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In a less-than-noted development, in November, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office arranged a prominent local event planning company to help organize WorldPride DC 2025, which is expected to be the city and perhaps the nation’s largest LGBTQ pride prize.

Dozens of WorldPride 2025 events are scheduled to take place in DC from May 17th to June 8th, including the Washington and Rally International LGBTQ March, LGBTQ Human Rights Conference, Music Festivals, Global Dance Party and multiple sporting events.

The Capital Pride Alliance, an organization that plans most of DC’s Pride Celebrations, was awarded the WorldPride contract in 2022 after the LGBTQ organization won the first competition, and then the international LGBTQ organization dropped out after the international LGBTQ organization dropped out.

Mayor Bowser has since allocated $5 million in city funding to support WorldPride celebrations and events, approved by the DC Council. Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, told a DC Council hearing earlier this year that the global budget was set at $20 million, with most of the money coming from private company donors.

At least two knowledgeable sources who spoke on the condition that they were not identified said the mayor’s office began looking for another entity to organize WorldPride last fall when questions were raised about Capital Pride Aliens’ ability to manage budgets, funds, and events related to WorldPride. Another source said lower than expected yields from fundraising encouraged the Capital Pride Alliance to cut its budget in half.

“Budgets, like any budget, are guides,” Boss told Blade. “And we budgeted between $15 million and $20 million, which includes a lot of physical support,” he said. “And like we do every year for an organization like our event-based organization, we do our best to come within budget each year.”

“So we’re doing our best to save as much as possible and ensure safe, successful global pride,” Bos added.

It was around the time that Linder Global Events, a DC event management company owned by a prominent minority and women, was awarded a city contract to take on the responsibility for some aspects of the world’s major planning and organization.

In a November 21 statement sent to DC Council, Bowser outlined the specific role that Linder Global Events and the Capital Pride Alliance will have under a global allocation of $5 million in funds worldwide.

The mayor’s statement said the Linder Company “receives $1.4 million for strategic partnership development, funding, sponsorship fulfillment, financial monitoring reporting and management.” The Capital Pride Alliance has received $3.1 million for “Event Running and Community Engagement,” and says it will add $500,000 to the issuance of “Commonly Supported Grants for Community Supported Events.”

Both DC’s vice-mayor for planning and economic development, Nina Albert, DC, told the Washington Blade at a press conference on February 12th on a subject that has nothing to do with that it has nothing to do with regard to the decision to maintain the Linder company to organize WorldPride. Albert said it wasn’t brought about because of the Capital Pride Alliance issue.

“Look, this is a big event. It needs to be coordinated across many different organizations,” she said. “Capital Pride is a kind of point in that event. She told Blade. “So this is very typical and I’m very excited to host two million people in the District of Columbia.”

Capital Pride Alliance spokesman Anthony Hesselius said that LGBTQ Affairs mayor’s office and that it was the LGBTQ office that chose Linder Company.

“In addition, Linder is one of many collaborators working with the Capital Pride Alliance to make WorldPride a success,” Hesselius told Blade.

Despite these guarantees, others have expressed concern about the management of the Capital Pride Alliance’s WorldPride.

Zar, founder and former creative director of Team Rayceen Productions, a recently closed local LGBTQ event group, wrote OP-ED on Blade, critical of WorldPride’s planned interaction with Capital Pride. Above all, he said Capital Pride was reluctant to share information and hear proposals for proposed WorldPride events.

“I know countless miscellaneous information that creates fear in me,” he wrote. “I contacted many people, including performers, organisational leaders, subcommittee members, and no one ever eased my concerns,” he added.

Another source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he met several Capital Pride officials in 2024 to propose a world-leading event, but Capital Pride was unable to respond to subsequent calls and emails.

“My organization was ready to work with Capital Pride on a series of events, but stopped communicating with us a few months ago,” the source said. “This is something we’ve heard from multiple community leaders, activists and bar owners. That capital pride is not involved with the community.”

Hope Giselle, a well-known DC trans activist, posted a very important video commentary on Instagram last month.

“Jennifer Lopez? Guiselle said in her video, claiming that Lopez is unable to sing live and has a limited appeal to LGBTQ audiences.

She also attacked singer Grimes, the mother of three children of Elon Musk, a billionaire Conservative Republican activist who appointed President Trump to lead the newly created office to fire thousands of federal workers.

“There are kids in Grimes who literally have Elon fucking muskrats. There are people who have all of us feel this shit, or at least have tried to make us feel this shit small,” Gisele said in her video. “It is essential that pride remains a protest against inclusivity rather than an exclusive event in favor of the status quo of a selected few,” she wrote in a comment accompanying the video.

Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, points out that the WorldPride Music Festival, which will be held outdoors at the city’s RFK Stadium Ground from June 6th to 7th, is being produced by the Entertainment Event Promoter in collaboration with the Capital Pride Alliance. Bos points out that the promoter identified as Jake Resnicow on the WorldPride website is the promoter that selected performers, including Grimes.

“Several WorldPride events, including free two-day street festivals and concerts, are organized and curated by the Capital Pride Alliance and other events. [WorldPride Music Festival and] Lincoln Theatre shows, including Global Dance Party, Grace Jones of Anthem, Janelle Monae Show, and changes to Bob the Drug Queen and Monae X, are independently curated by partner producers,” Boss told Blade in a statement.

“The Capital Pride Alliance remains committed to listening to the community and fostering an inclusive, festive space for everyone,” he said. “WorldPride’s mission is to unite and elevate the LGBTQ+ community through music, art and advocacy. We value the diverse voices of our community and look forward to an incredible celebration of pride and resilience,” he said.

Another source familiar with the WorldPride 2025 organization, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not dispute BOS’s claim that WorldPride organizers are doing everything they can to ensure a fully diverse event, including the participation of African-American, Latino, transgender, and other members of the LGBTQ community.

However, sources showed that WorldPride organizers were initially scarce by strongly recruiting community collaboration, perhaps due to the extensive work needed to organize events on the scale of WorldPride. For example, community activists like Hope Giselle were not informed in advance that partner events hosting external promoters (such as RFK’s music festivals) are responsible for selecting performers. However, community members are beginning to feel more at ease with new funding opportunities, programming announcements and direct stakeholder engagement efforts, sources said.

Sources say WorldPride organizers could have done more to inform the community that the overall acclaimed African-American performers, including Janelle Monáe, are one of those who are planning to perform at Worldpride Marquee and partner events.

Bos also said in a statement to the Blade that the Capital Pride Alliance is pleased to reclaim a major global closing ceremony and concert at Pennsylvania Avenue, the site of the two-day Worldpride Street Festival and Concert.

The closing ceremony and concert were originally scheduled to be held at the National Mall. Bos said it played a role in the decision to move it to Pennsylvania Avenue with the higher cost of hosting the event at the National Mall.

However, BOS did not say whether the possibility of a capital pride application to hold several other events at the National Mall and federal parks being denied is a factor in moving the closure event to Pennsylvania Avenue.

In response to requests from Blade, a spokesman for the U.S. National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over DC’s National Mall and other federal parks, provided Blade with a list of eight separate permit applications submitted by the Capital Pride Alliance to use federal parks for global rise events.

Parks and spaces included in the application in addition to the National Mall include Dupont Circle Park, Thomas Circle, Franklin Park, Freedom Plaza, Lincoln Memorial Parkway Beach Volleyball Court, Rock Creek Park Tennis Centre, Stadium, West Potomac Park, and Anacostia Park.

National Park Service spokesman Mike Ritterst refused to respond to questions from Blade about whether any of the multiple executive orders targeting LGBTQ issues could lead to the DEIs being denial of the application for highs.

“We continue to work with WorldPride organizers on details of the events required to issue final permits,” Litterst said in an email message. “We do not anticipate any conflict or overlap with other proposed events,” he said.

On February 17th, Capital Pride Alliance issued a five-page press release announcing the launch of its new WorldPride 2025 website.

The updated website contains information on the availability of hotels for suburban visitors and announces that Cynthia Eribo will be one of the lead performers at the Street Festival and concert on Pennsylvania Avenue on June 7th.

“With an increasing list of dedicated businesses, community businesses and individuals, along with additional financial support from the mayor’s office, LGBTQ issues and legacy sponsors, WorldPride 2025 is expected to be Washington, D.C.’s biggest international event this year,” the press release said.

“Three million participants (including 2 million visitors and 1 million local attendees) are expected between May 17th and June 8th, 2025. During that time, there will be more to be done, including Shakira, Capital Cup Sports Festival, DC Black Pride, international marching in Washington, rallies and more.” visit worldpridedc.org For more information.