Washington, D.C

diverse pride groups converge on DC with differing interests but common goals

Published

6 months ago

May 25, 2025

diverse pride groups converge on DC with differing interests but common goals

You’ve heard of twofers. Kenya Hutton is a “threefer.”

His parents are immigrants, he’s a Black man and he’s gay — at a moment in history when anti-immigrant fervor, racism and anti-LGBTQ feelings are rampant and amplified by Trump administration policies.

Hutton is hardly alone.

As members of the Black and Latino LGBTQ and transgender and other communities come to the nation’s capital for World Pride in the coming days, many are under siege from multiple directions thanks to their multiple identities. They will hold individualized programs and celebrations that blend into World Pride.

Their mutual jeopardy will be a unifying theme. The celebrations, music, food, parades, plays and parties will unfold against a backdrop of human rights and political strategizing and, in some cases, discussions about how to survive in a climate that contains many people who do not want them around.

“I always tell folks that DC was the perfect place to have World Pride,” Hutton said. “We have so many different identity prides here in D.C., from Black Pride to Trans Pride to API Pride, Latinx Pride, Military Pride, Women’s Pride, Silver Pride, we have so many different groups of people that have their own pride celebration.”

Looking for solutions to an ‘intersectional’ problem

Frankie Miranda, the first openly gay president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation, says immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community have been “in triage mode for months” as they defend “a multiapproach attack on many members of our community from different sides.”

Miranda, who is Puerto Rican, said immigrant families are being separated and the LGBTQ community targeted. After years of progress, those efforts are being eroded and “fundamental rights challenged and taken away,” he said. “It’s a reminder of how much work we still have ahead and of how we must work in an intersectional way.“

Miranda urged Pride events to have direct calls to action and take a more political approach this year, including by looking to the 2026 elections.

Susan Appleton, professor of women, gender. and sexuality studies at the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, said the nation’s culture and society, “including law,” have always regulated gender, race and other identities. But, she said, “I think we’re in a very unusual time when the targets have become very explicit and when for many years we haven’t seen the lack of empathy that we see now.”

“But I do think it’s encouraging to me to see that there is a vigorous resistance,” she said. “I don’t know whether it will accomplish anything, but I think it is important to make sure that all voices are heard.”

That people are facing multiple grievances, she said, now shows “it’s not sufficient to look at race alone or gender alone or sexuality alone but all those factors.” They intersect and “create unique vectors of oppression.”

People at the intersections between the Latino community and immigrant communities “face attacks from all sides,” said Dee Tum-Monge, a board member for the Latinx History Project, the steering organization for Latinx Pride. World Pride is aiming “to create spaces focused around community care and political organizing while still celebrating our joy,” they say.

The focus, Tum-Monge said, is shifting away from just voting and federal action to work that attendees can do at local levels. Amid mounting threats to immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, Tum-Monge said organizers are particularly concerned about security and will be watching for international participants who may face obstacles traveling.

Statements as diverse as those making them

Although official events are kicking off now, programs that have begun suggest how diverse activities will be. The scene last week was almost solemn as people walked along the National Mall in sight of the Capitol, reading messages on some of the hundreds of quilts made by transgender people from around the country.

The “Freedom to Be” quilt project was there to raise awareness of the transgender community, which has been under fire from President Donald Trump. The messages ranged from defiance to hopes for acceptance. “I hope there are days when you fall in love with being alive,” said one. And on another: “THERE’S A LAND THAT I SEE WHERE THE CHILDREN SHOULD BE FREE.”

Abdool Corlette, head of brand for the American Civil Liberties Union and a co-creator of the project, said a message needed to be sent.

“We are seeing across the board an attempt to erase trans folks from all public life,” Corlette said. “And we knew that we need to take up space. We needed to memorialize people’s stories and do it in the literal backyard of the Capitol.”

Gillian Branstetter, his co-creator and communications strategist at the ACLU’s Women’s Project, said actions like the Republican president’s executive order that affects military personnel are abstract to some but have real impacts in the transgender community where health care is threatened, along with the loss of jobs and threats of violence.

The scene was anything but solemn 3 miles north of the Mall, inside the student center at Howard University, one of the nation’s renowned historically Black universities. It was festive and bright, filled with joy and shouts of encouragement and music as members of various groups — called houses — competed in events that included fashion modeling and dance at the Cirque du Slay Ball.

One attendee, John Smith III (stage name IconFatty Prodigy), said the balls are modeled on Cirque du Soleil and are about community and safe spaces. Iran Paylor (stage name Bang Garcon) said the houses are places set up by LGBTQ communities to give safe spaces to others estranged from their families and ostracized within the Black community when they came out.

Black Pride is a key center of gravity

D.C. Black Pride began in 1975 at the ClubHouse, founded by members of the city’s LGBTQ community. Over the years, an event around Memorial Day became a tradition. The ClubHouse closed in 1990, but three members of the community kept the tradition going. The first Black Gay and Lesbian Pride event was held on May 25, 1991.

Hutton is the president and CEO of the Center for Black Equity, founded in 1999 as a way to bring together all of the Black pride movements that were being created around the country following the model in Washington. There are 54 in the United States and 12 internationally, he said.

As a Black gay man, Hutton already had battles on multiple fronts. Now there is an additional category to worry about.

“I’m also a child of immigrants, just to add that on top of my intersections,” he said. “I’m always paying attention to immigration conversations. It’s very hard navigating the world right now.”

But, he said, his responsibility is to use the access he has developed over the years to create safe spaces. “So even though it is difficult to navigate and listen to the news every day, I also understand that I’ve been given this task.”

The job has been hard this year. Sponsors have pulled out of the celebrations and he knows some international travelers are not coming due to fear they will have difficulties with law enforcement.

Hutton understands why various groups want individual activities; one version will not accommodate all audiences. But the cornerstone of Black pride is community. “We have the opportunity to really showcase all of these communities to the world,” he said.

In the end, he said, he wants one message to resound after the gathering of communities: “We’re not going anywhere.”

“We’ll continue pushing our rights forward, not just for us in America,” Hutton said. “As someone told me, when America sneezes, the world catches a cold. So we have to make sure that America doesn’t catch a cold.”

Source link

Related Topics:Featured pride month washington dc WorldPride DC

Click to comment

Washington, D.C

The Weekend Scene: Downtown Holiday Market and more to do around DC, through Nov. 23

Published

1 day ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

The Weekend Scene: Downtown Holiday Market and more to do around DC, through Nov. 23

Happy “Wicked: For Good” opening weekend! After you see the movie, let your stan flag fly with drink specials, trivia and karaoke – there’s even a one-day choir where singers can channel their inner Ariana Grande or Cynthia Erivo. Check out our roundup here.

Swap your pink and green for yellow to cheer on the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League championship Saturday night. Watch parties will be happening at Franklin Hall, metrobar and across the Spirit Bar Network.

Grocery shopping, traveling and/or welcoming family into town might be your focus on the last weekend before Thanksgiving, but make some time to enjoy festive fun all over the D.C. area.

Weekend weather: The weekend might start with rain before the weather takes a turn for the better. Here’s the forecast.

D.C. highlights

Downtown Holiday Market
Nov. 21 to Dec. 23, F Street NW (between 7th and 9th streets), free entry
🔗 Details

Browse dozens of vendors while picking up gifts for everyone on your nice list.

The market is right outside the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery, so why not check out some art before shopping?

Family-friendly
ZooLights
Nov. 21 to Jan. 3, National Zoo, $9
🔗 Details

The National Zoo was closed for weeks during the government shutdown, but ZooLights is happening, and it’s opening on time. You can visit Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus more days into the new year. Read more and see the full list of ZooLights dates here.

“Our team has been working around the clock to make ZooLights happen,” the National Zoo’s Director of Business Operations, Nikki Mounts, said.

The shutdown is gone, and Zoo Lights is on. News4’s Tommy McFly has a preview of the National Zoo’s annual holiday attraction.

One million environmentally friendly LED twinkle lights and more than 100 animal lanterns await visitors as they wind down the zoo’s main walkway, dotted with scenes of rainforests, deserts and pandas.

We suggest buying tickets in advance for this popular event.

D.C.’s free Umbrella Art Fair returns for its fifth year. News4’s Eun Yang talks with one of the organizers about what to expect.

Free & family-friendly
Umbrella Art Fair
Fri. to Sun., The Square at International Square (1850 K St NW)
🔗 Details

One of the biggest showings of art is back again, showcasing more than 100 artists’ work across over 35,000 square feet in downtown D.C. Expect to see work by Autumn Spears, Rose Jaffe, Alex Solis, Tracie Ching, Jessie and Katey, Tom Kim (aka Death by Narwhals) and more.

It’s the Umbrella Art Fair’s fifth year. It will be open to the public 6-10 p.m. Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Family-friendly
Washington Harbour Ice Rink opens
Opens Thurs., Georgetown Waterfront, $9-$11 admission, $7 skate rental
🔗 Details

One of D.C.’s most scenic ice rinks is back for the winter season! Glide near the Georgetown waterfront until 8:30 p.m. on work nights and 10:30 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and during winter break (Dec. 22-31).

The rink is even open on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s (check holiday hours on their website).

Want to make a day of it? We shared suggestions on what to do nearby in this edition of The Weekend Scene newsletter.

Maryland highlights

Family-friendly
LuminoCity’s Wonder Journey holiday lights festival
Through Jan. 1, Montgomery County Fairgrounds, peak admission, including taxes and fees, costs $33.47 (child)/$40.23 (adult)
🔗 Details

Step into a wintery fairy tale filled with lights spanning 12 acres. Don’t miss the red heart slide in the “Alice in Wonderland” zone.

Beyond the lights, you can visit dozens of roaring life-size dinosaurs, boogie on an LED dance floor or dig for fossils. You can also pay extra for train rides, a safari dig and a bounce zone.

Free & family-friendly
Holiday Share Fair
Sat., Black Hill Discovery Center in Boyds
🔗 Details

An old coat that’s too small? Boots you just don’t wear? A board game you’ve outgrown? If you’re decluttering before the holidays or looking for winter gear on a budget (i.e. FREE!), we’ve got the spot.

Imagine a trunk-or-treat for adults where “Givers” are invited to dress up their tables of fun finds.

Family-friendly
Festival of Lights – Bikes and Lights
Sun., in Upper Marlboro, $5
🔗 Details

Put a unique spin on your holiday lights tradition by biking through the enchanting displays in Watkins Regional Park.

This display with thousands of bulbs is usually a drive-through experience, so biking by will be extra special.

Virginia highlights

Free & family-friendly
Alexandria Holiday Tree Lighting with Santa
Sat., 6-8 p.m., near Alexandria City Hall (301 King St.)
🔗 Details

Take a stroll down King Street to Market Square for Alexandria’s tree lighting ceremony, which is expected to begin at or shortly after 6:40 p.m., followed by live music.

Make sure to stick around to watch Santa roll in on the King Street Trolley! Mr. and Mrs. Claus will greet families until 8 p.m.

Alexandria Cider Festival
Sat., Lloyd House (220 N. Washington St.), $55 or $25 for designated drivers
🔗 Details

Sample cider, enjoy live music and join in on tavern games at the Llyod House in Old Town. It’s a great opportunity to explore the historic Georgian house, one of five such buildings that still exist in Alexandria.

Concerts this weekend

Robyn Hitchcock, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, The Atlantis, $45.30

Listen to your elders. The Bob Dylan of alternative rock first made the scene in the ‘70s with psychedelic folk rock cult heroes The Soft Boys. Since then, with the Egyptians and later on as a solo act, the British singer/songwriter spent decades delighting fans with his surreal lyrics brimming with biting wit, as well as his esoteric stage banter. Not the artist to tell to shut up and play. In song and shtick, his storytelling is welcome and deserving of audience attention. Details.

Die Spitz, 7:30 Thursday, Black Cat, $26.40

Austin, Texas, quartet takes a wild and heavy approach to rock ‘n’ roll, leaning toward punk but too varied to pigeonhole. All things heavy — and wild. Band members trade instruments and share vocal responsibilities, with even the drummer getting out from behind the kit to take her turn at the mic. Their high-energy live shows will find them hanging from the rafters. Matching that energy — potentially upstaging it — North Carolina queer punk band Babe Haven opens. Details.

The OBGMs, 8 p.m. Thursday, Pie Shop, $21.44 (advance)/$24.54 (day of)

The Toronto punks’ music is thrilling, in your face and thought provoking. Their last two LPs — moving toward more accessible alternative rock — were shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Prize. Details.

Silvana Estrada, 6 p.m. Friday, 9:30 Club, $45.30

Mexican singer/songwriter with a gorgeous, gently fluttering voice. The folk music of her country prevails, but her modern take is informed by many other styles. Her vocals need no translation to convey the emotion in her songwriting. Details.

American Analog Set, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Miracle Theatre, $40

This indie band from ‘90s Austin, Texas, shuffled along at the pace of Yo La Tengo’s mellow moods while involving the krautrock of Stereolab and post rock similar to that of The Sea and Cake and even decelerating into slowcore. They call this set “Magic Hour,” consisting of songs from their original run of six albums. (The band took another 18 years to release a seventh LP in 2023.) Details.

More to do in D.C.

Frosted at Franklin Park: Nov. 21 to Jan. 7, downtown D.C., free

Concert – Sir Chloe: Fri., Lincoln Theatre

Punk Rock Flea: Sat., noon to 5 p.m., St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, free entry

DowntownDC Holiday Market: Nov. 21 to Dec. 23, F Street NW, free entry

Theater – “ho ho ho ha ha ha ha” with Julia Masli: Through Dec. 21, Woolly Mammoth, $49

Theater – “Hadestown”: Through Sun., National Theatre

More to do in Maryland

Montgomery County Thanksgiving parade: Sat., 10 a.m., Silver Spring, free

Thanksgiving coaster craft: Sat., Brentwood Arts Exchange, free

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center 10×10 art sale: Nov. 22 opening reception, on view through Jan. 4, Hyattsville, free entry

Movies on the Potomac – “The Grinch”: Sun., 2 p.m., National Harbor, free

More to do in Virginia

Pet Nights With Santa: Mondays from Nov. 17 to Dec. 8., Tysons Corner Center lower level, free

Buffalo Plaid Christmas Wreath Workshop: Thurs., 6 p.m., Ono Brewing Company in Chantilly, $67 per person

Herndon Turkey Trot 5k: Sat., 4 p.m., Herndon Community Center, $25-$45

Alexandria Holiday Tree Lighting with Santa: Sat., 6-8 p.m., near Alexandria City Hall (301 King St.), free

Alexandria Cider Festival: Sat., Lloyd House (220 N. Washington St.), $55 or $25 for designated drivers

Winter Lantern Festival: Opens Thurs., Tysons, $18.99-$25.99

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

Source link

Washington, D.C

Man found shot to death on Valley Ave. in Southeast DC

Published

2 days ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

Man found shot to death on Valley Ave. in Southeast DC

WASHINGTON (7News) — A man was shot and killed Wednesday evening in Southeast, D.C., according to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

Around 5:37 p.m., Seventh District officers responded to the 1200 block of Valley Avenue, Southeast, for a report of gunfire. When officers arrived, they found a man unconscious and not breathing, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

SEE ALSO | Man in Maryland jail accused of asking girlfriends to kidnap, stab DC woman

DC Fire and EMS paramedics tried to save the victim’s life when they responded to the scene, but the man was pronounced dead.

Police have not released the victim’s name as the investigation continues. Detectives are asking anyone with information to call MPD at 202-727-9099 or text 50411. Anonymous tips may be eligible for a reward.

BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT

This is a developing story that will be updated as more information becomes available.

Source link

Washington, D.C

Washington Monument gives new look of the White House East Wing construction

Published

4 days ago

November 17, 2025

Press Room

Washington Monument gives new look of the White House East Wing construction

The newly reopened Washington Monument, which typically offers sprawling views of Washington, DC from 555 feet high, now provides a peek at the White House’s East Wing renovations.

Andrew Leyden, a freelance photographer in Washington, D.C., posted photos of the scene from the top of the obelisk on X last week.

The photos show construction crews, cranes and a gaping construction site where the East Wing recently stood. President Donald Trump had the East Wing demolished last month after initially insisting construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom wouldn’t involve the structure’s demolition.

Photos of a bulldozer tearing through the wing’s facade went viral on social media.

The White House is now undergoing renovations to transform the site, which traditionally served as the first lady’s offices.

The modern version of the East Wing was added to the White House in 1942.

Critics were outraged at the demolition because it was done without public input. In an open letter on Oct. 21, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit, said it was “deeply concerned” about the project and urged the National Park Service to pause demolition until the proposed plans could go through public review.

Why was the demolition done?

In a July news release, the White House said the construction would occur to create a space for large-scale events.

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders and other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building entrance,” the news release stated.

The ballroom is expected to be an “ornately designed and carefully crafted space” with a 650-person seating capacity, higher than the previous 200-person seating capacity in the East Room of the White House.

Its construction is estimated to cost $300 million, but Trump has said it will be funded by him and other donors. Google, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Apple are among a list of donors the White House said is paying for the addition.

What has the White House said about the criticism?

In response to the criticism, the White House said in a news release on Oct. 21 that “In the latest instance of manufactured outrage, unhinged leftists and their Fake News allies are clutching their pearls over President Donald J. Trump’s visionary addition of a grand, privately funded ballroom to the White House — a bold, necessary addition that echoes the storied history of improvements and additions from commanders-in-chief to keep the executive residence as a beacon of American excellence.”

Michelle Del Rey is a trending news reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at mdelrey@usatoday.com

Source link