WorldPride Leaders Highlight Travel And Safety Risks

April 12, 2025 LGBT News, Trump Administration

Axios reports:

WorldPride has been years in the making for D.C. and a global coalition of organizations, but President Trump’s rhetoric is sparking safety and participation concerns just a month before the festivities kick off May 17.

“Our community is living in fear right now, with a lot of unknowns and uncertainty,” said Ashley Smith, president of Capital Pride Alliance (one of WorldPride’s organizers), during the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) board of directors meeting this week.

Fewer people will likely travel internationally to attend the festival — originally planned for 2-3 million visitors — as they might be concerned about being able to enter the country or arriving and “immediately being sent back, or being held up,” said Smith.

The Washington Post reports:

A number of international groups, worried about the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, inclusion and equity efforts and its targeting of transgender rights in the United States, say they are planning to stay away.

The executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is hosting the 23-day WorldPride festival, says he doesn’t blame them. “They’re very justified in regards to their concerns and their questions around how safe it is for them to travel here, especially folks who identify as trans,” Ryan Bos said in an interview Wednesday.

“So it’s our responsibility to ensure folks that do travel here, especially folks who identify as trans … have the information and resources so that they can make the best decision for themselves.”

In February, a major defense contractor canceled its sponsorship of WorldPride over concerns that it could lose contracts with the Pentagon.

WorldPride is organized by the international consortium of Pride groups, InterPride, and takes place every two years, with Sydney last hosting in 2023.

WorldPride 2019 was awarded to New York City to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and that year’s event drew over five million attendees.

WorldPride 2025 was originally awarded to Taiwan in 2022, but the deal crumbled over a disagreement with the host city over the use of “Taiwan” in the event’s name.



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