Crowds celebrate love with the Capital Pride Parade in DC

People took to the streets Saturday in the name of LGBTQ+ pride and rights for D.C.’s Capital Pride Parade. 

There was fun, music and great joy – but also the sobering commitment to defending those rights, which the Human Rights Commission (HRC) said are under attack. 

Indeed, the organization declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans due to hundreds of bills moving through state legislatures around the country which the HRC said amount to an attack on the community. 

Whether people came to march or just to support, they also provided a boost to the local economy, especially the restaurant and hospitality sectors.

Many businesses put out the welcome mat, or in the case of the Royal Sonesta Hotel on P Street, the welcome bar.

“We bought some barbeque and we brought some drinks and so far so good, I think the folks are really enjoying it,” Paul Devincenzo, of the Royal Sonesta Hotel, said. 

Concerns over counter protests going beyond just protests didn’t materialize, but something of a party did. As floats broke off from the parade, some of those parties went mobile in the name of acceptance.

The parade ended just below Dupont Circle at around 7 p.m., but the affirming energy certainly continued.