perfect for a foundation planting, planted in mass for greatest impact, and planted as an ornamental hedge. In addition to the flowers

all summer, it is followed by reddish ornamental fruit in the autumn.

St. John’s Wort is tolerant of rabbit and deer grazing since they tend to avoid this plant. It is semi-evergreen in our region

A relatively new hybrid of St. John’s Wort is a series called FloralBerry®, with the varieties named after our favorite wines. and if grown further south, will tend to be evergreen. Full-sun to part-sun is best for flowering and overall health of the plant.

It prefers moist but well-drained soils.

If it appears leggy, St. John’s Wort will respond well to a light pruning.

A relatively new hybrid of St. John’s Wort is a series called FloralBerry®, with the varieties named after our favorite wines. Not only beautiful for their flowers, but their fruits in autumn are stunning and are the color of the wine they are named after. My favorite is Rosé St. John’s Wort, with its yellow flowers and rose-colored fruit. The flowers and fruit are used in floral arrangements; their stems can be found in many local floral shops.

Think about adding St. John’s Wort to your landscapes and gardens. The varieties that are available now are more compact than the straight species and can even be planted in containers for a sunny patio. Add a plant or two to a cutting garden for contrasting texture and shape, as well as cutting stems for your home arrangements.

Enjoy the longest day and celebrate with the wonderful, handsome St. John’s Wort.

Stay safe and let’s garden together. ▼ Eric W. Wahl, Landscape Architect at Pennoni Associates, and President of the Delaware Native Plant Society

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Infant puppies and kittens are tons of fun to see grow to adoption age. And then there are adult dogs and cats who need a little time out of the shelter and appreciate every ounce of love they get.

We’re saving more lives than ever, and these just some of the ways you can help as a foster family. Timeframes can range from as short as a week to longer. We provide all the supplies and tailor the timeframe and the pets to your situation. Join our lifesaving work as a foster by applying today at:

Georgetown Campus 302-858-4203 | 22918 Dupont Boulevard, Georgetown, DE 19947 JUNE 17, 2022

111 Letters

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A NEW WAVE OF LIVING Luxury 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartment homes designed for resort style living. Seaglass at Rehoboth Beach is conveniently located on Rt. 24 behind the DE Eye Institute with easy access to both downtown Rehoboth and Lewes.

Now Accepting Reservations Call 302-727-4293 or visit www.SeaglassAtRehoboth.com. immanuel quarter 28-02_Layout 1 3/30/2018 1:54 PM Page 1

D E E N E T W

UP YOUR S

PO R

Immanuel Shelter serves those experiencing homelessness in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and surrounding areas.

Your generous support allows us to continue our mission and helps our community provide assistance for those in need.

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN VOLUNTEER OR DONATE, PLEASE VISIT www.immanuelshelter.org 17601 Coastal Hwy, Unit 11, #431 Nassau, DE 19969 1-888-634-9992

All monies raised go directly to Immanuel located in Rehoboth Beach, Sussex County, DE.

Follow the Eccentric Escapades of Dick and James Fun with Dick and James

An AwardWinning Book by Rich Barnett

Rich Barnett

Includes drink recipes!

Look for it at Browseabout Books and One Day at a Time Gift Shop JUNE 17, 2022

113 Letters

Deep Inside Hollywood

BY ROMEO SAN VICENTE

Heartstopper Won’t Stop

N

etflix’s own current organizational woes aside, they just got something right. Heartstopper, the sweet British comedy-drama series, has everybody hooked. The coming-of-age story based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novel about two queer teenage boys (newcomers Kit Connor and Joe Locke), their unexpected romance, and the relationships among their larger group of queer teen classmates, is a breakout hit for the streaming service (54 countries counted it among Netflix’s Top 10). In no small way due to a wave of social media word-of-mouth praise, it’s been picked up for two more seasons, much to the delight of its enthusiastic fans. Oseman will return as writer for the next seasons, which will see the characters navigate more teenage trials and errors as they all move forward into healthy, happy adulthood.

Don’t laugh, this show is kind of the anti-Euphoria, and more power to its comfort-watch qualities. Here’s to being adorable! ▼

Kit Connor and Joe Locker from Heartstopper. Photo credit: Netflix

Indigo Girls Queer Up Mixtape Trilogy

I

ndigo Girls have never let us down.

They showed up in the late ’80s to woo all of us—notably those of us who are lesbians, but let’s not pigeonhole—and it’s been a mutual lovefest ever since.

To celebrate that longevity, the new documentary Mixtape Trilogy: Stories of the Power of Music, the directorial debut of Kathleen Ermitage, will prominently feature the band alongside hip-hop artist Talib Kweli and composer/pianist Vijay Iyer. The film isn’t just a documentary about the band, but specifically about the relationships forged between musicians and their fans. With Indigo Girls and LGBTQ+ audiences, the connection is especially meaningful, as it evolved between underserved fans and artists who were openly queer at a time when it was commercially risky. Mixtape Trilogy is on the film festival circuit right now but will eventually find its way to arthouses and streaming services, so keep your eyes and ears open. ▼

Trevor: The Musical Makes Its Way to Disney+

I

t was the little movie that could. Trevor, the 1994, Peggy Rajski-directed short film that won an Academy Award, became the namesake for The Trevor Project, an ongoing suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization aimed at helping LGBTQ+ young people. And now it’s a critically well-received off-Broadway musical that will soon stream into homes thanks to Disney+. Starring newcomer Holden William Hagelberger, the story follows 13-year-old Trevor, a Diana Ross superfan whose homosexuality becomes a source of bullying at school, which in turn leads to an unsuccessful suicide attempt and a hopeful future of self-acceptance. With a book and lyrics by Dan Collins, music by Julianne Wick Davis, direction by Marc Bruni (and the filmed version directed

by Robin Mishkin Abram), it’s a charming production that looks to get a much-deserved shot at wider Pride Month attention from the streaming platform when it drops on June 24. We’ll be watching. With some Kleenex. ▼

They/Them Slashes Its Way to Peacock

L

ast year we shared the news of an untitled queer horror movie on the horizon from Blumhouse, one starring up-and-coming non-binary actor Theo Germaine (The Politician). Now it has a title and a fleshed-out roster of co-stars. Set in an ex-gay conversion therapy camp, They/Them (say the slash symbol out loud, it’s fun!) follows the horrific goings on at a remote location designed to harm young people and, we assume, how those would-be victims turn the tables. It’s gay screenwriter John Logan’s (Gladiator) directorial bow; the cast now includes Anna Chlumsky, Carrie Preston, and O.G. Friday the 13th star Kevin Bacon. We’re very ready for the kind of revenge-slasher we’ve always dreamed of whenever the subject of ex-gay therapy rears its ugly head, so when it drips blood all over streaming service Peacock on August 5, we’ll be there to enjoy the mayhem. ▼

Romeo San Vicente enjoys camping at five-star hotels.

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115 Letters

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117 Letters

AD INDEX 1776 Steakhouse....................................................... 31 AG Renovations........................................................ 116 All Saints Church........................................................ 21 Apothecanna LLC....................................................... 39 Aqua Bar & Grill.......................................................... 69 Atlantic Jewelry.............................................................9 Beach Essentials........................................................ 51 Beebe Healthcare...................................................... 57 Beebe Healthcare Career Opportunities................... 70 Brandywine Urology Consultants............................... 19 Brandywine Valley SPCA.......................................... 111 bsd.............................................................................. 89 Café Azafrán............................................................... 45 CAMP Rehoboth Block Party Save the Date.............. 15 CAMP Rehoboth Letters Subscription...................... 117 CAMP Rehoboth Premier Sponsors........................... 10 CAMP Rehoboth SUNFESTIVAL......................12, 13, 14 Caroline Huff, Artist.................................................... 11 Cat & Mouse Publishing........................................... 113 Chesapeake & Maine, Dogfish Head................. 81, 115 Chris Beagle Group, Realtors..................................... 23 Clear Space Theatre................................................... 97 Coho’s Market & Grill.................................................. 47 Country Lawn Care................................................... 118 County Bank............................................................... 42 Debbie Reed Team, Realty Group.............................. 47 Delaware Community Foundation............................. 83 Delaware Hospice...................................................... 75 Delaware Humane Association.................................. 88 Diego’s Bar Nightclub.....52, 53, 54, 55, 76, 77, 78, 79 Donna Whiteside, Realtor.......................................... 24

Letters 118 JUNE 17, 2022

Elegant Slumming...................................................... 21 Fifth Avenue Jewelers.............................................. 103 Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant...................112, 119 Gay Women’s Meet Up............................................. 103 go fish go brit............................................................. 39 God’s Greyts Senior Greyhounds............................... 71 Harbour Waterfront Dining......................................... 35 Hugh Fuller, Realtor.................................................... 58 Immanuel Shelter..................................................... 113 Jack Lingo, Real Estate............................................ 106 Jenn Harpel, Morgan Stanley..................................... 21 John Black/Bill Peiffer, Realtors................................. 34 Jolly Trolley.............................................................. 116 Just In Thyme Restaurant........................................... 75 Lana Warfield, Realtor................................................ 99 Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Realtors............................ 85 LifeMed Institute........................................................ 73 Lori’s Café.................................................................. 99 Loves Liquors............................................................. 39 Maplewood Dental Associates................................... 71 McWilliams Ballard Real Estate.................................. 29 MERR Institute............................................................ 35 Milton Theatre............................................................ 43 New Wave Spas.......................................................... 42 Olivia Travel................................................................ 25 Philip Morton Gallery.....................................................7 Port 251..................................................................... 95 Purple Parrot.............................................................. 59 PWW Law.................................................................... 11 Randy Mason/Shirley Kalvinsky, Realtors................ 101 Rehoboth Art League................................................. 42

Rehoboth Beach Bears............................................... 93 Rehoboth Beach Dental............................................. 99 Rehoboth Beach Museum.......................................... 35 Rehoboth Guest House.............................................. 99 Reiki CENTRAL............................................................ 45 Rigby’s Bar & Grill..................................................... 105 Saved Souls Animal Rescue....................................... 47 Sea Bova Associates, Realtors................................. 120 Seaglass at Rehoboth Beach................................... 113 Springpoint Choice..................................................... 46 State Farm - George Bunting..................................... 71 State Farm - Jeanine O’Donnell/Eric Blondin........... 103 Sussex Family YMCA.................................................. 31 The Lawson Firm........................................................ 75 The Lodge at Truitt Homestead.................................. 17 The Pines.................................................................... 63 The Pond.................................................................... 41 The Warren Group, Realtors....................................... 37 Time to Heal Counseling & Consulting...................... 98 Towers Comedy Festival............................................ 49 Troy Roberts, Realtor.................................................. 31 True Blue Jazz...................................................... 86, 87 Unfinished Business................................................... 71 Village Volunteers...................................................... 92 Volunteer Opportunities........................................... 117 Volunteer Thank You................................................ 117 Westminster Presbyterian Church.............................. 45 Windsor’s Flowers.................................................... 103 Zane Jones, Realtor................................................... 94

JUNE 17, 2022

119 Letters

LINDA BOVA

BRIDGET BAUER

BROKER-ABR®

ASSOC. BROKER-REALTOR®

CELL

CELL

302-542-4197

302-245-0577

HOLLY OAK - Lewes. New Construction – 1 Late Summer Delivery & 1 Fall Delivery. 3BR/2BA home is a 1,506 sq. ft. one-level rancher w/oversized 2-car garage. Open concept floor plan. Great room opens to the kitchen and dining area. There is also a sliding glass door out to the big 12’x16’ deck.

Main bedroom suite has a walk-in closet & elegant bath with a 5’x4’ tiled “curbless” shower. Split bedroom plan with a tub/shower in 2nd bath.

Bamboo floors. Stainless steel kitchen appliances.

W&D included. Low HOA. $449,900 (2021958)

FIELDWOOD - Rehoboth.

Cleared 0.31-acre lot already has a well, sewer connection & electric service. East of Hwy 1 & near State Park hike/bike trail. 4 miles to the boardwalk & beach. $250,000 (2017644)

WEBBS LANDING - Lewes. 6BR/5BA home is +3,300 sq. ft. with an In-Law Suite at the rear, a 2-bed/1-bath unit upstairs, an en suite bedroom off of the family room, plus a 1st-floor main suite with a large bath with soaking tub & shower, plus another 1st-floor bedroom next to the full bath in the hall. Living room opens to the kitchen. Family room has a wood-burning fireplace & dining area. All of this on a 1-acre parcel with its own basketball court.

Community pier on Love Creek. HOA just $200/yr. $649,000 (2019326)

Welcome To Our Newest Agent

~ PAMELA SCHAEFER ~ 302-388-8299 cell PMS1530@aol.com

HEARTHSTONE MANOR - Milford. 2016-built 3BR/2BA home is in “like new” condition. Rear-load, oversized 2-car garage. Great room has cathedral ceiling, bamboo floors & a natural gas fireplace.

The Great room opens to the dining area and the beautiful kitchen.

Upgraded kit. cabinetry, tumble-marble subway tile backsplash, Ogeeedged granite counters & SS appliances. Big main bedroom suite. Split bedroom plan. Fenced yard with hot tub. HOA $142/qtr. Community pool & clubhouse. $385,000 (2020638)

*A/C

REHOBOTH BAY - Rehoboth.

Waterview of White Oak Creek out to the Bay. 1986 3BR/2BA w/VinylTech porch.

Part Furn. Pool. Marina. 6.5 miles to beach. $150,000 (2016730) Lot Rent $750/mt.

*A/C

*A/C

McNICOL PLACE - Lewes.

1975 3BR/1BA - 980 sq. ft.

Eat-in kitchen. W&D. Central AC, oil heat. Some updates, but needs TLC. Shed. 3 miles to bch. $39,900 (2021882) Lot Rent $685/mt.

SILVER VIEW FARM Rehoboth. 1997 3BR/2BA home is a 14’x70’ on a corner lot. Vaulted ceilings. Big deck & shed. Part furnished. Pool & 3 miles to beach. $120,000 (2021962) Lot Rent $604/mt.

ANGOLA BY THE BAY Lewes. Adorable 1975 2BR/1BA home. So many community amenities, plus a marina. 10 miles to the beaches $285,000 (2020982) THERESA CAPPUCCINO 609-515-5820 has more details!

CHERRY WALK - Lewes.

1973 4BR/1.5BA manufactured home on 0.39 acres. 9 miles to the boardwalk or Lewes public beach. $199,900 (2021754) Call LUZ ESCOBAR 302-260-2080 for more info. SE HABLA ESPAÑOL

20250 Coastal Highway - Suite 3, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971  302-227-1222 office www.SEABOVA.com 

EMAIL

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