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People ride on floats during the WorldPride parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.
The beats from D.J.s thrummed. Brass bands boomed. Bars and restaurants bustled. Sequins, feathers and fans that opened with a thwack were everywhere.
And to organizers' relief, a cold morning rain ceased just in time for the WorldPride parade on Saturday in Washington, D.C., making way for a sticky heat that seemed to rise off every surface. Soon, the air smelled like sunscreen.
Revelers and those trying to sell them things agreed that the celebratory atmosphere was vital for the L.G.B.T.Q. community and for the nation's capital.
'This Pride is very much needed,' said Fred Rogers, 31, who lives in Fredericksburg, Va. 'We all need a chance to show the world that we are still here and we're not going anywhere.'
WorldPride takes place in different cities every two years, and Washington, D.C., was chosen before Donald Trump was elected. It coincides with the 50th anniversary of the city's first Pride parade.
The parade was part of the three-week WorldPride festival, one of the biggest celebrations for the L.G.B.T.Q. community in the world. Attendees were spotted carrying flags representing Finland, Iran, Spain and Britain.
DaeLyn Saint-Surin, 24, had traveled to Washington from Bermuda for her first Pride parade away from home. She said the anti-gay stigma in Bermuda was intense and that she had been overcome with emotion several times in the nation's capital.
'I have never seen so many gay people living their lives so freely and openly,' she said. 'This is really freeing.'
The parade was heavy on security but far heavier on floats, with people marching along the route and throngs of partyers cheering them on from the sidelines. By late afternoon, some sidewalks were barely passable.
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Activists with the Gilbert Baker Foundation carry a 1,000-foot Rainbow Flag along the parade route.
the back of the procession was a float, sponsored by the International Gay Rodeo Association, that had yet to move by 5 p.m., three hours after the official start. Mike Lentz, a 65-year-old farmer from Hans Creek, passed the time by leading a group in what he called a 'free-form Appalachian-style' line dance.
'Good music ought to make you want to move,' he said.
Amid the joy and celebration, there was still an undercurrent of anger and worry. The parade route wound its way to within less than a third of a mile of the White House, and President Trump's moves to curb the rights of the L.G.B.T.Q. community weighed heavily on many paradegoers and prompted some not to attend at all.
Ryan Bos, executive director of the nonprofit Capitol Pride Alliance, which organizes the city's annual Pride events, including this year's global one, said in an interview on Saturday that planners had initially expected three million attendees over the three-week WorldPride festival, but the actual turnout had fallen short of that.
The festival was due to conclude Sunday with a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial followed by a march to the U.S. Capitol building.
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Ryan Bos of the nonprofit Capitol Pride Alliance, which organized the event, said many people outside the country chose not to travel to the United States.
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Caroline Gutman for The New York Times
Many business owners said that while the crowds were roughly typical for the city's annual Pride Parade and that the parade route itself was packed, attendance had not remotely lived up to expectations for a festival that typically draws numerous people from around the world.
It was not clear how many people ultimately attended the festival and parade, but Mr. Bos said that many people outside the country, particularly those who are transgender, feared traveling to the United States and potentially being detained. He said others stayed away out of anger with the current administration.
'To see America rolling back human rights totally goes against the ideals of what America was founded on,' he said.
Fund-raising also fell short of expectations, with some corporate sponsors pulling out and others asking that their logos not be prominently displayed. Other companies, though, did send floats along the route bearing their logos and carrying their employees in matching T-shirts.
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The parade was heavy on security but far heavier on floats, with people marching along the route and throngs of people cheering them on from the sidelines.
Credit...
Caroline Gutman for The New York Times
The president has issued executive orders that bar transgender people from serving in the military, restrict gender identities on travel documents and proclaim that it is U.S. policy to 'recognize two sexes, male and female,' that are 'not changeable.'
He has tried to eradicate diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government, and many private companies have followed his lead.
All this makes it even more imperative for the entire L.G.B.T.Q. community to remain visible and proud, said Sister Sybil Liberties, a drag queen with the Washington, D.C., chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a charity and protest group of queer people who dress like nuns.
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It was not clear how many people ultimately attended the festival and parade, but Mr. Bos said that many people outside the country, feared traveling to the United States and potentially being detained.
Credit...
Leah Millis/Reuters
It's even more important 'to people outside of D.C. in less diverse and less queer areas, especially young people, to see this display,' she said.
WorldPride takes place in different cities every two years, and Washington was chosen before Mr. Trump was elected. It coincides with the 50th anniversary of the city's first Pride parade.
Deacon Maccubbin, 82, organized that event in 1975 outside his gay bookstore, Lambda Rising. It drew about 2,000 attendees.
On Saturday, he served as one of the parade's grand marshals and was overheard telling others not to worry that the trolley in which they were riding seemed to be running behind schedule. 'We're on gay time,' he assured them. 'Everything will start a year late.'
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Amid the joy and celebration, there was still an undercurrent of anger and worry.
Credit...
Caroline Gutman for The New York Times
After days of back-and-forth discussions, federal officials said on Saturday, before the parade started, that they would reopen Dupont Circle Park, which sits at the center of the city's historic L.G.B.T.Q. neighborhood. They had previously fenced it off, saying the blockade would prevent criminal behavior.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and the National Park Service issued a joint statement on Saturday saying that they had worked overnight on an agreement to reopen the park and looked forward to 'a safe and fun celebration in our nation's capital.' The mayor, a Democrat, also planned a disco-themed party in the park.
Hundreds of people filled the park by late afternoon. Some napped. A man read a book on a bench. A woman wore a full-length rainbow dress.
Brendan Wilson, a transgender man, and his wife, Latoya Wilburn, had traveled from Baltimore to show their support for trans rights.
'I could not be the man I am now without the woman I was,' Mr. Wilson said.
Daniel Kramer, managing partner at Duke's Grocery in Dupont Circle, said the vibe felt the same way it had each June for the past 50 years.
'This city, no matter what else is going on, will always celebrate freedom,' he said. 'We'll welcome anybody and everybody who wants to celebrate freedom, tolerance and love.'
Reporting was contributed by Karen Hanley , Claire Hogan , Steven Moity and Darren Sands from Washington.
