As the second Trump administration continues its sweeping rollback of LGBTQ+ rights and diversity initiatives, organizers of WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., are forging ahead, determined to make this year’s global celebration a moment of defiance, resilience, and renewed visibility for the LGBTQ+ community.

Despite recently losing a corporate legacy sponsorship amid an atmosphere where some companies are pulling back from diversity initiatives, Capital Pride Alliance executive director Ryan A. Bos emphasized the importance of showing up. Capital Pride Alliance is responsible for putting on this year’s WorldPride events from May 17 until June 8.

“There are calls for us to cancel WorldPride or for WorldPride to move somewhere else, but that’s a no,” Bos told The Advocate in a Friday interview. “If anything, this is the time for us to show up. Our adversaries want us to get confused, want us to get frustrated, want us to get ignored, and want us to give up. We can’t do that.”

A significant feature of this year’s WorldPride will be a large-scale march and rally planned for Sunday, June 8. Unlike the more celebratory Pride parade the day before, the Sunday event is designed to be a traditional protest, amplifying the voices of LGBTQ+ people worldwide who are facing oppression. Bos said that the organization hopes to mirror the 2017 Women’s March movement.

“That’s been part of the plan from the beginning, even before the election,” Bos said. “We have the parade that will take place on Saturday the seventh, and then on Sunday the eighth in the morning, we have a marching rally. So it’s been the intent from the beginning that on Sunday, it’s a more messaging traditional march protest that talks about this struggle globally, not just here in the U.S. but all around the world.”

The rally is expected to draw tens of thousands of participants and will take place in downtown Washington.

Bos addressed concerns about permits, which he said the organizers have considered. “I would say that 99 percent of our activities are on city or private property, not needing federal permits. So we’re trying to be smart and conscious.”

President Donald Trump has moved aggressively to dismantle federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs with sweeping executive orders that have impacted corporate sponsors and cultural institutions. Booz Allen Hamilton, a defense contractor and former WorldPride sponsor, withdrew its support earlier this month, citing new federal rules restricting DEI initiatives. The Kennedy Center alsoscrubbed a planned National Symphony Orchestra LGBTQ+ Pride concert from its programming following Trump’s takeover as board chair and his appointment of Richard Grenell as the institution’s interim executive director. The concert was not an official WorldPride event.

Bos called these developments “very disheartening,” particularly in light of past corporate support for LGBTQ+ communities. “What is disappointing is when we need people in our corner and people to stand up and reaffirm their values, to have corporations and businesses who in the past had supported us bow down because of fear,” he said.

Bos said that the Kennedy Center hasn’t officially informed WorldPride of any cancellations. “We are navigating identifying new locations just to be on the safe side,” he said. He added that adaptability is key to ensuring the event’s success.

Speaking on the phone from London, Bos said he had a unique perspective talking to people about the state of things in U.S. politics. He said that some international visitors are wary of traveling to the U.S. given the current political climate but stressed that their voices can still be heard. “For those who can’t come to D.C., how can we have them engage and be a part of this WorldPride experience?” he asked. “We are thinking about ways to connect globally because this conservative wave is happening everywhere, and we as a community need to galvanize together to stop it.”

In addition to the march and rally, WorldPride 2025 will feature a robust lineup of events, including neighborhood-based programming, concerts, and cultural showcases designed to highlight D.C.’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community beyond the federal government institutions that define the city for many outsiders.

“D.C. has been known for years as the gayest city per capita in the country,” Bos said. “That’s not going to change by June. This is a moment for us to reaffirm our place and remind the world that we will not be erased.” According to the Williams Institute at UCLA’s Law School, the District of Columbia has the highest share of LGBTQ-identifying adults, with about 14 percent.

As the May 17 start date approaches, Bos noted that more details about the festival’s lineup will be revealed in the coming weeks. “Next week, we’re going to announce the lineup for our music festival Global Dance party that will take place at RFK [stadium],” he said. “The following week, we plan to announce our official nightlife partners, and then the week after that, we intend to announce a special guest performance for our street festival and post-parade concert.” He added that these announcements are meant to give people hope and things to look forward to amid the current challenges.

Bos affirmed that WorldPride will go as planned in D.C. despite the obstacles and the political landscape. “One way or the other, WorldPride is happening, and it’s our responsibility to make sure that WorldPride meets the moment of this time.”