Latest news with #DestinationDC
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Final preparations underway as DC expects to welcome big crowds for WorldPride
WASHINGTON () — As the main weekend of WorldPride inches closer, those around the District are making their final preparations to welcome the millions of people expected to visit D.C. 'I'm feeling really excited. I'm a little tired because we've been out here the last couple of weeks painting as much as we can,' said Lisa Marie Thalhammer, who was painting on 17th Street Thursday. Thalhammer has worked on several murals across the DMV ahead of WorldPride. The latest is a rainbow and star runway in Dupont. 'I hope people come out and fill their lives with the color and that it's just the joy, and it's kind of the medicine I feel like everyone needs,' she said. 'A little bit of color, a little bit of creativity, a little bit of joy.' She also hopes the murals will welcome visitors from out of town. Visitors like Jon McClain. 'I think it's cool, I appreciate everyone who is doing it,' said McClain, who stopped to take a picture of the artwork. 'I appreciate what they're doing to make it friendly and inviting.' McClain is in town from San Francisco to visit friends and attend WorldPride. It's his first WorldPride, though he's attended other Pride festivals. 'I haven't been around any negativity so I'm hoping to see that continue, especially being in a city where it's been a little bit divisive,' he said. Metro unveils new design, extends service for WorldPride The current political climate has been a concern for organizers and city officials, with some LGBTQ organizations issuing a warning to international travelers for WorldPride. 'It wasn't a concern of mine, but I was curious if there was going to be less people here or not. So, I don't know if we're going to get the full effect of what WorldPride normally is,' said McClain. Last month, Destination DC CEO Elliot Ferguson admitted the political climate was having an impact on expected turnout. 'The rhetoric has made a difference in a negative way,' Ferguson said on May 5. 'I think as we were looking at our hotel community, we hoped by now, they'd be sold out.' At the time, hotel occupancy was 10% below projections. As of May 28, officials with Destination DC said hotel occupancy is 4% below where it was for Pride last year. Though, they also stated more hotels have opened across the District since last year. Tickets for the WorldPride Music Festival are 99% sold out, and the organizers of the Capital Cup Supporting Festival met their goal of 3,000 athletes participating. Meanwhile, questions still remain on whether or not Dupont Circle will be open for the weekend. Originally, the National Park Service starting Thursday in order to prevent vandalism of the park, which happened in years prior. Anti-scale fencing was expected to go up around the perimeter through Monday. However, that decision was quickly reversed after public backlash. Uncertainty lingers over Dupont Circle's status ahead of WorldPride Parade D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith to close the park after 'hearing from community leaders and residents.' NPS and U.S. Park Police have not confirmed if the park will remain open, though as of Thursday afternoon, no fencing was seen. 'I remember Dupont, there was a parade and a march here in Dupont,' said Brian Piscalko, who is visiting DC for WorldPride. 'I think historically, this is where people have gathered in this area. Now with millions of people descending on the city I think it's going to be phenomenal.' Piscalko said attending WorldPride this year is more important than ever. 'I think this pride is really important just because of the climate,' he said. 'With the world focusing on D.C., I'm really proud to be here.' Metro will begin operating extended hours for WorldPride on Friday. Trains will run from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC News
17 hours ago
- Politics
- NBC News
WorldPride gathers in Washington as Trump rolls back LGBTQ rights
WASHINGTON — LGBTQ people from around the world gather in Washington this week for a parade, a political rally and cultural performances marking WorldPride to channel joy in sexual and gender diversity as well as outrage over the Trump administration's rollback of their rights. WorldPride, which takes place in a different city around the world every two years, has been running for weeks and will continue until the end of June, bringing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators nearly to President Donald Trump's doorstep. The WorldPride parade will march within a block of the White House grounds on Saturday, and the rally will be held on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Martin Luther King's 1963 'I Have a Dream' speech. Trump is certain to be the target of protests. He has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces, and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. His actions have been applauded by conservatives. As many as three million people, including two million from outside the region, could attend, according to the nonprofit travel and trade group Destination DC, even as some potential attendees have suggested a boycott in protest of Trump policies or have raised concerns about safety given the U.S. political climate. The White House did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. It has said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces such as domestic abuse shelters and workplace showers, and has described DEI as a form of discrimination based on race or gender. Proponents of DEI consider it necessary to correct historic inequities. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is leading WorldPride coordination, said many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people 'fear for their security, their safety, their mental health, and don't see a lot of hope right now.' That makes this 'the year that we need to ensure that we remain visible and seen so folks know that there's a place for them, that there are people fighting for them,' he said. The African Human Rights Coalition, which offers humanitarian services and protection for LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers, called for a boycott of WorldPride because it said the United States was 'governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQ+ attendees.' 'This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather the time for resistance,' it said. 'Defiant, united and unstoppable' Politics and concerns about crossing the border during Trump's immigration crackdown are expected to contribute to a 7% decline in international travel spending in the U.S. this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Toronto's Purple Fins, a self-described 'gender free' swim club of nonbinary and transgender athletes, made the difficult decision to skip the World LGBTQIA+ Aquatics Championship being held in Washington. Brandon Wolf, a spokesperson for Human Rights Campaign, the largest pro-LGBTQ organization in the U.S., said queer people 'rightly feel nervous and afraid' but that WorldPride will be 'an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to make clear that it's not going anywhere, that we cannot be bullied back into the closet.' 'I'm really buoyed by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community seems to be saying loudly and clearly that pride is, and always has been, a protest, and that they intend to show up defiant, united and unstoppable,' Wolf said. But transgender people said they feel targeted by the Trump rhetoric and state laws passed around the country that have banned transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret. Susan Stryker, author of the 2008 book 'Transgender History' and a distinguished visitor at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said that framing the Trump agenda as anti-DEI or anti-LGBTQ was a 'misnomer.' 'It's very specifically transgender people that they are coming after,' Stryker said. 'The public discourse has been weaponized around trans issues.' Marissa Miller, a transgender activist in Chicago who is traveling to Washington with the National Trans Visibility March, said the location of WorldPride events will empower demonstrators in their resistance. Sydney hosted WorldPride in 2023. Washington was chosen to host in November 2022, before Trump's reelection. 'The universe is ready to showcase us,' Miller said. 'And I think that if it were going to be in any other place, that the consideration should have been to move it to Washington.'
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
WorldPride gathers in Washington as Trump rolls back LGBTQ+ rights
– LGBTQ+ people from around the world will gather in Washington this week for a parade, a political rally and cultural performances marking WorldPride to channel joy in sexual and gender diversity, as well as outrage over the Trump administration's rollback of their rights. WorldPride, which takes place in a different city around the world every two years, has been running for weeks and will continue until the end of June, bringing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators nearly to US President Donald Trump's doorstep. The WorldPride parade will march within a block of the White House grounds on June 7, and the rally will be held on June 8 at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr's 1963 'I Have A Dream' speech. Mr Trump is certain to be the target of protests. He has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes. His actions have been applauded by conservatives. As many as three million people, including two million from outside the region, could attend, according to the non-profit travel and trade group Destination DC, even as some potential attendees have suggested a boycott in protest of Mr Trump's policies or have raised concerns about safety given the US political climate. The White House has said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces such as domestic abuse shelters and workplace showers, and has described DEI as a form of discrimination based on race or gender. Proponents of DEI consider it necessary to correct historic inequities. Mr Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is leading WorldPride coordination, said many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people 'fear for their security, their safety, their mental health, and don't see a lot of hope right now'. That makes this 'the year that we need to ensure that we remain visible and seen so folks know that there's a place for them, that there are people fighting for them', he said. The African Human Rights Coalition, which offers humanitarian services and protection for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, called for a boycott of WorldPride because it said the United States was 'governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQ+ attendees'. 'This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather the time for resistance,' it said. US President Donald Trump holding up a signed executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in women's sports. PHOTO: REUTERS 'Defiant, united and unstoppable' Politics and concerns about crossing the border during Mr Trump's immigration crackdown are expected to contribute to a 7 per cent decline in international travel spending in the US in 2025, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Toronto's Purple Fins, a self-described 'gender free' swim club of non-binary and transgender athletes, made the difficult decision to skip the World LGBTQIA+ Aquatics Championship being held in Washington. Mr Brandon Wolf, a spokesman for Human Rights Campaign, the largest pro-LGBTQ+ organisation in the US, said queer people 'rightly feel nervous and afraid' but that WorldPride will be 'an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to make clear that it's not going anywhere, that we cannot be bullied back into the closet'. 'I'm really buoyed by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community seems to be saying loudly and clearly that pride is, and always has been, a protest, and that they intend to show up defiant, united and unstoppable,' Mr Wolf said. But transgender people said they feel targeted by the Trump rhetoric and state laws passed around the US that have banned transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret. Ms Susan Stryker, author of the 2008 book Transgender History and a distinguished visitor at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said framing the Trump agenda as anti-DEI or anti-LGBTQ+ was a 'misnomer'. 'It's very specifically transgender people that they are coming after,' Ms Stryker said. 'The public discourse has been weaponised around trans issues.' Ms Marissa Miller, a transgender activist in Chicago who is travelling to Washington with the National Trans Visibility March, said the location of WorldPride events will empower demonstrators in their resistance. Sydney hosted WorldPride in 2023. Washington was chosen to host in November 2022, before Mr Trump's re-election. 'The universe is ready to showcase us,' Ms Miller said. 'And I think that if it were going to be in any other place, that the consideration should have been to move it to Washington.' REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
WorldPride gathers in Washington as Trump rolls back LGBTQ+ rights
By Daniel Trotta WASHINGTON (Reuters) -LGBTQ+ people from around the world gather in Washington this week for a parade, a political rally and cultural performances marking WorldPride to channel joy in sexual and gender diversity as well as outrage over the Trump administration's rollback of their rights. WorldPride, which takes place in a different city around the world every two years, has been running for weeks and will continue until the end of June, bringing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators nearly to President Donald Trump's doorstep. The WorldPride parade will march within a block of the White House grounds on Saturday, and the rally will be held on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Trump is certain to be the target of protests. He has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces, and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. His actions have been applauded by conservatives. As many as three million people, including two million from outside the region, could attend, according to the non-profit travel and trade group Destination DC, even as some potential attendees have suggested a boycott in protest of Trump policies or have raised concerns about safety given the U.S. political climate. The White House did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. It has said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces such as domestic abuse shelters and workplace showers, and has described DEI as a form of discrimination based on race or gender. Proponents of DEI consider it necessary to correct historic inequities. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is leading WorldPride coordination, said many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people "fear for their security, their safety, their mental health, and don't see a lot of hope right now." That makes this "the year that we need to ensure that we remain visible and seen so folks know that there's a place for them, that there are people fighting for them," he said. The African Human Rights Coalition, which offers humanitarian services and protection for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, called for a boycott of WorldPride because it said the United States was "governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQ+ attendees." "This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather the time for resistance," it said. 'DEFIANT, UNITED AND UNSTOPPABLE' Politics and concerns about crossing the border during Trump's immigration crackdown are expected to contribute to a 7% decline in international travel spending in the U.S. this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Toronto's Purple Fins, a self-described "gender free" swim club of non-binary and transgender athletes, made the difficult decision to skip the World LGBTQIA+ Aquatics Championship being held in Washington. Brandon Wolf, a spokesperson for Human Rights Campaign, the largest pro-LGBTQ+ organization in the U.S., said queer people "rightly feel nervous and afraid" but that WorldPride will be "an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to make clear that it's not going anywhere, that we cannot be bullied back into the closet." "I'm really buoyed by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community seems to be saying loudly and clearly that pride is, and always has been, a protest, and that they intend to show up defiant, united and unstoppable," Wolf said. But transgender people said they feel targeted by the Trump rhetoric and state laws passed around the country that have banned transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret. Susan Stryker, author of the 2008 book "Transgender History" and a distinguished visitor at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said that framing the Trump agenda as anti-DEI or anti-LGBTQ+ was a "misnomer." "It's very specifically transgender people that they are coming after," Stryker said. "The public discourse has been weaponized around trans issues." Marissa Miller, a transgender activist in Chicago who is traveling to Washington with the National Trans Visibility March, said the location of WorldPride events will empower demonstrators in their resistance. Sydney hosted WorldPride in 2023. Washington was chosen to host in November 2022, before Trump's reelection. "The universe is ready to showcase us," Miller said. "And I think that if it were going to be in any other place, that the consideration should have been to move it to Washington."
Reuters
19 hours ago
- Health
- Reuters
WorldPride gathers in Washington as Trump rolls back LGBTQ+ rights
WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - LGBTQ+ people from around the world gather in Washington this week for a parade, a political rally and cultural performances marking WorldPride to channel joy in sexual and gender diversity as well as outrage over the Trump administration's rollback of their rights. WorldPride, which takes place in a different city around the world every two years, has been running for weeks and will continue until the end of June, bringing hundreds of thousands of demonstrators nearly to President Donald Trump's doorstep. The WorldPride parade will march within a block of the White House grounds on Saturday, and the rally will be held on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech. Trump is certain to be the target of protests. He has issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces, and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programs. His actions have been applauded by conservatives. As many as three million people, including two million from outside the region, could attend, according to the non-profit travel and trade group Destination DC, even as some potential attendees have suggested a boycott in protest of Trump policies or have raised concerns about safety given the U.S. political climate. The White House did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. It has said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces such as domestic abuse shelters and workplace showers, and has described DEI as a form of discrimination based on race or gender. Proponents of DEI consider it necessary to correct historic inequities. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is leading WorldPride coordination, said many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people "fear for their security, their safety, their mental health, and don't see a lot of hope right now." That makes this "the year that we need to ensure that we remain visible and seen so folks know that there's a place for them, that there are people fighting for them," he said. The African Human Rights Coalition, which offers humanitarian services and protection for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, called for a boycott of WorldPride because it said the United States was "governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQ+ attendees." "This is not business as usual and not a time for celebration but rather the time for resistance," it said. Politics and concerns about crossing the border during Trump's immigration crackdown are expected to contribute to a 7% decline in international travel spending in the U.S. this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Toronto's Purple Fins, a self-described "gender free" swim club of non-binary and transgender athletes, made the difficult decision to skip the World LGBTQIA+ Aquatics Championship being held in Washington. Brandon Wolf, a spokesperson for Human Rights Campaign, the largest pro-LGBTQ+ organization in the U.S., said queer people "rightly feel nervous and afraid" but that WorldPride will be "an opportunity for the LGBTQ+ community to make clear that it's not going anywhere, that we cannot be bullied back into the closet." "I'm really buoyed by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community seems to be saying loudly and clearly that pride is, and always has been, a protest, and that they intend to show up defiant, united and unstoppable," Wolf said. But transgender people said they feel targeted by the Trump rhetoric and state laws passed around the country that have banned transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret. Susan Stryker, author of the 2008 book "Transgender History" and a distinguished visitor at Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research, said that framing the Trump agenda as anti-DEI or anti-LGBTQ+ was a "misnomer." "It's very specifically transgender people that they are coming after," Stryker said. "The public discourse has been weaponized around trans issues." Marissa Miller, a transgender activist in Chicago who is traveling to Washington with the National Trans Visibility March, said the location of WorldPride events will empower demonstrators in their resistance. Sydney hosted WorldPride in 2023. Washington was chosen to host in November 2022, before Trump's reelection. "The universe is ready to showcase us," Miller said. "And I think that if it were going to be in any other place, that the consideration should have been to move it to Washington."
