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A large crowd watched on the steps of the Wilson Building in Downtown D.C. on Thursday afternoon as Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council members raised a colorful flag to celebrate Pride Month.
The gathering, which marked the third annual LGBTQIA+ flag raising, comes as a series of have already kicked off in the city. D.C. was chosen to host WorldPride this year, the second time the city was picked.
Bowser said the flag 鈥渢ells a story of pride, perseverance and progress; and this year, it also marks the celebration that was hard fought for,鈥� a reference to 2025 marking the 50th year of Pride celebrations in D.C.
鈥淣ot everybody made it to 50 years in Pride,鈥� Bowser said. 鈥淣ot everybody is experiencing equality or being able to live their best lives because of hate and discrimination. Not everybody even feels safe right here in their nation鈥檚 capital.鈥�
A welcome celebration and parade are still to come, and some attendees said Thursday鈥檚 event had increased meaning.
鈥淲e鈥檙e in a crucial time right now, where I guess, politically, we鈥檙e being attacked,鈥� Christian said. 鈥淚 just want to make sure that everyone is safe and happy.鈥�
Darren Pasha, meanwhile, said the 鈥渃urrent administration does not like us to use preferred pronouns.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 here to show support, to show my love for us human beings, and we鈥檙e not going to go anywhere, no matter who sits in office,鈥� Pasha said.
Ramon Dijon stopped by the event on his birthday, and said at 39, 鈥渋t took me a while to embrace who I was and accept who I was. To live in a city that鈥檚 done so much of the legwork for me, I鈥檓 so grateful for that.鈥�
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to live in a place where you don’t get to have these freedoms and to know that these people are working tirelessly,” he added.
More than 85 WorldPride events have already taken place, Bowser鈥檚 office said, and other parts, such as the 17th Street Block Party, are scheduled for the coming days.
Ray Lader said the experience has made clear 鈥渋t鈥檚 just a great place to be and see and know that there鈥檚 so many people still out doing the fight; and that we haven鈥檛 been left behind; and that it is an inclusive space, that folks with disabilities, those from all different backgrounds, no matter who they are, that there鈥檚 a space here for them.鈥�
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