WASHINGTON — Happy Pride Month! For the whole month of June, members of the LGBTQ community will come together to celebrate their identity in the "proudest" way they can.
This year, the District is kicking off the celebration with a month-long series of events to spread the love. The pandemic dampened the celebration and forced the Capital Pride Alliance to move all events virtually in 2020. The organization told WUSA9 that they were not even sure if they were going to be able to hold events this month but are excited for people to celebrate together unlike last year.
So, it appears things are looking up. With safety protocols in place, Pride Month in D.C. may be in full swing for all to commemorate.
Scheduled in-person events such as Capital Pride Honors on June 11 and the Pridemobile Parade on June 12 will require participants to follow current D.C. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on gatherings. Some events like the Pride Talks event held Tuesday night will be virtual and live-streamed on YouTube Live and put on Facebook Live.
Be sure to grab your family and friends and let's celebrate love and equality for all!
Here's a list of events scheduled for Pride Month, according to the Capital Pride Alliance:
Paint the Town Colorful With Pride
Date: June 1- 30
Location: Washington, D.C. area
This year, the Capital Pride Alliance is excited to present for the first time, Paint the Town Colorful with Pride! Your participation will help promote joy, visibility, and PRIDE within your local community, while simultaneously raising awareness and resources for the continuation of Capital Pride events and programs, and the GivePride365 Fund, benefiting local LGBTQ+ charities.
Whether you’re a resident, business, or organization, participants can decorate their most public-facing spaces, such as building fronts, patios, balconies, and yards, to show their Pride! Make it as colorful as you can! Participants are encouraged to have their decorated creations displayed by June 1 to mark the beginning of Pride month. Decorations must be completed by June 12, the day of the Colorful Pridemobile Parade, a lively city-wide procession of colorful vehicles decorated by registered organizations and businesses. The Colorful Pridemobile Parade will visit areas in the city with the highest levels of participation in Paint the Town Colorful with Pride.
The Capital Pride Honors
Date: June 11
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Compass Coffee Ivy City, 1401 Okie Street, Northeast
The Capital Pride Alliance is honored to once again acknowledge outstanding individuals, leaders, and activists in the National Capital Region who have furthered causes important to the LGBTQ+ community. The annual Capital Pride Honors on Friday, June 11, will collectively celebrate the incredible community honorees who tirelessly contribute to collaborative advocacy, outreach, education, and programming in support of the intersectional community.
This year’s event will be held at the newly unveiled, state-of-the-art Compass Coffee Factory in Ivy City. Featuring multiple levels of event space, this unforgettable evening will include a celebratory cocktail reception, awards ceremony, and an exclusive music video premiere of the song “Colorful” by the band SHAED, featuring members of DC’s LGBTQ+ community.
*Tickets will be available Wednesday, June 2 at noon.
Colorful Pridemobile Parade
Date: June 12
Time: 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Various destinations in the Washington, DC area
This unique mobile parade will feature the official Pridemobile trolly, followed by a colorful array of automobiles decorated by registered organizations and businesses, all on display for enthusiastic onlookers to enjoy. The Pridemobile Parade route will be shared with the general public prior to the event and will pass through some of the city’s most lively areas for optimum visibility, including Dupont and Logan Circles, and iconic landmarks such as the Capitol Building.
A $100 Registration fee for this event is required and space is limited.
Taste of Pride Brunch
Date: June 13
Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location: Participating restaurants across the National Capital Region
An exclusive group of beloved local restaurants that have made a commitment to support Pride and local LGBTQ+ charities 365 days a year will hold brunch. Special food items, pride drink specials, and entertainment at select locations await you. Best of all, your participation will help raise awareness and resources for the GivePride365 Fund, benefiting local LGBTQ+ charities, and help to ensure the return of a full-scale Pride in 2022, and in 2025 when the organization celebrates 50 years of Pride in the Nation’s Capital.
Capital Pride Alliance is working with sponsors and coordinating events fluidly as restrictions change and update. They hope to plan events this coming October as well.