Latest news with #WorldPrideParade
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man seen tearing down Dupont Circle Pride decorations; DC police investigating
WASHINGTON () — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said it was investigating after someone tore down Pride decorations in Dupont Circle Tuesday. Someone shared a video with , showing a man ripping the Pride-colored wrap from a pole at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Q Street NW. In sharing the video, he said the man had taken down four or five of the decorations. When he asked him to stop, the man seemed annoyed and took down the wrap seen in the video. Significant road closures for WorldPride Parade, Block Party bought the cloth wraps and placed them in the area as and welcomes people for . The nonprofit group celebrates the neighborhood, 'promoting the museums, galleries, and businesses that enrich it with their presence.' MPD said officers were not able to find the man in the video, which detectives did have. The police report lists the crime as destruction of property, noting that the incident may be motivated by a hate bias based on sexual orientation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yomiuri Shimbun
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Joy, Tension Collide as Worldpride Arrives in Trump's Washington
Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post A mural purported to be the longest in LGBTQ+ history was recently installed along 15th Street NW between O and V streets. The WorldPride Parade will kick off here June 7. The welcome signs for WorldPride, the world's largest LGBTQ+ gathering, are out across Washington. Banners hang from lampposts along major roads. Rainbow stripes have been painted on bike lanes and sidewalks. The message from the District to LGBTQ+ residents and visitors has been a cheery and unequivocal, 'We want you here.' At a Pride news conference Thursday, District Mayor Muriel E. Bowser proudly called the District 'the gayest city in the world' and encouraged residents to fly Pride flags in front of their homes. But for many in the LGBTQ+ community, the election of Donald Trump and his return to the presidency has altered the mood – and the outlook – for WorldPride. Less than a year ago, city leaders, LGBTQ+ business owners and Pride organizers said they anticipated the event and its associated panels, parties and parades would bring up to 3 million people to D.C. They projected hotels at full capacity and a revenue bonanza that would more than justify the city's $5 million budget to prep for the festival, which includes the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in the District. Now, while many community leaders and business owners remain optimistic that the event will be the success they envisioned, they are also tempering their expectations. They fear that the Trump administration's targeting of transgender rights and attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have scared off corporate sponsors and discouraged people – especially international visitors – from coming to Washington for Pride. A number of countries have issued travel warnings for LGBTQ+ individuals thinking of coming to the United States, and organizations representing affected groups in Canada and Africa said they are boycotting the event. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, has spent much of the past five years working to bring WorldPride to D.C. He's thrilled that it is finally here, excited for the city and the LGBTQ community, and ready for the parties to begin. At the same time, he says, 'the executive orders that were directly targeting our community and other marginalized communities created feelings of despair, of anger, of 'what country am I living in?'' Bos has seen corporations and individuals withdraw from the event over their fears of retribution from the administration. His biggest disappointment, he said, 'is not being able to host this WorldPride at a time that we felt we were in a space that the government had our back, that our corporate partners had our back.' Conflicting emotions is a common theme for many in the District's LGBTQ+ community. 'We're excited for WorldPride obviously,' said Stephen Rutgers, co-owner of Crush, a popular gay bar on 14th Street NW that opened about a year ago. 'I think the city will see an influx of people. Will it be the two or three million that were initially projected to come? I don't think so. But at this point just having a normal D.C. Pride is a success. Anything over that is sort of the cherry on top.' With the arrival of the Trump administration, Rutgers says that what was supposed to be a celebration of rights that have been gained is now tinged with worry and anger about what is endangered. 'It's changed the tone and the narrative of what WorldPride could have been and what it's going to be,' he said. 'It could have been a very big, fun celebration and just everyone out and about, but now it's reminding people of the history of what Pride is and that all our rights are still not safe. We need to come out and be loud and proud and celebrate those things.' There are hundreds of official and unofficial parties and events scheduled during WorldPride, which officially began May 17. A welcome concert featuring Shakira at Nationals Park scheduled for Saturday night was abruptly canceled after the artist pulled out Friday, citing production issues for the event. That was an unexpected blow to the festival, but organizers said they were working to reschedule its events. Pride culminates June 7 and 8 with a parade, rally and concerts on Pennsylvania Avenue headlined by Cynthia Erivo and Doechii. Yet attendance projections for WorldPride, which includes celebrations of Trans Pride, Black Pride and Latinx Pride, remain in flux. Hotel bookings, one indicator of attendance, are down 10 percent for the three-week period of WorldPride compared to the same time last year, according to Destination DC, the nonprofit organization responsible for marketing the District to tourists and convention planners. Last year, the District hosted 2.2 million international visitors; that is expected to decline by 6.5 percent in 2025, according to Tourism Economics, which tracks travel data. The firm attributes the drop-off in international visitors to a variety of factors, including the impact of tariffs on prices, concerns about immigration and border policies and an overall negative sentiment. In 2024, about 72 million international visitors came to the United States. Tourism Economics estimates that number will drop by about 10 percent in 2025. Citing new U.S. government policies, particularly ones directed at trans individuals, a number of LGBTQ+ organizations in Canada, Africa and Europe have said they will not send members to WorldPride. Several European countries, including Denmark, Germany, Finland and Ireland, issued travel advisories in March and April alerting citizens that if their travel documents have their gender marked as 'X' rather than male or female, they could face difficulties when trying to enter the United States. Officials from the State Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there are no restrictions against international visitors to the United States based on gender identity or sexuality. Stephanie Carre, general manager of the Dirty Habit restaurant and bar at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Washington, expressed some concern about the political climate affecting attendance. Like other business owners and managers around town, Carre is counting on a big overall turnout for Pride to help her meet her bottom line. The bar is hosting several WorldPride events, including an exhibit of portraits of gay icons by pop artist Wayne Hollowell and a drag brunch on June 8 featuring Alyssa Edwards. Tickets for the brunch start at $150 and Carre said they're hoping for at least 400 people to attend. If she can reach the venue's 800-person maximum, the brunch will be a big win. 'Unfortunately there's been a lot of controversy in the air since January,' Carre said. 'I was thinking it would be a great time to come and celebrate even harder because of that. So I'm hoping we get a huge influx of people coming to town to express their American freedom and be who they are.' Carre is 'cautiously optimistic' the numbers will be there. 'We were hoping for double the numbers of a normal Pride year, but it's kind of uncertain right now,' she said. As with any major event in the District, security and safety will be priorities, Pride organizers and city officials said. In addition to keeping visitors and residents safe at Pride events and on city streets, D.C. police and other law enforcement agencies say they will also be tracking rallies and protests. At various points during the next two weeks, demonstrators celebrating Pride will rally at the Lincoln Memorial, protest DOGE outside a Tesla showroom in Georgetown and gather at the Capitol Reflecting Pool for a Transgender Unity Rally. 'At this time I want to emphasize there are no known credible threats to WorldPride or any affiliated events,' DC Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said at Thursday's news conference. 'That being said we always want to remain vigilant and we always want to be ready. We will continue to evaluate our intelligence and adjust our posture accordingly if necessary.' The city is still reeling from a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum on May 21 that took the lives of a young couple, both Israeli Embassy employees. The alleged shooter told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' according to an affidavit in federal court. The museum reopened Thursday. Although its leaders are still grieving from the attack, they are encouraging Pride attendees to come see the museum's newest exhibit, LGBTJews in the Federal City, which tells the history of Jewish involvement in LGBTQ struggles and activism as well as the change within the Jewish community with respect to LGBTQ inclusion over the past 50 years. 'The tragic shooting outside our building just reinforces how important it is to be a place where people can come learn about Jewish people, Jewish culture and the richness and diversity of the Jewish community in Washington D.C.,' Beatrice Gurwitz, the museum's executive director said in an interview. 'We have always aspired to bring in people who are Jewish, and who are not Jewish, to relate to what we have here and to better connect across difference.' At As You Are, a coffee shop, bar and self-described queer community space on D.C.'s Capitol Hill, owners Jo McDaniel and her wife, Rach 'Coach' Pike, are planning Pride-themed dance parties, karaoke nights and storytelling sessions at their 3,000-square-foot venue. They acknowledge some of the tension surrounding this year's festival but they also see it as a chance to showcase their city to visitors. 'We're looking forward so much to meeting a bunch of new folks and showing them how D.C. hospitality, there's really nothing like it,' McDaniel said, 'We have just enough small town in our big city to really make it special and caring and warm and I'm excited for folks to get to experience that.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Shepherdstown gearing up for Pride parade, month of festivities
SHEPHERDSTOWN, (DC News Now) — This year's Pride parade, which is kicking off Pride Month for Shepherdstown, is the first ever in the town. Organizers say it's about equality and saluting trailblazers who support the LGBTQ+ community. Festival planner Scott Turner Schofield says Shepherdstown has warmly embraced the month of Pride activities starting this weekend. 'When you fly the rainbow flag, people feel safe, and they want to come, and they want to feel welcome,' said Schofield. 'Everyone is welcome. The community has just come out like gangbusters. The whole parade has been a labor of love by the community.' Significant road closures for WorldPride Parade, Block Party Joan Moossy moved to Shepherdstown from New York City and is organizing the parade and kickoff of Pride activities in the weeks ahead. 'Everyone in Shepherdstown has really gotten behind it,' Moossy said. 'Particularly the businesses who have come up with their own LGBTQ-oriented events and making it sort of a whole gay weekend in Shepherdstown.' 'The community has really been fantastic. We've gotten a lot of great feedback. A lot of local businesses have been reaching out and have been supportive,' said Heather Wallen, who runs a popular performing arts program in town 'It's a real community effort,' Schofield explained. 'The banners you see were handmade by the people right here in the community. This is a very special moment to be having the first parade. It says a lot about community courage, community love and acceptance.' 'We can make this world a place where all young people can do what they like with their lives and feel they can have success in life,' Moossy said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Significant road closures for WorldPride Parade, Block Party
WASHINGTON () — WorldPride is set to kick off in just over one week. Though mostly bringing fun, entertainment and kinship to the District, there are also significant road closures that commuters should consider in the weekend ahead. The WorldPride Parade will assemble on 15th Street, from Rhode Island Avenue to U Street NW. From there, it will march east on T Street, south on 14th Street, east on Pennsylvania Avenue and south on 9th Street, where it will disband on Constitution Avenue from 9th Street to 14th Street. The WorldPride Block Party will happen on 17th Street, from P Street to Riggs Place NW. Drivers looking to travel Northwest or downtown can use U Street NW, Massachusetts Avenue NW, Independence Avenue SW, 17th Street NW and the 3rd Street Tunnel. Check out these WorldPride events happening this week in DC Vehicles will not be able to cross 14th Street between U Street NW and Independence Avenue SW during the parade. Residents who live east or west of 14th Street will be able to access their homes, however. If you live between 16th and 14th Streets from U Street to Rhode Island Avenue NW, police advise you to approach from 16th Street, where officers will help you get home. Residents and visitors who need to access the downtown corridor in the area of City Center, Chinatown and the Capital One Arena may enter from the east. Those areas will experience some traffic closures, however causing delays. The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking on Friday, June 6, at 12 a.m. through Sunday, June 9, at 6 a.m.: 17th Street from S Street to P Street, NW R Street, NW – 100 feet east and west of 17th Street, NW Corcoran Street, NW – 100 feet east and west of Corcoran Street, NW Q Street, NW – 100 feet east and west of 17th Street, NW Church Street, NW – 100 feet east and west of Church Street, NW P Street, NW – 100 feet east and west of P Street, NW 'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo performing at WorldPride music festival in DC The following streets will be posted as Emergency No Parking on Saturday, June 7, from 4 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: T Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW P Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW Massachusetts Avenue from 15th Street to Thomas Circle, NW (Eastbound lanes only) New York Avenue from 15th Street to 14th Street, NW H Street from 17th Street to 13th Street, NW G Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW F Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW Pennsylvania Avenue from 14th Street to 7th Street, NW Constitution Avenue from 17th Street to 15th Street, NW 17th Street from H Street to Constitution Avenue, NW 15th Street from U Street to Rhode Island Avenue, NW 15th Street from H Street to Constitution Avenue, NW 14th Street from U Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 13th Street from K Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 7th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to Independence Avenue, SW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Friday, June 6, from approximately 4 a.m. through Sunday, June 9, at 6 a.m.: 17th Street from New Hampshire Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue, NW Corcoran Street from New Hampshire Avenue to 16th Street, NW Q Street from 18th Street to 16th Street, NW Church Street from 18th Street to 16th Street, NW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday, June 7, from approximately 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.: 15th Street from U Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW T Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW Swann Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW S Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW R Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW Corcoran Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW Church Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW P Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW O Street from 16th Street to 15th Street, NW Q Street from 16th Street to 14th Street, NW The following streets will be closed to vehicle traffic on Saturday, June 7, from approximately 12 p.m. to 11:50 p.m.: Wallach Place from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW T Street from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW S Street from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW Riggs Road from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW R Street from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW Corcoran Street from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW Q Street from 14th Street to 13th Street, NW P Street from 14th Street to Logan Circle, NW Rhode Island Avenue from Scott Circle to Logan Circle, NW N Street from 15th Street to Vermont Avenue, NW Vermont Avenue from N Street to K Street, NW Massachusetts Avenue ramps to Thomas Circle from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW(Massachusetts Avenue will continue to flow east/west under Thomas Circle, NW) M Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW Green Court from 14th Street to Massachusetts Avenue, NW L Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW K Street from 17th Street to 13th Street, NW I Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW Zei Alley from 15th Street to 14th Street, NW H Street from 17th Street to 13th Street, NW New York Avenue from 15th Street to 9th Street, NW G Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW F Street from 15th Street to 13th Street, NW E Street from 15th Street to13th Street, NW D Street from 9th Street to 7th Street, NW Pennsylvania Avenue from 15th Street to 9th Street, NW Constitution Avenue from 15th Street to 9th Street, NW 15th Street from Rhode Island Avenue to Massachusetts Avenue, NW 14th Street from U Street, NW to Independence Avenue, SW 13th Street from E Street to Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 12th Street from Constitution Avenue to E Street, NW 12th Street Tunnel to include the I-395 northbound exit 3 toward 12th Street Expressway and the westbound I-395 exit 4B toward 12th Street, NW Downtown 11th Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to E Street, NW 10th Street from Constitution Avenue to E Street, NW For timely traffic information, click . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A Top Federal Contractor Won't Support a Pride Gathering — Because It's Afraid of Trump's DEI Rules
Booz Allen Hamilton, the mammoth Beltway federal contractor, has long been a supporter of LGBTQ+ causes. 'For two decades and counting, we've dedicated ourselves to the advancement of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, queer, and questioning employees,' a page on the firm's site declared in 2024. So when Washington first won the right to host one of the world's biggest gay festivals, it was only natural that Booz Allen signed on to underwrite the event known as WorldPride 2025. But that was before the election. This week, with WorldPride projected to draw three million visitors in just a few months, Booz Allen abruptly withdrew as a sponsor — apparently worried that merely supporting a global gay festival would put it on the wrong side of its dominant customer: President Donald Trump's federal government. 'They have a lot of federal contracts,' said Ryan Bos, the organizer of WorldPride, who explained that Booz Allen had indicated that sponsoring WorldPride could put it out of compliance with Trump's executive order forbidding diversity, equity and inclusion rules in federal contracting. 'They made the decision that to protect their business, they did not want to risk the backlash.' It's a galling turn of events that underlines the chaotic uncertainty around Trump's DEI edicts, which are ostensibly about certain HR practices but increasingly feel like campaigns against disfavored identity groups. Locally, the move also ought to send particular shock waves through Washington, because it shows how much the Trump presidency can change cultural events in the capital — even events that, on paper, have nothing to do with the federal government. As a city whose leading businesses include a lot of federal contractors, it's a place where many ostensibly independent corporate sponsors are uniquely vulnerable to White House pressure. WorldPride organizers learned of Booz Allen's withdrawal just days after the contractor announced that it was ending all of its DEI programs, removing diversity goals from management priorities and excising the acronym from all company communications. Links to Booz Allen entries from previous years' Pride festivities no longer go to a page celebrating the firm's LGBTQ+ employees; they're now redirected to a generic page about Booz Allen's warm culture. On social media, prior Booz Allen posts celebrating Pride events appear to have been deleted. Booz Allen responded to questions about its withdrawal with a two-sentence statement from a spokesperson: 'We are committed to supporting all our employee communities and celebrating tribute months,' it read. 'Our decision not to be a headline sponsor of the WorldPride Parade this year does not reflect any pullback of support to this community.' The statement didn't address the question of why a Pride festival would cause trouble with Trump-era DEI rules. Bos, who has spent years raising corporate money for LGBTQ+ events as leader of Washington's local Capital Pride Alliance, said he was astonished by the withdrawal. This is partly because Booz Allen had long had floats in his Pride parades and according to Bos had even donated the economic impact analysis that helped bring WorldPride to Washington in the first place. 'It's disheartening, at a time when it feels like we're getting hit from all sides, that the things that we were able to rely on for years are endangered, to see businesses cower to this,' he told me this week. But the bigger reason for Bos' surprise was this: Anyone who's been to a Pride event knows that they have about as much to do with DEI policies as a Saint Patrick's Day parade does. Like so many other perennials on the American cultural calendar, it's a celebration of one particular demographic that has over the years become part of the fabric of society, drawing spectators from across the population. Unless you're just out to get gay people, it's hard to see how sponsoring such an event equates to embracing a now-forbidden HR practice. Should Chinese New Year also be off-limits? In fact, corporate sponsorship decisions have always been about the bottom line. WorldPride is projected to draw millions of free-spending visitors to Washington this spring, a shot in the arm for the tourism industry and a jolt of validation for the city's reputation, not to mention a chance to see pop star Shakira play the welcome concert. Of course boosterish local firms are going to embrace it: Whether it's a dentists' convention or a film festival, an event that draws millions to town is good for the local economy and therefore good for the businesses that call that city home. Until the election, this was all unremarkable stuff. In the breakneck early days of Trump II, though, that kind of logic doesn't feel so secure. There's not a lot of certainty about just what is targeted by the 47th president's war on DEI. Is it about stopping federal agencies and government contractors from instituting certain hiring and training policies? Or does it extend to anodyne things like, say, the National Security Agency's plaques celebrating trailblazing women and people of color? The latter were covered up last month in response to Trump's executive order before being uncovered again following an uproar. You have to feel for Booz Allen or any other company with billions of dollars riding on navigating this confounding landscape. And, in fact, employees there told me they were understanding about how a firm doing federal business had little choice on complying with the executive orders as they relate to workplace issues. But the vastly smaller decision on WorldPride felt like a slap in the face. 'Internally, the LGBT community feels almost betrayed,' said one longtime employee, who was granted anonymity to speak freely about an employer. 'For so long, the company had been a trailblazer in LGBT rights before it was popular.' Bos, the WorldPride organizer, told me he's heartened that other corporate sponsors, including the Beltway-based hotel giants Marriott and Hilton, have stayed on board. The festival reportedly planned to raise $15 to $20 million, and Bos said they're still on track for success. In the broader Washington cultural community — already reeling from things like Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Center — the sponsorship withdrawal has raised eyebrows specifically because Booz Allen, unlike those other WorldPride sponsors, is a federal contractor, and therefore more susceptible to pressure from the executive branch. Thanks to the local economy, Washington's community of deep-pocketed local businesses has always had a disproportionate number of firms that fit that description. Walk around town and you'll see big contractors' names on all sorts of cultural spaces. Locals are now realizing that this makes those spaces a lot more subject to federal whims than if they were in Kansas City or Seattle, where the local corporate benefactors are more likely to be regular consumer-facing companies. In this new reality, it's not just federal properties like the Smithsonian or the Kennedy Center that need to pay attention to the prevailing winds. It's arts organizations that think of themselves as unapologetically independent — and cultural gatherings that sell themselves as unquestionably lucrative. 'The bell is tolling,' said Amy Austin, the president of Theatre Washington, an umbrella group of local theaters. 'Whatever you're going to do in the arts, you better watch your back.' Austin said that small local theaters — unlike a big global festival such as WorldPride — don't get a lot of corporate underwriting. Nonetheless, she said, there's a climate of anxiety about federal money and even local money, especially given the parlous state of D.C. home rule. Ironically, the Kennedy Center hasn't always won a lot of admiration from devotees of those smaller, cooler Washington-area stages. Aficionados viewed the federal facility on the Potomac as bland, safe and official, a far cry from the palace of wokedom Trump described when he dismissed board members this month. Only recently has the facility tiptoed toward more accessible programming. Tonight, the Kennedy Center hosts a sold-out Valentine's Day show of go-go, Washington's raucous home-grown Black popular music. But this week, following the ouster of the center's chief by the new Trump-appointed board, a WorldPride concert by the National Symphony Orchestra vanished from the Kennedy Center website. At least one prominent Washington culture leader said she saw an upside to Trump's move on the Kennedy Center. 'I think it's a really big deal for the president of the United States to care about the theater,' said Maria Manuela Goyanes, the artistic director of Woolly Mammoth, one of the city's edgiest stages. 'I'd love to show him around.' Goyanes, whose theater website features a full panoply of DEI statements and policies, said she was more attuned to thrilling theater-goers than worrying about donors or politicians. But she also noted that one of the theater's statements includes political diversity, too. Around WorldPride, the level of anxiety is such that not everyone shares Bos' certainty that the festival will come off. Egale Canada, one of Canada's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, announced that its members wouldn't be attending, citing concerns about the safety of trans members. 'People are scared,' said Zar, the mononymous founder of an events-and-content firm that has put on numerous Pride events. 'They're asking, is Trump going to get this thing canceled?' There's particular worry about visas for international visitors and permits for federally controlled public land. 'I honestly think the long game is, we want to get you all so scared that you cancel it on your own,' said Hope Giselle, a transgender activist who served as executive director of the National Trans Visibility March. There's no public evidence yet for any of that. But it's an indication that, in the current moment in Washington, it's hard for something like WorldPride to be just another free-spending apolitical cultural gathering, a gay version of Mardi Gras. Within the community of people planning the event, the return of Trump and the anxieties around the gathering have already had one impact: more pressure from people who believe the event should have a harder, more political edge. 'At this particular moment, we need to speak up and speak out and do the things,' said Giselle. The modern incarnation of rainbow-hued street festivals, in other words, doesn't seem like enough. For better or worse — and regardless of what the sponsors or the feds ultimately do — that would represent another small cultural change for Washington courtesy of the new Trump era.
