Here’s why this year’s celebration is more powerful than ever
BY CHAR BAILEY, IMAGES BY JUSTINE GOLDON @JUSTINETHEWOODS
Pride was never meant to be palatable. Pride started as a brick through a window, not a brunch with rainbow lattes. And as WorldPride makes its way to Washington D.C., there’s no better place – or time – for us to remember exactly what we’re marching for.
Washington D.C. isn’t just the backdrop to American politics – it’s the heartbeat. The streets here have absorbed generations of protest, from the March on Washington to Black Lives Matter Plaza. My heart erupted walking around the city last year, my people felt close, my history embedded in every slab. When queer people – Black, brown, trans, disabled, working class – take to those same streets during WorldPride, we’re not just showing up. We’re making history.
Why D.C.? Why now?
Because in 2025, LGBTQIA+ rights are still under attack. Across the globe, our trans siblings are being legislated out of existence. In the US, book bans and drag bans are the tip of a very sharp, very strategic spear. And yet, the world watches us dance. That’s the beauty of queerness: resistance wrapped in joy.
D.C. is the perfect battleground for this moment. The monuments? Gorgeous. The museums? Free. But don’t get it twisted – this city’s soul lies in its people. The grassroots organisations holding community together. The queer elders who paved our path. The young QTPOC leading rallies with glitter on their cheeks and rage in their hearts. The city is alive with us.
Travel with intention
Coming to D.C. for WorldPride isn’t just a holiday – it’s a pilgrimage. Visit the African American Civil War Museum. Light a candle outside the Supreme Court. Take the metro to Dupont Circle, and learn the names of the activists whose work built the very stage you’ll dance on.
Stay in Black- and queer-owned accommodations. Eat in restaurants where your presence supports someone’s freedom dream. Buy that zine. Tip that drag king. March like you mean it.
Doechii is headlining, and it’s about damn time
You want a soundtrack for protest? Doechii’s bringing it. Her voice doesn’t just echo off buildings – it commands them. She’s not here to make you comfortable. She’s here to remind you that femme/Stemme, Black, and queer isn’t a trend – it’s the revolution.
This isn’t corporate Pride. This is Pride as praxis.
In D.C., you’ll find more than rainbow floats. You’ll find strategy. Storytelling. Movement work. You’ll be reminded that Pride isn’t a moment – it’s a muscle. And we flex it every damn day.
So come correct. Pack your flags, your walking boots, your portable chargers – but also pack your purpose. Because WorldPride in Washington D.C. isn’t just a celebration. It’s a call to action.
And babe, we need you in the streets.
Hays Travel are offering a WorldPride package deal from £1,473 per person.
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