News
Pride month comes to a close
Events took place in U.S. and around the world this weekend

From San Francisco to Denver to Chicago and then New York, cities large and small marked the end of Pride month 2023 in parades and gatherings. Across the globe there were also celebrations including the 40th anniversary of Dublin Pride in Ireland and in the true spirit of that very first Pride gathering, thousands took to the streets in Istanbul in defiance of the ban on Pride by the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
As LGBTQ communities celebrated they were joined by elected leaders and representatives.
Here are some highlights of Pride 2023:
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker:
I’ve been marching for LGBTQ+ rights since Pride was thought of as a protest — and I’m proud to keep marching as a celebration of hope and recommitment to the fight for equality today. pic.twitter.com/kyjhROgh3h
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) June 25, 2023
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis:
Happy Pride from Colorado State Employees! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 25, 2023
We love celebrating a Colorado for All! pic.twitter.com/fUmLq1SckG
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul:
New York is the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ rights movement and today, thousands of New Yorkers came together to show our #StrengthInSolidarity. Happy #Pride! pic.twitter.com/GqdwuJuIAs
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) June 25, 2023
NBC Bay Area
San Francisco celebrated its 53rd annual Pride Parade Sunday, with a crowd nearing a million people. The theme of this year's parade was about “looking back and moving forward.” https://t.co/HTIA85kueg pic.twitter.com/dHV3ZEOIBF
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) June 25, 2023
California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis:
Happy Pride, San Francisco 🌈❤️💜💙💚💛
— Eleni Kounalakis (@EleniForCA) June 25, 2023
Proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our incredible LGBTQIA+ community today as we celebrate diversity and continue the fight for equality. California is with you! pic.twitter.com/TDJU9Mofap
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner:
In the most diverse city in the nation, we chose to continue embracing the unity, inclusiveness, and ability to express ourselves for who we are.
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) June 25, 2023
It was great to see many Houstonians attend this year’s @PrideHouston parade last night in @downtownhouston. #Pride pic.twitter.com/t6DO3v6mrG
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar:
We marched in Dublin's Pride parade today! #HappyPride 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/BEpUezcbWo
— Fine Gael (@FineGael) June 24, 2023
Istanbul:
Susmuyoruz, korkmuyoruz itaat etmiyoruz! 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️#Istanbulpride #OnurYürüyüşü #Dönüyoruz pic.twitter.com/nBNnh2inbp
— 🇹🇷 İYİ LGBTİ ☀️🌈 (@IYILGBTI) June 25, 2023
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore:
In our state, no matter who you love or who you are, you are welcome and you are loved.
— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) June 25, 2023
Happy #Pride, Maryland! pic.twitter.com/Ff6BtwOM9W
Toronto Pride:
Happy Pride! #Pride2023 #TorontoPride pic.twitter.com/y5v7B8Ax8G
— blogTO (@blogTO) June 25, 2023
Canadian MP Ryan Turnbull:
In Canada, we believe in the freedom to “love who you love, and to be who you are!” Happy Pride!! #cdnpoli #Whitby #Toronto #Pride2023 pic.twitter.com/I0R048VkCa
— Ryan Turnbull 🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@TurnbullWhitby) June 25, 2023
Mexico City (via Reuters):
Thousands of revelers crowded the streets of Mexico City to celebrate the Pride parade pic.twitter.com/5oRnAFBUIb
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 25, 2023
First Lady Jill Biden at Twin Cities Pride (via the Star Tribune):
First lady Jill Biden made an appearance at Twin Cities Pride in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/1eoKz82mcC
— Star Tribune (@StarTribune) June 24, 2023
Edinburgh Pride:
Happy Pride 🏳️🌈 #PrideEdinburgh #Pride2023 https://t.co/jaESsSOVpJ
— The City of Edinburgh Council (@Edinburgh_CC) June 24, 2023
Seattle Pride:
Organizers estimate nearly 300,000 people were out and about, proud to be part of the 49th Annual Seattle Pride Parade. https://t.co/OBvR7q2sBK
— KING 5 News (@KING5Seattle) June 26, 2023
Metro Manila Pride:
Flags, Friends, and Feathers: The 2023 Metro Manila Pride March 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
— Ralph Revelar Sarza (@walphs) June 25, 2023
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/ITqf9d2Jnq#TAYOangKULAYAAN#JUSTICEforCHADBOOC#JUSTICEforNewBataan5#Pride2023#PrideMarch2023#PrideMonth2023 @mmprideorg
Watch in 4K: https://t.co/HtfjqMpWsi pic.twitter.com/Hr8vhN3XWK
U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.):
Happy Pride NYC! I've never missed a march in over 30 years, and with the LGBTQ+ community facing increased attacks, it's more important than ever to celebrate visibility & diversity. pic.twitter.com/zQa6pHsNST
— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) June 26, 2023
Oklahoma City Pride:
It was amazing to see our Indigenous brothers and sisters at OKC Pride today. Sending love and hugs to my Two Spirit siblings! pic.twitter.com/XOCsOzmnWp
— ᒪᗩᑎᑕᗴ 🏳️🌈 (@LanceUSA70) June 25, 2023
District of Columbia
Laverne Cox, Reneé Rapp, Deacon Maccubbin named WorldPride grand marshals
Three LGBTQ icons to lead parade

WorldPride organizers announced Thursday that actress and trans activist Laverne Cox, powerhouse performer Reneé Rapp, and LGBTQ trailblazer Deacon Maccubbin will serve as grand marshals for this year’s WorldPride parade.
The Capital Pride Alliance, which is organizing WorldPride 2025 in Washington, D.C., revealed the honorees in a press release, noting that each has made a unique contribution to the fabric of the LGBTQ community.

Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly transgender person nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category for her role in Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black.” She went on to win a Daytime Emmy in 2015 for her documentary “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” which followed seven young trans people as they navigated coming out.
Rapp, a singer and actress who identifies as a lesbian, rose to prominence as Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls.” She reprised the role in the 2024 film adaptation and also stars in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” portraying a character coming to terms with her sexuality. Rapp has released an EP, “Everything to Everyone,” and an album, “Snow Angel.” She announced her sophomore album, “Bite Me,” on May 21 and is slated to perform at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Deacon Maccubbin, widely regarded as a cornerstone of Washington’s LGBTQ+ history, helped organize D.C.’s first Gay Pride Party in 1975. The event took place outside Lambda Rising, one of the first LGBTQ bookstores in the nation, which Maccubbin founded. For his decades of advocacy and activism, he is often referred to as “the patriarch of D.C. Pride.”
“I am so honored to serve as one of the grand marshals for WorldPride this year. This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” Cox said. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
The three will march down 14th Street for the WorldPride Parade in Washington on June 7.
Congress
House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban
‘Big Beautiful Bill’ now heads to the Senate

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted 215-214 for passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” reconciliation package, which includes provisions that would prohibit the use of federal funds to support gender-affirming care.
But for an 11th hour revision of the bill late Wednesday night by conservative lawmakers, Medicaid and CHIP would have been restricted only from covering treatments and interventions administered to patients younger than 18.
The legislation would also drop requirements that some health insurers must cover gender-affirming care as an “essential health benefit” and force states that currently mandate such coverage to find it independently. Plans could still offer coverage for transgender care but without the EHB classification patients will likely pay higher out of pocket costs.
To offset the cost of extending tax cuts from 2017 that disproportionately benefited the wealthiest Americans, the reconciliation bill contains significant cuts to spending for federal programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Human Rights Campaign criticized House Republicans in a press release and statement by the group’s president, Kelley Robinson:
“People in this country want policies and solutions that make life better and expand access to the American Dream. Instead, anti-equality lawmakers voted to give handouts to billionaires built on the backs of hardworking people — with devastating consequences for the LGBTQ+ community.
“If the cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP or resources like Planned Parenthood clinics weren’t devastating enough, House Republicans added a last minute provision that expands its attacks on access to best practice health care to transgender adults.
“This cruel addition shows their priorities have never been about lowering costs or expanding health care access–but in targeting people simply for who they are. These lawmakers have abandoned their constituents, and as they head back to their districts, know this: they will hear from us.”
Senate Republicans are expected to pass the bill with the budget reconciliation process, which would allow them to bypass the filibuster and clear the spending package with a simple majority vote.
Changes are expected as the bill will be reviewed and amended by committees, particularly the Finance Committee, and then brought to the floor for debate — though modifications are expected to focus on Medicaid reductions and debate over state and local tax deductions.

2025 D.C. Trans Pride was held at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library on Saturday, May 17. The day was filled with panel discussions, art, social events, speakers, a resource fair and the Engendered Spirit Awards. Awardees included Lyra McMillan, Pip Baitinger, Steph Niaupari and Hayden Gise. The keynote address was delivered by athlete and advocate Schuyler Bailar.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)










