Latest news with #WorldPrideDC
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
7th annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony held in Rockville
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. () – Dozens of people were at Veterans Memorial Plaza in Rockville Tuesday morning for the 7th annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony. It's an event that is meant to celebrate and acknowledge members of the LGBTQ+ community who call Montgomery County home. 'As we raise the flag, we do more than celebrate Pride, we issue a declaration that we are here, we are whole and we will not be erased,' Phillip Alexander Downie, who grew up in Montgomery County and now serves as the executive director for the MoCo Pride Center, said. Countdown to WorldPride: Music festival lineup announced People in Rockville are celebrating the positive impact that the LGBTQ+ community has had on the county. 'Pride is a time to affirm our commitment to inclusion and equity and diversity and acceptance,' Montgomery County councilmember Evan Glass said. Glass, who is openly gay, was among the dozens who attended the annual Pride Flag Raising Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Plaza. 'The flag is a symbol of love of resilience and of authenticity,' he said, Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) was there to show his support for the community. 'We can all take pride in the fact that we live in a county that is committed to the success and the flourishing and the belonging of every person who lives here and every young person who is growing up here,' Raskin said. Grammy Award-winning artist Doechii to close out WorldPride DC With more work to be done, many recognize the need to reaffirm that commitment. 'We're proud to raise this flag,' Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said. 'We're proud to be in this work with you, and we're not going anywhere.' Montgomery County's first LGBTQ+ Community Center will open in Bethesda later this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Axios
D.C. boosts security for WorldPride and other big summer events
D.C. is gearing up for another month of big events and high security, starting with WorldPride festivities. Why it matters: Police are beefing up patrols for the special events in June, including a parade for WorldPride, the U.S. Army's June 14 parade, and FIFA Club World Cup matches. State of play: There are no credible threats to WorldPride, which kicked off May 17 but heats up this weekend with Shakira's welcome concert at Nats Park, said D.C. police chief Pamela Smith at a press conference on Thursday. Organizers expect over a million visitors in D.C. for the celebration that runs through June 8. LGBTQ+ groups have published travel advisories for transgender and non-binary travelers to the U.S. due to Trump administration policies. What they're saying: "Stay vigilant," Smith told the public as D.C. increases police presence around WorldPride events and draws law enforcement support from neighboring jurisdictions. She urged revelers to report anything that seems off. People can also text "WorldPrideDC" to 888-777 for emergency and event updates. After early signs of lower-than-expected hotel bookings for WorldPride, interest has "surged" in recent days, according to Destination DC CEO Elliott Ferguson. WorldPride has a jam-packed schedule in early June, including a massive parade from Logan Circle to near the Capitol, capped off by a concert on Pennsylvania Avenue. Security is being upped with new fencing. Meanwhile, free tickets are available for the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary parade on June 14. More security and road closure details are expected to be announced in the coming days for the evening parade on Constitution Avenue. The Secret Service is taking the lead, marking it a National Special Security Event, which puts it on par with Inauguration Day. Later in the month, Audi Field will host three FIFA Club World Cup games — on June 18 (Al Ain FC vs. Juventus), June 22 (FC Salzburg vs. Al Hilal) and June 26 (Wydad AC vs. Al Ain FC). Between the lines: Crime typically increases in the summer months, with longer days and schools closed. D.C. had a recent spate of seven homicides in five days. Homicides are down 3% year-over-year, while total violent crime is down 22% so far.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Strathmore Center welcomes International Pride Orchestra, Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, after Kennedy Center cancels
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — There's a new venue for one highly anticipated performance for World Pride. The International Pride Orchestra will perform at the Strathmore Music Center after they say they were disinvited from the Kennedy Center. Leaders at Strathmore say they're excited for the orchestra to be performing in June. They say it's part of their mission to make the arts accessible for everyone. A week's worth of events celebrating the LGBTQ community was cancelled at the Kennedy Center after recent actions by President Trump to reshape programming in line with his agenda. Kennedy Center cancels Pride performance featuring Gay Men's Chorus of Washington 'We were heartbroken when we learned that our concert would no longer be welcome at the Kennedy Center,' said Michael Roest, Founding Artistic Director of IPO. 'The Kennedy Center has long been a symbol of artistic excellence, inclusivity, and freedom of expression. However, we are profoundly grateful to the Strathmore Music Center for opening their doors to us.' The International Pride Orchestra said their concert is designed to showcase LGBTQ+ artists, allies, and drag performers from around the world. 'We are really excited that we have the space available and are able to host the event,' said Kady Chambers, senior director of venue rentals and operations at Strathmore. Chambers said the National Philharmonic Orchestra helped facilitate the venue change. 'It doesn't matter who you are, where you came from, what your background is, your sexual orientation, your religion, your race. None of that matters. The art on the stage here, you know, really takes away those divides. And it brings us all together,' Chambers said. The orchestra will be joined on stage by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. (GMCW). WorldPride DC organizers share concerns for transgender travelers GMCW Artistic Director Thea Kano said they were disappointed they couldn't perform at the Kennedy Center but incredibly moved by the outpouring of support for the community. 'We are grateful to Strathmore for stepping forward as a partner who shares our commitment to bold, inclusive performance and LGBTQ+ visibility,' Kano said. 'This concert is a powerful celebration of identity, resilience, and joy. Taking the stage at Strathmore for WorldPride is an honor, as well as a powerful moment of pride and community for Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C.' 'We're ready for them, and we're ready for… all of the visitors that will come as part of this event,' said Drew Martorella, vice president of operations at Strathmore. DC News Now asked if there were any more World Pride events scheduled, as other performances were canceled or voluntarily moved from the Kennedy Center. 'Not specifically World Pride,' Chambers said. 'We do have some continuing conversations going on.' The International Pride Orchestra and Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C., perform at Strathmore on June 5 at 7:30 p.m. You can find more information Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kennedy Center Cancels Pride Events Following Trump Takeover
Following a tumultuous few months at the hands of newly-installed board chair President Donald Trump, the Kennedy Center has canceled several events that were scheduled for Pride Month in June. Several artists and producers for Tapestry of Pride, which was scheduled to be held at the center from June 5 to 8, told the Associated Press that their events had been quietly canceled or relocated to other venues. In response, DC's Capital Pride Alliance has disassociated itself from the center. Deputy director of the alliance June Crenshaw told the AP, 'We are a resilient community, and we have found other avenues to celebrate. We are finding another path to the celebration… but the fact that we have to maneuver in this way is disappointing.' Tapestry of Pride, organized to celebrate the World Pride festival that is taking place in Washington D.C. this summer, is still visible on the Kennedy Center's website along with a link to the World Pride DC website. The news comes after months of Trump-instituted chaos at the center, including the president firing several board members and installing himself as chair in order to remake the center in his own image, hoping to stage 'non-woke' musicals like Cats, honor more conservative stars, and even renovate the building. Some artists responded to Trump's machinations by canceling their own events at the center, including musician Rhiannon Giddens, who said in a statement, 'I cannot in good conscience play at The Kennedy Center with the change in programming direction forced on the institution by this new board.' Michael Roest, founder and director of the International Pride Orchestra that was scheduled to perform at the center on June 5, told the AP that he was in the final stages of planning the event when Trump staged his takeover, at which point the center immediately became nonresponsive before sending a one-sentence email on February 12 that read: 'We are no longer able to advance your contract at this time.' Despite the setback, the orchestra has managed to move their performance to a theater in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, while Crenshaw shared that other events, including a drag story time and a display of parts of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, would be moved to the World Pride welcome center in Chinatown.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WorldPride DC organizers share concerns for transgender travelers
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — There are growing concerns about whether new policies will limit the number of transgender people who will travel for WorldPride DC later this spring. The international event, which is slated to begin in just over a month, is drawing excitement from the city. 'The pride parade we have every year? Think about it super-charged because it's WorldPride,' D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said. The city is expecting two million overnight visitors and more than $750 million in visitor spending. But organizers said there could be some risk for those coming from other countries. DC LGBTQ bars seek security plans ahead of WorldPride 'Many of the international communities are having challenges in actually being able to get into the country, through some of the processes that they have to go through,' said Capital Pride Alliance Executive Director Ryan Bos at a meeting with regional elected leaders on Wednesday. Bos said his organization is considering a statement telling transgender people traveling from other countries either not to come, or to come at their own risk. While he said WorldPride DC has so much to offer, he also told the elected leaders, '…also, acknowledging the state of the country and the fact that folks have fear and concerns.' Multiple countries have already issued new travel advisories for those traveling to the United States, including some who cite President Trump's executive actions on gender and are urging people who have changed gender or have the gender 'X' on their documents to contact their U.S. Embassy before they travel. 'Based on that conversation [with the Embassy officials, they] will make their decisions as to if they feel safe and comfortable proceeding with their travel plans,' said Lindsey Danis, a travel writer for Queer Adventures. 'Events like WorldPride are very important. That said, the situation in the U.S. is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ rights and there are really legitimate safety and security concerns.' Countdown to WorldPride: Music festival lineup announced Bos is encouraging everyone to have those conversations with Embassy officials, telling DC News Now this is not 'a warning. It is really just making sure people have information.' 'It's disheartening because [they are] part of our community,' said John Tanzella, the CEO of the International LGBRQ+ Travel Association, a nonprofit. 'We always recommend travelers to mind the laws and mind the culture when they travel, no matter where you are… that seems to be the case for transgender, non-binary people. They really need to be cautious.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
