Author James Sears publishes ‘Queering Rehoboth Beach’

After years in the making, author and former college professor James Sears has released his newest book, “Queering Rehoboth Beach: Beyond the Boardwalk.” He will be discussing the book from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 25, at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach.

Sears said he had been to Rehoboth Beach many times over the years, but he moved to the area in early 2019. The following fall, he said he was inspired to write the book after he had a negative experience at a local restaurant.

With the gay flags everywhere and CAMP Rehoboth, with its Letters publication, Rehoboth Beach is often looked at like it’s a Mecca for the gay and lesbian community, said Sears. However, he said, that incident, which he didn’t go into detail about, left him with the impression that Rehoboth isn't as queer friendly as it appears on the surface.

So, Sears said, he decided to embark on the project in early 2020. The resulting 300-plus-page book is the culmination of hours and hours spent at the Rehoboth Beach Public Library combing over old editions of The Whale and a bunch of interviews with members of the LGBTQ community who have been in town for decades.

Some of the people interviewed for the book have never had an in-depth interview, said Sears, adding that his interviews have all been given to the Rehoboth Beach Museum to preserve.

There are long stretches of the book dedicated to the history of Rehoboth Beach because it helps explain how the city got where it is today, said Sears. The city’s path toward acceptance of the queer community was similar to the path taken from being founded as a strictly religious camp meeting association to the early days of commercialization, he said.

“As much as anything, Rehoboth wasn’t anti-queer as much as it was anti-change. In the end, the book is about how a small town deals with that change,” said Sears.

Sears is also scheduled to discuss the book at CAMP Rehoboth, 37 Baltimore Ave., from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday, June 2; and at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant, 3 S. First St., from 6 to 7 p.m., Monday, June 3. He’s also scheduled to have discussions in Wilmington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.