WASHINGTON, D.C.—Our nation's capital is no stranger to complex, globally attended events, from pope visits to inaugurations to state dinners.
But last month, Washington, D.C., pulled off an especially intricate feat that involved the marketing efforts of eight international Destination DC offices, 164 permits, and over 300 individual events: WorldPride DC 2025.
ICYMI, WorldPride is often described as "the Olympics of Pride," says Sahand Miraminy, director of operations at Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based organization that hosted the festivities. WorldPride, an international LGBTQ+ celebration, occurs every two years in a different city chosen by InterPride, and—unlike a more traditional city Pride celebration—it often involves a human rights conference, plus opening and closing ceremonies.
WorldPride involved planning from many organizations including Capital Pride Alliance, Destination DC, and the Office of the Mayor of D.C.Photo: Courtesy of washington.org
After a lengthy bid process, D.C. was chosen to host the 2025 iteration, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Pride in our nation's capital. WorldPride DC took place May 17-June 8.
"We wanted to make sure what we brought to D.C. was really diverse and different from other WorldPrides," says Natalie Thompson, vice president of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for Capital Pride Alliance. "We used our experiences attending other WorldPrides to make sure that this was not only a celebration of D.C., but that folks could see themselves and recognize that D.C. was a space for them to be free—that there is a level of care and consideration that D.C. holds for the queer community, not only for its residents but for any visitors."
Highlights from WorldPride 2025 included an emotional performance by Khalid that marked the artist's first-ever Pride show after being outed last year; multiple parades, walks, and marches; a sports festival that welcomed 3,000 athletes; and a human rights conference that, due to the current political climate, became a call to action.
One of the most talked-about moments from the event: Khalid getting emotional during his first-ever Pride performance and thanking the crowd for their support.Photo: Courtesy of washington.org
"We are living in a time where folks have expressed feeling unsure about what the future might hold and what they can do to be of support for themselves and their community," Thompson says. "We asked everyone in all of our sessions: What are you taking away from this conversation or conference as a whole? It was really enriching to look at the networking that was happening and seeing our seasoned advocates work with the newer advocates in this space."
That feeling of uncertainty—in the wake of rescinded LGBTQ+ protections and the Trump administration's rollout of DEI investigations—extended to WorldPride as a whole.
Mike Alexander, director of development for Capital Pride Alliance, says that just a year ago, the sponsorship pipeline for WorldPride DC was approaching $20 million. Then in March and April of this year, many sponsors revealed they couldn't participate or switched to being silent partners and provided donations.
Destination DC wrapped two buses for the various parades, marches, and walks.Photo: Courtesy of washington.org
"As time went on and perspectives started to shift, it became more 'we've got to be there; this is our time to be there,'" Alexander says. "But some people still had that fear and couldn't show up. ... It was great to see companies like Marriott participate with big floats and buses. There were some great activations."
Theresa Belpulsi, senior vice president of tourism, sports, and visitor experience for Destination DC, echoes the challenges faced by Capital Pride Alliance.
"I think what was probably the most special, and also most challenging, thing was helping people understand that Washington is separate from D.C.," she says. "There's this unique community here that is very embracing of everybody, no matter who you are."
Following the Capital Pride Honors Awards on June 5, LGBTQ+ streaming network Revry hosted the World Pride Ball presented by McDonald's. The voguing, tournament-style ballroom dance battle will debut on the network on June 27. Photo: Courtesy of Revry
Other impactful moments included Camp Pride, a safe space for kids; the Capital Pride Honors Awards and its afterparty; and the AIDS memorial quilt display. The quilt is made of 50,000 individually sewn panels with the names of more than 110,000 people who have died of AIDS. For WorldPride DC, the display featured six of the panels.
"We had a volunteer whose grandma created one of the pieces of the quilt, so being able to see the history of their family and their advocacy and support for the community was really impactful and emotional for them," Thompson says.
Despite operational and sponsorship challenges, organizers agree that WorldPride was a uniquely D.C. event—and one that hopefully continues the conversation.
"The most important thing for us in hosting WorldPride was making that commitment to be as authentic as we can be, and I think we definitely accomplished that considering the challenges we had along the way," Belpulsi says. "People showed up, and we created something very special for everybody who was there."
