WorldPride parade to hit the streets of D.C. Saturday

Washington Post

8 hours ago

A 1,000-foot rainbow flag, more than 300 crooners and a team of cheerleaders will float, sing and dance their way down 14th Street NW this Saturday to celebrate Pride.
The parade will kick off at 2 p.m. at the intersection of 14th and T streets with a ceremony led by Indigenous residents in the D.C. area. Actresses Laverne Cox and Reneé Rapp will act as grand marshals, along with Deacon Maccubbin — an activist who organized D.C.'s first Pride celebration 50 years ago. They will shepherd about 300 groups of floats, vehicles and walkers along the route, said Tiffany Lyn Royster, director of community engagement with Capital Pride Alliance and WorldPride.
They'll head south along 14th Street until turning left onto Pennsylvania Avenue and right onto Ninth Street. The parade will go on until around 8 p.m. and will be followed by a concert headlined by the actress Cynthia Erivo at Third Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
'We may have some special guests in store for folks,' Royster said. 'Definitely keep a look out.'
The parade and other festivities will kick off the final two days of WorldPride in D.C., a three-week festival celebrating the LGBTQ community. The festivities also commemorate the city's 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations.
Organizers acknowledge that WorldPride this year has not been the massive celebration they originally hoped for — one that was expected to attract up to 3 million people, fill hotels to capacity, and bring revenue to the District and its businesses. The Trump administration's targeting of transgender rights and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts has led to heightened concerns from many in the LGBQT community over their safety.
A Shakira concert scheduled for WorldPride's opening festivities last Saturday was canceled because of production issues. And on Friday, many D.C. community members were outraged over a National Park Service order to fence off Dupont Circle Park for Pride weekend. The park, in the heart of D.C.'s historic LGBQT neighborhood, has long been a gathering place for Pride celebrations.
Royster said that she thinks Pride takes on more importance this year because of this charged political climate. The parade is still expected to attract up to 700,000 attendees, almost double the number than in a typical year, according to Royster. The parade usually attracts around 300,000 to 400,000 people.
'I think that people are just going to be louder and prouder,' Royster said. 'We have folks who are from all over the world at this point participating in our parade on Saturday, and they came to help us fight and they came to help us be proud.'
At the parade, a coalition of singers hailing from Colorado to Maine will serenade spectators as they carry an enormous rainbow flag down the route, said Thea Kano, artistic director for the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington DC. The playlist will include 'Freedom' by Beyoncé and a couple of social justice tunes.
For Kano, singing in the parade is all about spreading positivity and sharing it with the broader community.
'When we sing, joy is the number one thing. We come in joy,' Kano said. 'It's resistance. It's resilience. In a sense, it feels that people are trying to take our joy away and, you know, good luck with that.'
Parade-goers will also hear the blaring horns and beating drums of D.C.'s Different Drummers Marching Band, an LGBTQ ensemble. One musician, Kirsten Zeiter, will play the trumpet with her rainbow-colored prosthetic left arm.
Zeiter said she is looking forward to taking part in the event, 'especially being part of a group like D.C.'s Different Drummers that is all about inclusion, acceptance, pride and representation,' she said. 'Any performance with them I just feel joy.'
In addition to the parade, organizers are hosting a block party on 17th Street from noon to 10 p.m. The location in Dupont, the city's original 'Gayborhood,' was chosen because of its connection to historical uprisings among D.C.'s LGBTQ+ community, Royster said.
Other events Saturday include a street festival showcasing artisans and multicultural performances, music and dancing at small stages across the grounds and a musical festival headlined by Troye Sivan and featuring Kim Petras, Purple Disco Machine and Raye.
The celebration goes on through Sunday with a continuation of the street festival, DJs, drag and drumming at the small stages and a closing concert from Doechii. This weekend, residents should expect much of downtown, Dupont and Logan circles, and the U Street area to be closed to cars at least part of the time. Metro will close at 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and open at 6 a.m. Saturday and Sunday to accommodate Pride celebrations.