Is rehoboth beach a gay community
Out Travel
Rehoboth Beach, Del., is a matchless representation of a community that has weaved a wonderfully diverse LGBT group into the fabric of their town. A large part of this progress can be attributed to Camp Rehoboth, a non-profit society service organization that is, as their site explains “dedicated to creating a more positive environment in Rehoboth Beach and its connected communities.” Their publication, Letters, continues to promote a multitude of businesses in town, working closely with many of them to advertise their events and feature them “up close and personal” perspective. Letters has become the necessary bible for all things Rehoboth Beach. (camprehoboth.com)
One of the best things I have noticed about Rehoboth Beach is their diversity. You can see two wonderful men walking down Rehoboth Road with their daughter, while their heterosexual counterparts are doing the same. The LGBT geared businesses are mixed in wonderfully with the more straight themed ones, making a community in the truest sense of the word. The women have no problem getting down on the twist floor right along with the boys, and many of the dance floors in town hold a mixed crowd
History Matters: Delaware's Male lover Beach
In the first of this month’s two part History Matters - produced in conjunction with the Delaware Historical Population and other history organizations in the First Articulate, we offer you an oral history of the LGBTQ community’s roots in Rehoboth. In part two next week, we’ll inspect how that history served as the foundation for efforts to establish matching rights for that group in the First State.
In the 70s and 80s, gay men from Washington, DC, Philadelphia and Baltimore would vacation on Delaware’s beaches. Rehoboth, with gay-accented bars like The Renegade and an entire section of its beach unofficially claimed by queer vacationers, quickly became a favorite. Men danced disco until the wee hours of the morning, experienced the tragedy of HIV/AIDS, and mobilized around a despise crime in the 1990s to fight for legal protections.
In this week’s piece - you’ll hear the voices of Steve Elkins, Max Dick, and Bob Hoffer from CAMP Rehoboth - which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The CAMP stands for Create a More Positive Rehoboth.
The three men, each with his own experience, represent unlike facets of the ga
‘Queering Rehoboth Beach: Beyond the Boardwalk’ - An Interview with Gay Penner and Historian James T. Sears
When it comes to LGBTQ summer destinations in the Eastern second zone, almost everyone knows about Provincetown, Massachusetts, Passion Island, New York, and Key West, Florida.
There are also slightly lesser-known, but no less delightful places, such as Ogunquit, Maine, Saugatuck, Michigan, and New Hope, Pennsylvania. Sandwiched in between is Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a location that is popular with queer folks from D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The dramatic and inspiring story of how Rehoboth Beach came to be what it is today can be found in gay historian James T. Sears’s discovering new book “Queering Rehoboth Beach: Beyond the Boardwalk” (Temple University Press, 2024). As educational as it is dishy, “Queering Rehoboth Beach” provides readers with everything they need to know (and possibly didn’t realize they needed to know) about this fabulous locality. Sears was courteous enough to make moment to answer a rare questions about the book.
James, it’s been a rare years since I’ve interviewed you. The last occasion was in 1997 about your book, “Lonely Hearts Located along the Atlantic coast in Delaware’s beach region, Rehoboth Beach is a popular destination for visitors from across the country, and for a small, but warm and welcoming community of year-round residents too. Sometimes referred to as the “Nation’s Summer Capital” due to visitors arriving each summer and winter from Washington DC and other places, it is frequented by many people who appreciate not only its coastal beauty but all that it offers to observe and do, including plenty of restaurants, a one-mile boardwalk, shops, and numerous yearly festivals and concerts to enjoy. Not only is it a awesome place to visit, but Rehoboth Beach also applications a lot to its full-time residents, too. While it is not a particularly large community – in fact, it is one with only approximately 1500 full-time residents, it nevertheless has a thriving LGBTQ population and a friendly neighborhood feel. In fact, some even summon it “The Nation’s Homosexual Getaway” – don’t overlook your chance to receive here for a getaway too! The History of Rehoboth Beach Rehoboth Beach was initially founded in 1 If you cherish the Northwest, you may want to think about moving to Delaware. While it may not get as much recognition as other northern states such as New York and Pennsylvania, Delaware has a lot to offer. For those who are part of the LGBTQ community, Delaware even has its own gay neighborhood in Rehoboth Beach. Unlike some same-sex attracted ghettos, Rehoboth Beach is actually its own recognized metropolis. It’s located in the Cape Region, one of Delaware’s up-and-coming areas, and is a part of the Salisbury, Maryland-Delaware Metro Area. Rehoboth Beach and the LGBTQ Community Rehoboth Beach was officially founded in 1873, although people had lived in the area for quite some time before that. While it originally was a Methodist camp area, the area soon became a vacation area for those from Washington, DC, and later the nation. In the 1940s, the LGBTQ nightlife scene took off. Poodle Beach, the area at the southern end of the boardwalk, became a haven for lgbtq+ men. Bars such as the Pink Pony Bar sat on the boardwalk itself, drawing in many LGBTQ people. Despite having a reputation as a family resort, the area became more and more accepted with the LGBTQ commRehoboth Beach Gay City Instruction – The Nation’s Homosexual Getaway
Delaware’s Gay Ghetto, Rehoboth Beach