A cool morning rain fell from dreary gray skies over Washington, D.C. Saturday morning, a quiet prelude to the vibrant celebration that was set to take over the heart of the city later in the day. As if on cue, just before those leading the parade set off, the clouds parted and a surge of energy swept through the crowd as the WorldPride Parade began under a bright and unwavering sun.
Hosted in D.C. for the first time, WorldPride 2025 took place from May 17 to June 8 and brought three weeks of events and celebrations in a convergence of cultures that showcased queer art, music, history and resilience. Despite headwinds from a hostile political climate and waning corporate support, the closing weekend of the event spoke volumes about the enduring spirit of a community that refuses to be erased.
The weekend began with the parade on Saturday, tracing a colorful route down 14th Street NW and ending on Pennsylvania Avenue where a two-day street festival and concert series stretched down six blocks, the United States Capitol just beyond the festivities. The parade was led by a 1,000‑foot rainbow flag, carried aloft by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, followed by grand marshals Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, and Deacon Maccubbin, a founder of D.C.’s first Pride in 1975.
The global WorldPride celebration is hosted bi-annually, with a different city around the world hosting the festival. Organizers expected a historic turnout for the final weekend given past events. World Pride in Sydney in 2023 welcomed an estimated 1 million participants. In Washington, however, attendance shrank dramatically. Organizers had forecasted 3 million attendees and an estimated $800 million boost to the local economy, but instead saw only about one-third of that.
Travel warnings and growing safety concerns in the United States may have contributed to the lower-than-expected attendance. Several foreign governments and organizations, including Equality Australia, issued travel advisories in the months leading up to WorldPride warning LGBTQ+ people that D.C. might not be safe.
Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos told The New York Times that anger towards the Trump Administration had also contributed to lower attendance.
The celebrations continued despite the global concerns, with tens of thousands of people lining the streets to cheer for the parade. They came from across the country and around the world, draped in flags, glitter, leather, lace, and the unshakable conviction that their existence deserves to be seen, protected, and celebrated.
Saturday’s celebration closed out with a special performance by headliner Cynthia Erivo with a crowd decked out in bright rainbow hues singing along.
“There’s no better place to celebrate pride than here,” Erivo said.
Yet, this year’s Pride was charged with more than joy. It unfolded in a political climate increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ rights. In 2025, more than 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced in U.S. state legislatures, targeting everything from gender-affirming care and drag performances to LGBTQ+ content in classrooms.
At the federal level, the return of a Trump administration has brought with it a chilling rollback of civil rights protections, including the reversal of executive orders focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. DEI programs in federal agencies and private contractors have been banned or severely curtailed, prompting major corporations and longtime Pride sponsors to quietly step back from their public commitments to LGBTQ+ advocacy.
In the weeks leading up to WorldPride, companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, PepsiCo, and Visa either pulled out or rebranded as “silent partners,” citing compliance with new federal guidelines or fear of political retribution. Across the country, Pride organizers reported significant losses in funding, a shift that exposed just how conditional corporate support can be when political winds turn. And yet, the community adapted. Local businesses, grassroots organizations, and individual donors stepped in to fill the gaps.
The festival grounds and associated events reflected this grassroots resilience. From RFK Stadium to Freedom Plaza and across cultural hubs in the city, the celebration stretched far beyond the parade route. Queer artists, musicians, drag performers, and activists transformed public spaces into expressions of joy and resistance. Concerts ran late into the night. Panels and art exhibitions highlighted the stories of trans people, queer people of color, disabled activists, and global movements fighting for equality. From Deaf Pride to Latinx Pride, youth programming to elders’ lounges, the weekend wove together generations of experience and expression.
Sunday brought a shift in tone as thousands converged at the Lincoln Memorial and on the Mall for the International March on Washington for Freedom. The rally kicked off with a video message from Former Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Pride is about honoring the trailblazers who came before, joining arms with those leading the fight for equality today, and empowering the next generation to live boldly, freely, and with joy,” Harris said in the video. “It is when we celebrate the progress we have made and recommit to the work still ahead. And in this moment, as you gather with friends and allies from across the world, let us be clear. No one should be made to fight alone. We are all in this together.”
Those in attendance marched from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol, demanding legislative change and naming the policies that have endangered the safety and dignity of queer people across the nation. Flags waved high, chants rang out, and signs declared messages of resistance and love.
“LGBTQI+ people are under siege, especially our trans siblings, who are being targeted by legislation, rhetoric and violence in every region, and immigrants, refugees and undocumented folks living in fear of deportation,” said Ashley Smith, president of the Capital Pride Alliance board and a WorldPride organizer.
In many ways, the weekend was a study in contrasts, of brightness against threats, of visibility against erasure. Even as some embassies issued travel advisories warning LGBTQ+ visitors about discrimination in the U.S., thousands gathered beneath a brilliant blue sky, dancing, marching, and speaking truth to power.
In a year marked by political retrenchment and social unease, the LGBTQ+ community came together for WorldPride 2025 not just to be seen, but to actively participate in Pride as an ongoing fight for liberation, the joyful reclamation of space, and the insistence that queer lives matter—loudly, vividly, and without apology.
