WorldPride DC 2025 Updates for the Week of May 19:
Additional Partner Prides Begin, AIDS Memorial Quilt DisplayLaunches, WorldPride 2025 Party Kicks Off
Washington, DC (May 19, 2025)-- As WorldPride DC 2025 continues this week, the celebration of global LGBTQ+ pride grows with the launch of additional Partner Prides, theater and musical showcases, the unveiling of the AIDS Memorial Quilt Display, and the official kickoff party. WorldPride DC features a vibrant and innovative slate of programming, with cultural events to inspire, connect, and empower the global LGBTQ+ community. The growing calendar of activities highlights the diversity and inclusivity of Washington, DC.
Partner Prides
DC Black Pride and Silver Pride take place this week, following the additional partner prides that kicked off last week including Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Pride, DC Latinx Pride, and Trans Pride Washington DC.
DC Black Pride is produced annually by the Center for Black Equity, a Capital Pride Alliance partner. More than 30 years after the first DC Black Pride drew 800 people to Banneker Field for a day themed “Let’s All Come Together,” more than 300,000 members of the LGBTQ+ community of African descent and their allies have come to Washington, DC during Memorial Day Weekend to celebrate the beauty of a shared community and raise awareness and funding for HIV/ AIDS in the name and spirit of Black Pride. This year’s event highlights include:
D.C. Black Pride 2025 Opening Reception - Friday, May 23 at Capital Hilton, 5PM
Hosted by the hilarious, award-winning comedian Anthony Oakes, this epic evening will feature an all-star lineup of dynamic performances and special guests.
D.C. Black Pride Workshops - Saturday, May 24 at Capital Hilton, 11AM
A series of sessions to engage in powerful health and wellness designed to uplift and empower, along with a variety of informative workshops.
WorldPride Black Queer Film Festival - Tuesday, May 27 through May 29 at Howard University, 6PM - 9PM
A dynamic three-day celebration of storytelling, identity, and liberation through the lens of the Black LGBTQ+ experience.
For media interested in obtaining credentials to D.C. Black Pride events, please contact karine@karyzmaagency.com.
Silver Pride stands as a tribute to older LGBTQ+ adults—the pioneers of progress, resilience, and change. Silver Pride will include a series of events that honor the generation that lived through Stonewall, the AIDS epidemic, and the evolution of gender and sexual expression, leaving an indelible mark on history. Event highlights include:
Tea Dance & Resource Fair - Wednesday, May 21 at The Eaton Hotel, 4PM-7PM
This gathering will include resources from nonprofits dedicated to serving older LGBTQ+ adults while enjoying an afternoon of music, dancing, and community connection.
How We Got Here & What We Do Now: Wisdom & Stories from Silver Pride Legends - Tuesday, May 27 at True Reformer Building, 6PM - 8PM
Speaker series featuring three of DC’s legendary LGBTQ+ champions, with a moderated talkback panel moderated by Rayceen Pendarvis.
For media interested in obtaining credentials to Silver Pride events, please contact grockwell@seaburyresources.org.
The Helen Hayes Awards
Monday, May 19
As an official partner event of WorldPride, The Helen Hayes Awards program recognizes excellence in and promotes awareness of DC theatre. The program’s volunteer panel of judges attend and promote hundreds of productions annually as part of the Helen Hayes Recommends initiative and nominate productions and theatre artists for awards in non-gender-specific categories as well as for year-round recognition for excellence and promotion by Theatre Washington. The awards ceremony has grown into the country’s best-known theatre awards ceremony outside of the Tony Awards and is attended by 1500 people. The ceremony will be held on May 19, 2025, at the Anthem at the District Waterfront. Further details can be found here.
AIDS Memorial Quilt Display
May 22 through June 8
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, St. Thomas’ Parish Episcopal Church, and the National AIDS Memorial will present a display of 45 panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt to honor Chorus members lost to AIDS. Founded in 1981, the Chorus lost more than 100 singers to the disease, and panels made for thirty members will be on display. The AIDS Memorial Quilt Display is part of the National AIDS Memorial’s efforts to bring the Quilt to communities across the United States to raise greater awareness and education about HIV/AIDS and to remember those lost to the pandemic. More details about the initiative can be found here.
WorldPride 2025 Kickoff Party
Thursday, May 22
The Equality Chamber of Commerce DC Metro will host an evening of celebration with the region’s boldest LGBTQ+ leaders, entrepreneurs, and allies on May 22nd for a night where visibility and connection take center stage. The kickoff party will take place at Moxy Washington with doors open to the public at 7pm. For tickets, please visit here.
Choral Festival
Friday, May 23 through Sunday, June 8
The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) will present an International Choral Festival that will be the Arts & Culture Marquee Event for WorldPride 2025. The festival will bring the DC metro area to life with daily hour-long pop-up performances showcasing the power, pride, and diversity of queer choral music. Each day of the festival, audiences will experience performances by GMCW’s own ensembles — Potomac Fever, Rock Creek Singers, Seasons of Love, GenOUT Youth Chorus, and 17th Street Dance — alongside guest choruses from across the country, many of them members of the national GALA Choruses network, and singers from around the world. Festival highlights will include special collaborations with local and national ensembles, the area premiere of A Peacock Among Pigeons, and the world premiere of Our Wildest Imaginings, a new work by acclaimed composer Dominick DiOrio, honoring The Right Reverend Bishop Gene V. Robinson. A full schedule can be found here.
WorldPride Welcome Center
The WorldPride Welcome Center is the perfect space for locals and visitors from around the world to recharge, connect, and celebrate. The center will be open from May 17 - June 8 at 737 7th St. NW between G and H Streets. The center offers phone charging stations, a Fabric of Freedom lounge area, official WorldPride 2025 merchandise for sale, light snacks and beverages, and a curated art exhibit. Sections of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and Drag Story Time will also take place at the WorldPride Welcome Center. A full list of events taking place within the space can be found here. .
Pride365 App
Just in time for WorldPride, The Capital Pride Alliance is proud to partner with Think Nimble and The Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs to launch the Pride365 mobile app. Developed specifically to address the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, the Pride365 app serves as a local guide for all things WorldPride and beyond. It offers updated information on the parade and free two-day street festival, curated event itineraries based upon specific interests, and real-time alerts from WorldPride leadership. The Pride365 app is designed as a valuable tool to enhance the experience and safety of LGBTQ+ community members and allies participating in WorldPride events across Washington, DC. It will remain available and updated indefinitely as a valuable new resource for visitors and DC’s thriving local community. To download the Pride365 mobile app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, simply search “Pride365” or visit pride365.org.
Media can find press images here. Please credit all photos courtesy of Capital Pride Alliance.
About The Capital Pride Alliance
The Capital Pride Alliance (CPA), located in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ community all year long, through educational programs, major events, fundraising, outreach and advocacy, providing platforms for visibility, and supporting the work of our many community organizations and local businesses.
About WorldPride DC 2025
WorldPride DC 2025, hosted by the Capital Pride Alliance, will take place in the heart of the nation’s capital from May 17 to June 8, 2025. The global celebration will feature two weeks of parades, festivals, marches, exhibits, and cultural programming. For more information, visit www.worldpridedc.org.
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