a&e features
Reflecting on Capital Pride
Here’s how our celebrations evolved during ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘00s and ’10s
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was Capital Pride. Here’s some context for each decade of our local celebration.
The street party ‘70s
Deacon Maccubbin, owner of gay bookstore Lambda Rising (which closed in 2010), started what has become Capital Pride in 1975 with a one-day community block party on 20th St., N.W. where his store was at the time. About 2,000 attended the gathering, held on Father’s Day with a dozen booths and vendors set up. Several candidates for D.C. City Council attended as well.
In its heyday, Lambda Rising was a de facto gay community center of sorts and frequently hosted author readings/book signings and other LGBT events. Within a few years, the event was attracting about 10,000 and had spread out to three blocks.
It was a heady time for the movement. Inspired by the Stonewall Riots of 1969 in New York City, commemoration events were burgeoning around the country and Washington had a thriving gay and lesbian scene of its own (the LGBT moniker didn’t come into wide use until much later). Several local groups were well established by this time — The Academy of Washington (founded 1961), Washington Blade (founded 1969), the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (then known as the GAA, founded 1971), Metropolitan Community Church of Washington (founded 1970) and others.
Early D.C. Pride events had a family-type appeal and were — as they are today — a place for various arms of the community, from drag outfits to activist groups to leather lovers and beyond, to let their gay hair down for the day. Then-Mayor Marion Barry, elected the previous November, attended his first Gay Pride Day in 1979 and continued throughout his years in office and beyond.
Ups and downs of the ‘80s
The P Street Festival Committee was formed in 1980 to take over Gay Pride Day, as the festival was known, and the annual event was held at Francis Junior High School at 24th and N streets, N.W. By the following year, the event had been dubbed Gay and Lesbian Pride Day and the first parade was held beginning on 16th St. N.W. and Meridian Hill Park and ending at Dupont Circle.
The event grew exponentially in those years from about 11,000 in 1981 to 20,000 by 1983, though it ebbed and flowed with fewer than 10,000 attending in 1986 and 1987.
Washington, like San Francisco and New York, was hit particularly hard by HIV and AIDS and the urgency and frustration of the time was well represented at the gatherings, which had expanded to a week-long event by 1984 with about 28,000 at the street festival and parade combined. The first Pride Heroes were named in 1984.
Turning tide of the 1990s
The P Street Festival disbanded in 1990 and Pride continued with a new entity, Pride of Washington. The event was also moved to the week before Father’s Day so as not to impede on the family holiday.
By 1991, the street festival had expanded to about 200 booths and for the first time, active duty and retired American military personnel marched in the parade. Rain affected attendance several years in a row and the festival flirted with bankruptcy.
In 1995, One in Ten, a D.C. organization that hosted an annual film festival, took over and moved the festival to Freedom Plaza while the parade route started at Francis Junior High School and ended at the plaza. Attendance picked up going from about 25,000 in 1994 to more than 100,000 by 1996.
In 1997, Whitman-Walker Clinic, as it was then known, joined One in Ten as a co-sponsor and the event was renamed Capital Pride. Corporate sponsorships rose dramatically going from $80,000 to nearly $250,000 the following year.
A new millennium, a new day
In 2000, Whitman-Walker became the sole sponsor and the festival moved again, this time to Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. between 4th and 7th streets, N.W. and the festival’s main stage was repositioned so that the U.S. Capitol building was visible in the background.
By 2002, parade contingents reached 200 and in 2004, about 100,000 attended the various Pride events. Financial problems, however, continued to plague the event with the city agreeing in 2005 to waive thousands in street closing and police overtime fees while the Human Rights Campaign, agreed to an emergency donation of $30,000.
Attendance, however, remained strong with about 200,000 attending in 2006 making it the fourth-largest Pride event in the U.S. Several events such as dance parties, a youth prom, a transgender event, leather pride and more were now under the overall Capital Pride umbrella.
By 2007, several other local non-profits joined Whitman-Walker to form the Capital Pride Planning Committee. In March 2008, Whitman-Walker awarded the production rights to the newly formed Capital Pride Alliance, a group of volunteers and organizations formed by members of the Capital Pride Planning Committee. By 2009, the Alliance was the sole producer of the event.
The tipping point ‘10s
The event reached its 35th anniversary in 2010 and continued to expand its offerings with about 60 events held over a 10-day period and a record high of 250,000 attending the street festival. About 100,000 watched the 2013 parade.
A color guard officially sanctioned by the U.S. Armed Forces joined the 2014 parade, an unprecedented event. The eight-member guard represented each branch of the U.S. armed forces.
Numbers remained strong for the 2014 parade with about 100,000 again at the parade and about 250,000 estimated in total for the various week-long events. Rita Ora, Karmin, Bonnie McKee, Betty Who and DJ Cassidy performed. The theme was “#BuildOurBrightFuture.” Former Minnesota Vikings player Chris Kluwe, an ally, was grand marshal.
The Blade reported more than 150,000 attended the 40th anniversary parade in 2015. A shirtless Wilson Cruz was grand marshal. The Boy Scouts marched for the first time. About 250,000 attended the festival the following day. Musical headliners at the festival grew in stature as Hot 99.5 became the presenter. Carly Rae Jepsen, Wilson Phillips, Amber, En Vogue and Katy Tiz performed amidst ominous skies. The theme was “Flashback.”
In 2016, headliners were Melanie Martinez, Alex Newell (of “Glee”), Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puth. The theme was “Make Magic Happen!” Gay actor Leslie Jordan (“Will & Grace”) was grand marshal. In 2017, the theme was “Unapologetically Proud.” Headliners were The Pointer Sisters, Tinashe and Miley Cyrus. Marriage case plaintiff Edith Windsor was grand marshal.
In 2018: Alessia Cara, Troye Sivan and MAX headlined. The theme was “Elements of Us.” Activist Judy Shepard (mother of hate crime victim Matthew) was grand marshal. In 2019: Shea Diamond, Todrick Hall, Zara Larsson, Marshmellow, Calum Scott and Nina West (of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) headlined. Earline Budd, Brandon Wolf, Matt Easton and the cast of “Pose” were grand marshals. The theme was “shhhOUT: Past, Present & Proud” to honor the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.
Several Pride events in recent years have been upended. A group of protesters from a local entity called No Justice No Pride blocked the parade route in 2017 forcing it to be re-routed and delayed. They objected to the lack of trans women of color in leadership positions within Capital Pride, lax vetting of corporate Pride sponsors and the presence of uniformed police officers at the parade.
The sound of what people thought were gunshots in Dupont Circle during the 2019 parade brought the proceedings to a halt. It turned out to be a false alarm — no shots were fired. Dozens of participants didn’t get to be in the parade.
And this year the coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to concede, in an unprecedented move, that there was no responsible way to have the parade and festival. Some events were held virtually.
Editor’s note: Information taken from various sources such as previous Washington Blade articles, previous Capital Pride pride guide books, Capital Pride’s own history and more.
a&e features
Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2
Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’
The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.
An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.
Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.
In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”
“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.
“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”
“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”
“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.
Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.
a&e features
Queery: Meet artist, performer John Levengood
Modern creative talks nightlife, coming out, and his personal queer heroes
John Levengood (he/him) describes himself as a modern creative with a wide‑ranging toolkit. He blends music, technology, civic duty, and a sharp sense of wit into a cohesive artistic identity. Known primarily as a recording artist and performer, he’s also a self‑taught music producer and software engineer who embodies a generation of creators who build their own lanes rather than wait for one to appear.
Levengood, 32, who is single and identifies as gay and queer, is best known as a recording artist who has performed at Pride festivals across the country, including the main stages of World Pride DC, Central Arkansas Pride, and Charlotte Pride.
“Locally in the DMV, I’m known for turning heads at nightlife venues with my eye-catching sense of style. When I go out, I don’t try to blend in. I hope I inspire people to be themselves and have the courage to stand out,” he says.
He’s also known for hosting karaoke at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va., on Thursday nights. “I like to create a space where people feel comfortable expressing themselves, building community, and showcasing their talents.”
He also creates social media content from my performances and do interviews at LGBTQ+ bars and theatres in the DMV. Follow the Arlington resident @johnlevengood.
How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?
I have been fully out of the closet since 2019. My parents were the hardest people to tell because my family has always been my rock and at the time I couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their reactions were extremely positive and supportive so I had nothing to fear all along.
I remember sitting on the couch with my mom, dad, and sister in our hotel room in New Orleans during our winter vacation and being so nervous to tell them. After I finally mustered up the nerve and made the proclamation, I realized my dad had already fallen asleep on the couch. My mom promised to tell him when he woke up.
Who’s your LGBTQ hero?
My LGBTQ heroes are Harvey Milk for paving the way for gays in politics and Elton John for being a pioneer for the fabulous and authentic. My local heroes in the DMV are Howard Hicks, manager of Green Lantern, and Tony Rivenbark, manager of Freddie’s Beach Bar. Both of them are essential to creating spaces where I’ve felt welcome and safe since moving to the DMV.
What’s Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?
Trade tops the list for me because of the dance floor and outdoor space. It’s so nice to get a break from the music every once and a while to be able to have a conversation.
We live in challenging times. How do you cope?
I’m still figuring this out. What is working right now is writing music and spending time with family and friends. I’ve also been spending less time on social media going to the gym at least three times a week.
What streaming show are you binging?
After “Traitors” Season 4 ended, I was in a bit of a show hole, but “Stumble” has me in a laughing loop right now. The writing is so witty.
What do you wish you’d known at 18?
At 18, I wish I would have known how liberating it is to come out of the closet. It would have been nice to know some winning lottery numbers as well.
What are your friends messaging about in your most recent group chat?
We are planning our next trip to New York City. If you can believe it, I visited NYC for the first time in 2025 for Pride and I’ve been back every quarter since. Growing up in the country, I was subconsciously primed to be scared of the city. But my mind has been blown. I can’t wait to go back.
Why Washington?
It’s the closest metropolitan area to my family, but not too close. I love the museums, the diversity, the history, and the proximity to the beach and mountains. It’s also nice to live in a city with public transportation.
Aging RFK Stadium has come down, but the RFK grounds are still getting lit up. Welcome back to the stage Project GLOW, D.C.’s homegrown electronic festival, on May 30-31. Back for its fifth year on these musically inclined acres, Project GLOW returns with an even more diverse lineup, and one that continues to celebrate LGBTQ antecedents, attendees, and acts.
Project GLOW 2026 headliners include house and techno star Mau P, progressive house legend Eric Prydz, hard-techno favorite Sara Landry, and bass acts Excision b2b Sullivan King, among the lineup of trance, bass, house, techno, dubstep, and others for the fifth anniversary year.
President & CEO Pete Kalamoutsos — born and raised in D.C. — founded Club GLOW in 1999. In 2020, GLOW entered into a partnership with global entertainment company Insomniac Events to produce live events like Project GLOW, which kicked off in 2022.
As in past years, Project GLOW not only makes space, but is intentionally inclusive of the LGBTQ community, one of its most dedicated fan bases. The festival’s LGBTQ-focused Secret Garden stage blooms again — a more intimate dance area that stands on the strength of DJs and musicians who draw from the LGBTQ community. D.C.’s LGBTQ nightlife mastermind Ed Bailey is the creative mind behind Secret Garden again. He joined Project GLOW in 2023.
“Kalamoustos says that “he’s proud of his partnership with Ed Bailey, along with Capital Pride and [nightlife producer] Jake Resnikow. It’s amazing to collaborate with Bailey at the Secret Garden stage, especially after the curated lineup we worked on at Pride last year.”
The Secret Garden will be a bit different from other stages: Eternal (“At the Eternal stage, time stands still. Lose yourself in the dance of past, present, and future, surrendering to the eternal rhythm of the universe”) and Pulse (“Feel the rhythm of the beat pulse through your veins as the heartbeat of the crowd synchronizes into one. Here, every moment vibrates with life as it guides you through a new dimension of euphoria”). The Secret Garden stage is in the round, surrounded by 16 shipping containers. The containers play canvas to muralists from around the world, who are coming in to paint them in a vibrant garden-style vibe. “We gave this stage some extra love with this layout,” K says, “ we finally cracked the code.”
K says that this will be the biggest lineup yet for the Secret Garden, featuring Nicole Moudaber b2b Chasewest, Riordan b2b Bullet Tooth, Ranger Trucco, Cassian, Eli & Fur, Cosmic Gate and Hayla. The stage is also the largest yet, featuring an expanded dance floor and 360-degree viewing.
Across all stages, K says that his goal for the fifth anniversary is “More art and fan interactive experience, more like a festival, strive to be like a Tomorrowland, as budget grows to add more experience.” Last year’s Project GLOW alone drew 40,000 attendees over two days.
K, however, was not satisfied with one festival this spring. GLOW recently announced a “pop-up” one-day event. Teaming up with Black Book Records, GLOW is set to throw a first-of-its-kind dance-music takeover of Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., headlined by electronic music star Chris Lake. Set for April 18, this euphoric block party will feature bass and vibes blocks from the White House. Organizers expect as many as 10,000 fans to attend. Beyond music, there will be food, activations, and plenty of other activities taking place around 6th St and Pennsylvania Ave NW – a location familiar to many in the LGBTQ community, as this sits squarely inside the blocks of the Capital Pride party that takes place in DC every June.
Over the past two decades, Club GLOW has produced thousands of events, from club nights to large-scale festivals including Project GLOW, Moonrise Festival, and more. Club GLOW also operates Echostage.
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