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issued executive orders limiting transgender rights, banned transgender people from serving in the armed forces, and rescinded anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people as part of a campaign to repeal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.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."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
20 minutes ago
- Axios
U.S. has "no interest" in putting troops on the ground in Iran, Vance says
Vice President Vance said Sunday that the United States doesn't plan to send ground troops into Iran and there is "no interest" in engaging in a "protracted conflict" with the nation. The big picture: Vance and other Trump administration officials appeared on Sunday shows to praise President Trump 's decision to carry out a series of airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear sites, while reassuring Americans that the mission — dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer — isn't the launching point for a wider conflict. Speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," Vance called the mission a "precise, a very surgical strike tailored to an American national interest" — preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon — and that he had "no fear" of a drawn-out conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the sentiment on CBS' "Face the Nation," saying that there are no plans from the U.S. to engage in further attacks on Iran unless they "mess around" and attack Americans or U.S. military sites. What they're saying: Rubio said Sunday that the U.S. carried out the attack after efforts to negotiate with Iran stalled, but that Trump administration officials are "prepared to talk to them tomorrow." Both men also dismissed the notion that the U.S. is at war with Iran, with Vance stating that the war is with Iran's nuclear program. "We destroyed the Iranian nuclear program. I think we set that program back substantially," Vance told NBC News' Kristen Welker. Zoom out: Vance and Rubio were unable to confirm the extent of the damage done to the nuclear sites, but Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told CNN that the strike was a "betrayal of diplomacy." "No one knows what will happen next, but what is sure is that the responsibility of the consequences of this war must be borne by the United States and Israel," he said. Bagahei refused to say how Iran might respond to the U.S. strike, but said the nation is entitled to "exercise its right of self-defense."
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Dem. Senator Adam Schiff says 'we simply don't know' if US is safer after Iran strikes
Democratic Senator Adam Schiff speaks to Kasie Hunt about the congressional response to President Trump's order to strike Iran.
The Hill
21 minutes ago
- The Hill
Iran reportedly moves to close Strait of Hormuz after US attacks
The Iranian Parliament has approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil chokepoint, after the United States bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, according to the Iranian state media on Sunday. While the Parliament has voted in favor of closing the strait, the final decision rests with the country's Supreme National Security Council, according to state media. Closing the strait, located between Iran and Oman, could have serious implications for both the global and U.S. economy. President Trump on Saturday night announced that the U.S. had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran, engaging U.S. forces in a war that Israel launched two weeks ago. In a brief address on Saturday night, the president warned of continued U.S. attacks on Iran if 'peace does not come quickly.' U.S. bombs targeted three nuclear sites in Natanz, Esfahan and Fordow, located inside a mountain. Six 'bunker buster' bombs were reportedly dropped on Fordow, while more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched at the other two sites. The administration has argued the strikes were a monumental success, but it is currently unclear how much the sites were damaged or how long it has set back Iran's nuclear program. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said the U.S. 'decided to blow up diplomacy' to end fighting with Israel by joining strikes against the country late Saturday night. Aragaci further warned of 'everlasting consequences.' Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran not to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. 'I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil,' Rubio said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.'
