With just one month’s notice, lead organizers for WorldPride 2025 – slated to take place May 17 through June 8 – have told members of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) that attendance may be dangerous for trans internationals due to the Trump Administration’s recent anti-trans policies.
WTOP news reports that Ryan Bos, executive director of D.C. Capital Pride Alliance, spoke at a COG meeting and voiced his concerns on the issue.
“It’s possible that we may actually issue a statement telling trans folks internationally not to come, or if they come, they come at their own risk,” Bos said.
“These are the things that we will be discussing with the D.C. government and our partners to determine how best to communicate that to ensure we’re getting the resources to the folks that need it,” he continued.
Some members of the COG board expressed their worry at the suggestion, with Frederick County, Maryland executive Jessica Fitzwater saying “it’s really shameful that you all are having to consider making statements like that.”
D.C. Council member Charles Allen told Bos at the COG meeting: “I’m disheartened to hear that, but I hope you also recognize you’ve got partners in this room that want to be right there with you to make sure this is a wonderful, successful event, a safe event, that’s going to take place across the whole region.”
Despite the potential travel warning, trans-centered events will still be included in WorldPride’s programming. “Safety is our No. 1 priority, and we have been working for months to make sure that as people travel from all around the world to WorldPride this year, that they are safe,” said Elijah Nicholas, strategist and policy director at National Trans Visibility March.
Regardless of whether Capital Pride Alliance issues an advisory, Nicholas predicts that the LGBTQ+ community will still show out to protest for their right to celebrate their identities securely.
