District of Columbia
New appeal for help in solving 1987 D.C. gay murder case
U.S. Navy commander was fatally stabbed outside Chesapeake House gay bar
The family of a 43-year-old gay U.S. Navy commander who was stabbed to death shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, 1987, minutes after he left a D.C. gay bar in a yet unsolved case considered a hate crime, is appealing to the public for help in providing police with a tip that may lead to the identity of two male suspects.
D.C. police at the time of the murder said Commander Gregory Peirce, an Alexandria, Va., resident who served as a staff officer at the Pentagon, was approached by two men appearing to be in their early 20s as he and a man he was with left the Chesapeake House, a gay bar at 946 9th St., N.W. at about 12:15 a.m.
A Washington Blade story published on Jan. 9, 1987, reported that police sources familiar with the investigation said one of the male suspects stabbed Peirce in the chest and neck, then kicked him repeatedly while he lay unconscious at the site of the stabbing in a parking lot behind the Chesapeake House.
The second suspect chased the man who was with Peirce toward the entrance of the bar, slashing the back of the man’s coat with a knife as the man sought help from the Chesapeake House doorman, Tom Vaughn, police sources told the Blade.
A police spokesperson said Peirce was pronounced dead about 90 minutes later at George Washington University Hospital as a result of a severed neck artery, the Blade reported. The man he was with, who told police what he observed, was not injured.
Amanda Soderlund, Peirce’s niece, told the Blade she and her family remain hopeful that the two young men involved in the fatal stabbing 36 years ago could be brought to justice.
She said her beloved uncle, who did not openly identify as gay while serving in the Navy, was just a few months away from retiring and being honorably discharged from the Navy.
“My uncle was an incredible man,” Soderlund said in an Oct. 5 phone interview. “We have a very large family,” she said, and family members have long tried to find out exactly what happened and why when Gregory Peirce became D.C.’s first homicide victim of 1987.
Longtime D.C. police homicide Detective Danny Whalen, who is assigned to the homicide unit’s Cold Case Squad, told the Blade last week that the Peirce murder case is among the large number of old homicide cases that cannot be solved unless new information surfaces.
“You know, we would love nothing more than to bring these people to justice,” Whalen said of the two unidentified suspects in the Peirce murder. “The detectives who worked the case at the time exhausted everything in their power,” said Whalen. “And if they could have made an arrest, they would have.”
Whalen noted that the two suspects, who witnesses said appeared to be in their 20s, would likely be in their late 50s or early 60s at this time, assuming they are still alive. Whalen and other law enforcement officials have said for investigators to make an arrest in an old case like this, one or more people who know something about the case and who may have known the two suspects need to come forward with information.
Soderlund, Peirce’s niece, said she has reached out to the Blade and may reach out to other news media outlets to draw attention to the case, with the hope that someone reading about it in the press might just come forward with a tip that could lead to an arrest.
“The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for each homicide committed in the District of Columbia,” according to a D.C. police statement issued at the time police announce a new unsolved murder case.
The statement says anyone with information about a case should call police at 202-727-9099. It says anonymous information can be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
Although other news media outlets, including the Washington Post, initially reported that police said the motive for the attack against Peirce and his companion appeared to be a robbery gone bad, police sources and witnesses from the Chesapeake House told the Blade the incident appeared to be an anti-gay hate crime or gay bashing.
The man who was with Pierce told police the incident began when the two male suspects approached the two men as they left the Chesapeake House and one of them said, “Wonder if they have any money,” according to an account by the Washington Post.
But the man accompanying Peirce also told police the two attackers never specifically asked for or demanded money. Words were exchanged between the four men in the parking lot and a fight broke out, police sources said, which led to Peirce being stabbed.
At least two police sources said the man who stabbed Peirce had time to search for Pierce’s wallet while Pierce was lying unconscious in the parking lot, but the attacker did not do so.
Instead, the attacker began kicking Pierce repeatedly while he lay motionless and bleeding, one of the police sources told the Blade back in January 1987. “For all practical purposes [Pierce] was dead when this guy was kicking him,” the source said.
In its Jan. 9, 1987, story on the Peirce murder, the Blade reported that experts familiar with anti-gay violence, including police investigators, consider the action by one of the two suspects in the Peirce case who repeatedly kicked Peirce while he lay unconscious as a form of “over kill” often triggered by a deeply held hatred toward and fear of homosexuality.
Chesapeake House employee Michael Sellers told the Blade the week following the murder that a group of young males were yelling anti-gay names, such as “faggot” and “queer,” at several Chesapeake House patrons and another of the bar’s employees when the patrons and employee stood outside the bar about an hour before Peirce was stabbed.
One of the employees and two of the patrons told the Blade the males who were shouting at them appeared to match the descriptions of the two men who attacked Peirce and the man with Peirce. But homicide detective Whalen told the Blade last week that there is no definitive evidence that the young man who stabbed Peirce was among the group that shouted anti-gay names prior to the stabbing.
The Chesapeake House, which opened sometime in the 1970s and featured nude male dancers, closed in 1992 shortly before its building was demolished to make way for a new high rise office building.
In reviewing the information he is aware of about the case Det. Whalen said that while it appears to be a hate crime, the exact motive of the murder has yet to be confirmed.
“It’s one of those things where it was a street attack,” said Whalen. “Their intentions were never stated,” he said. “However, it was either a hate crime or a street robbery or a combination of both.”
LGBTQ activists at the time said they believed it was a hate crime. And they expressed concern and anger that the news media at the time, other than the Blade, did not report that the stabbing incident took place minutes after Peirce and the man he was with left a gay bar.
In a Jan. 2, 1987, story, one day after the murder took place, the Washington Post reported that Navy officials told Peirce’s brother that Peirce and a group of friends had come to D.C. that night to attend the city’s New Year’s celebration at the Old Post Office building at 12th and Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., which is located about a half mile away from the Chesapeake House.
Other news media accounts left the impression that the murder may have been related to assaults that had taken place among the large crowds of people who turned out for past New Year’s celebrations outside the Old Post Office building.
The Post article reported that police said the stabbing took place in the 900 block of H Street, N.W. and that Peirce and the man he was with had just left a bar that the article did not identify by name.
“The truth was being held back,” Chesapeake House employee Michael Sellers told the Blade.
Soderlund said she and other Peirce family members have speculated that officials with the Navy may have wanted to downplay or hide the fact that a Navy commander who worked at the Pentagon was gay and was attacked after leaving a gay bar.
At that time, under longstanding U.S. military policy, active-duty military members discovered to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual were almost always discharged from the service as potential security risks. The so called ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy initiated by President Bill Clinton, which eased the anti-gay policy to a small degree, did not take effect until 1994.
Soderlund told the Blade she and her family members thought there was more to Peirce’s murder than a street robbery, but they had little information to go on until she contacted one of the two Washington Post reporters who wrote the Post’s initial story on the case. That reporter, John Ward Anderson, who has since retired, informed her about the Blade’s possible coverage of the story and suggested she contact the Blade.
Anderson told the Blade that the Post was not aware of information by police sources that the murder was a possible hate crime at the time the Post published its initial story on the case. He said the Post would have mentioned the possible anti-gay angle to the case had it known about it.
When Soderlund contacted the Blade, the Blade sent her a copy of the Blade’s Jan. 9, 1987, story, which Soderlund said provided information about the case that she and other family members were not aware of, including information that the murder was likely an anti-gay hate crime.
In yet another development in the ongoing saga of her uncle’s murder, Soderlund said she reached out to Det. Whalen, who gave her the name of the man who was with Peirce at the time of the murder and informed her that the man had died of natural causes in 1994 at the age of 58. In doing an online search, she found a May 1, 1997, Washington Post story about this man, Orrin W. Macleod, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and member of the U.S. Merchant Marines before becoming a ground crew employee at Washington National Airport.
“He never reached out to our family,” Soderlund said. “We never heard from him,” she said, adding that she has long assumed, like her uncle, Macleod was not out as gay and most likely did not want to speak out publicly about the Peirce murder.
But the Post article about him said he became a hero of sorts in Fairfax County shortly before he died of leukemia when he donated most of his life savings and inherited wealth of $1 million to the Fairfax County Public Library.
“The money, at Macleod’s request, will be invested in books on tape, which he used near the end of his life when his vision was impaired,” the Post article states.
Soderlund said it’s her understanding that Fairfax Public Library officials were unaware that the generous donation they received was from a gay man who survived a violent attack that took the life of her uncle.
Shortly after the murder, D.C. police spokesperson Quintin Peterson described one of the men involved in the Peirce murder as being Black, with dark-complected skin, about 5-feet-9 inches tall, slender, with a mustache and wearing dark glasses, a blue knit hat, a dark blue jacket, and dark pants.
Peterson described the second man involved in the murder as being Black with a medium complexion, about 5-feet-9 inches tall, with hair on his chin, and wearing a green coat, a light-colored knit hat, and dark pants.
Police sources said witnesses told police the two attackers calmly walked away from the scene of the crime along H Street, with their whereabouts unknown.
In keeping with longstanding D.C. police policy, a reward of up to $25,000 is offered to anyone providing information leading to an arrest and conviction of persons responsible for a homicide committed in D.C.
Anyone with information should contact police at 202-727-9099 or submit an anonymous tip to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411.
District of Columbia
Faith and interfaith-based events for WorldPride
Whatever you hold sacred this Pride is a faith-based event
As WorldPride begins, the Washington LGBTQ+ community is eager to welcome our queer neighbors from around the country and around the world. From the ASL Open Mic to the Art Tour of Queer Icons and Trailblazers, WorldPride is hosting a diverse selection of events catered to the varied interests, identities, and actions of the wider LGBTQ+ community.
Faith communities from across the Washington, D.C. area have planned individual and interfaith events for LGBTQ+ visitors. Faith communities acknowledge that religion is not a vital part of all LGBTQ+ peoples’ lives. Around the world, queer people have been hurt by religious institutions (through conversion therapy, colonial violence, and other forces of harm). At the same time, for many LGBTQ+ individuals, faith is an important way in which they navigate the world, make meaning, and connect with others who have shared experiences.
A clear statement of faith and spirituality was launched this week at WorldPride. The Lavender Interfaith Collective’s call to action for WorldPride was published yesterday in the Blade.
This call was released to counteract the virulent increase in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and violence. The message of the interfaith call to action calls everyone to the essential work of sustaining queer joy as celebration, resistance and liberation. The call to action opens with the clear affirmation that “across faiths, identities, and nations, we are united by one unshakable truth: every person is worthy, every voice sacred, every body divine. Our unity is not rooted in a single tradition but in a collective belief in the sacred worth of every person.”
Hosting both faith and interfaith events this year highlights the region’s commitment to queer-affirming, multi-faith community, such as the Pride Interfaith Service, whereas others, such as the Interfaith Community Tour at the Rainbow History Project’s Pickets, Protests, and Parades: The History of Gay Pride in Washington exhibition, are tailored to this particularly historical moment and looking back on the rich history of D.C.’s LGBTQ+ community.
In order to raise awareness for what is scheduled, here is a list of the broad strokes of faith-based events that are scheduled for WorldPride this year. This list is not comprehensive because faith is multi-faceted and applies to any experience that a person views as sacred, which can include everything from protesting to prayer to cheering on your favorite drag king. So in many ways, whatever you hold sacred this Pride is a faith-based event.
May 16-January 4: LGBT Jews in the Federal City
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, 575 3rd Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20001
Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum’s “LGBT Jews in the Federal City” explores a turbulent century of celebration, activism, and change in the nation’s capital. This landmark exhibition is the first of its kind to explore DC history, Jewish history, and queer history together, drawing from the Museum’s robust LGBTQ+ archive. Immerse yourself in historical and contemporary photography, artifacts, and oral histories. Learn about legal milestones, far-ranging protests, vibrant cultural life, and change in religious spaces.
The exhibition will open in time for Washington, D.C.’s observation of its 50th Capital Pride celebration and as the city hosts WorldPride for the first time, offering an unprecedented opportunity to infuse Pride with local Jewish history.
June 1, 1:30-3:30 pm: Pride in Religious Pluralism Seminar
Metropolitan Community Church Washington, DC
Coordinated by The LGBTQ Task Force
This panel brings together historians, organizers, and leaders dedicated to working at the intersection of interfaith cooperation and 2SLGBTQIA+ representation and advocacy. Come and learn about the ways that we protect and uplift the work of our movements while reimagining the ways in which our communities work together for a collective vision of peace.
The event is co-hosted by the National LGBTQ Task Force, CapitalPride Alliance, and the Lavender Interfaith Collective (LInC).
Please register at this link.
June 1, 4-5:45 pm: Sunday Choral Evensong with Acolyte Valediction
Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20016
Brought to you by Washington National Cathedral
This centuries-old service blends prayers and Psalms with congregational hymns, showcasing the best of Anglican tradition. This service of sung prayer closes the day in praise to God, led by the Cathedral Choir. This service includes the Cathedral’s premiere of Our Wildest Imagining, a choral anthem commissioned in honor of the Right Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The cathedral is pleased to be among a group of churches and performing arts organizations from around the country who commissioned the piece by Philadelphia composer Dominick DiOrio. The anthem text features words from sermons, stories, and sayings by Bishop Robinson, as well as selections from Psalm 27, which was personally meaningful to Bishop Robinson during some of his darkest times. Join them in-person, or watch the livestream on our Evensong page or on the Cathedral’s YouTube channel.
Please register at this link.
June 1, 6-9 pm: DMV World Pride Mass Choir
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ, 3845 South Capitol Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20032
Brought to you by Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
An evening of celebration, faith and worship in the Black church tradition, featuring the most gifted Gospel artists in the region. are assembling choirs and congregations from Open and Affirming (ally) churches across the DMV to join this regional mass choir! Rehearsals are May 27 and 30th. The concert will be Sunday June 1 at 6pm at Covenant Baptist UCC.
June 2, 5-6 pm: Interfaith Community History Tour
Freedom Plaza, Washington, DC
Coordinated by Center Faith
This special tour will explore LGBTQ+ faith and interfaith history in the Washington, DC area. Although there has been considerable scholarship focused on LGBTQ community and advocacy in D.C., there is a deficit of scholarship focused on LGBTQ religion in the area. Religion plays an important role in LGBTQ advocacy movements, through queer-affirming ministers and communities, along with queer-phobic churches in the city.
Part of this tour will draw on the three-part series that I published in the Blade that references the online exhibition LGBTQ+ Religion in the Capital that I published with the Rainbow History Project. Eric Eldritch and I will lead this tour and discuss the beginnings of the new Center Faith History Project focused on collecting these histories. Please register at this link.
June 3, 7 pm: World Pride DC Interfaith Service
All Souls Church Unitarian Washington, DC
Brought to you by Center Faith, a program of the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center
The Capital Pride Interfaith Service is an integrated service respectfully demonstrating the breadth, depth, and sincerity of our faith, countering any misconception that anti-gay fundamentalists have a monopoly on faith and religion. We take pride that our community expresses its religious faiths in a myriad of ways, each sacred and revered with years of tradition.
Join us for the 42nd anniversary of our local LGBTQ+ community celebration of religious pluralism and interfaith collaboration. You can read more about past Pride Interfaith Services based on my reflections of the 2023 and 2024 services in the Blade.
Please register at this link.
June 6, 9 am-4 pm: Trans Visibility, Empowerment, Aid and Wellness Day
National City Christian Church Washington, DC
Coordinated by National Trans Visibility March and the United Church of Christ
A day dedicated to mental, spiritual, financial, and emotional empowerment through gatherings, and workshops. For people of faith, they may specifically be interested in the Empowerment Service, scheduled from 1:40-2:40 pm at the United Church of Christ, Washington, DC. This is a session dedicated to spiritual and emotional well-being.
Find a breakdown of the events at this link.
June 6, 6-9 pm: World Pride Shabbat Service and Dinner
Adas Israel Congregation Washington, DC
Brought to you by Bet Mishpachah
Join Bet Mishpachah, DC’s LGBTQ+ Synagogue, the World Congress of LGBT Jews, Washington Hebrew Congregation, GLOE, Sixth and I, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, NJB+, and Temple Sinai for World Pride Shabbat hosted at Adas Israel Congregation. Join us for a joyous celebration of love, unity, and community. Come together for drinks, snacks, and a warm atmosphere to honor our LGBTQ+ Jewish community.
Following the happy hour, we will gather for a Pride Shabbat service led by Rabbi Jake Singer-Beilin and featuring clergy from around the Washington community. Let’s raise a glass to inclusivity and acceptance! Immediately following the service will be a Shabbat dinner. Space is limited, so register as soon as possible.
Please register at this link.
June 6, 7:30 pm: Lavender Light Gospel Chorus (NYC) + three more choruses
National City Christian Church Washington, DC
Please join a celebration featuring the Lavender Light Gospel Choir (New York, NY), Rock Creek Singers (Washington, DC), Seasons of Love (Washington, DC), and Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus.
June 7, 9:30-12:30 am: Eid al-Adha for All: An Inclusive Celebration for Queer Muslims & Allies
Foundry United Methodist Church Washington, DC
Coordinated by QTAPI Pride Coalition/ AQUA DC
Location: Foundry UMC1500 16th Street Northwest, Wash. DC 20036
Join Hidayah US and DC Queer Muslims, in partnership with AQUA DC and API Pride, for an inclusive Eid al-Adha prayer service in celebration of World Pride 2025. Taking place on Saturday, June 7 at Foundry United Methodist Church, this gathering will include a khutbah (sermon), congregational Eid salah (prayer), and a reception with light refreshments and community tabling. This event aims to create a safe space for queer Muslims to celebrate this important holiday together.
The prayer will follow an open arrangement where attendees may stand wherever they feel most comfortable, regardless of gender or sexual identity. This event is free and open to LGBTQ+ Muslims and allies, ages 18 and older (or younger if accompanied by a guardian).
All attendees must agree to the event’s safeguarding policies, which include a commitment to respect the Muslim and LGBTQ+ communities and a prohibition on audio or video recording during the event. Let’s come together to honor traditions, build connections, and share in the spirit of love and acceptance. We look forward to seeing you there! Then join us to march in the Parade afterwards!
Please register at this link.
June 8, 2-3:30 pm: Join QTAPI for King Kamehameha Lei Draping Ceremony
US Capitol Building, Statuary Hall, 1st Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20515
Join QTAPI Coalition, the first and only explicitly queer delegation, to present leis at the King Kamehameha Lei Draping Ceremony at the U.S. Capitol; an annual event held to honor King Kamehameha I, the first monarch and unifier of the Hawaiian Kingdom. This traditional ceremony typically takes place in June to coincide with King Kamehameha Day celebrations in Hawaii. The ceremony is centered around the statue of King Kamehameha I, which is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol and the only monarch in the collection.
After cultural performances and keynotes from dignitaries and the Hawaii congressional delegation, the statue is adorned with beautiful and long lei, symbolizing respect and admiration for the great king. All are welcome to join in on celebrating and highlighting native Hawaiian, and Polynesian culture, history, and ritual! This ceremony is attended by Hawaii officials, including members of Hawaii’s Congressional delegation, Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustees, and state and county officials, in addition to other US territory delegates and DC officials.
Registration required to enter Statuary Hall, dress code: Hawaiian business casual. Indicate “AQUA – API Pride” for “Organization or Group.”
Please register at this link (by June 1st).
As D.C. prepares to welcome the world for the biggest Pride celebration of the year, “America’s Metro system” is encouraging visitors and locals alike to take the Metro to WorldPride events.
On May 24, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority unveiled a series of specially wrapped vehicles in honor of the upcoming WorldPride celebration. The colorful fleet — featuring a set of train cars, a bus, and a Metro operations vehicle — is decked out in vibrant rainbow stripes alongside the message: “Metro proudly welcomes the world.”
Riders can track the WorldPride-themed train and bus in real time by visiting wmata.com/live and clicking on the “Special Edition” option.
To accommodate the estimated two to three million visitors expected in the D.C. area, WMATA is also boosting rail service from June 6-8. Service enhancements include the extended operation of the Yellow Line to Greenbelt Station — typically the end of the Green Line — on both Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, in an effort to ease crowding on Metro lines serving WorldPride events.
Metro is also expanding hours that weekend to help Pride-goers get to and from celebrations:
- Friday, June 6: Metro service extended by one hour, closing at 2 a.m.
- Saturday, June 7: Metro opens one hour earlier at 6 a.m. and closes at 2 a.m.
- Sunday, June 8: Metro opens at 6 a.m. and closes at midnight
Keep in mind that last train times vary by station. To avoid missing the final train, check the “Stations” page on the WMATA website or app. Metrobus will continue to operate several 24-hour routes throughout D.C.
During daytime hours, trains arrive every 4–6 minutes at most central stations, with service every 8–12 minutes at stations further out.
“Washington D.C. is a city of major international events and WorldPride is no different,” said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke. “Metro is the best way to get around, and we are making it even easier with a new seamless way to pay for fares coming soon, our new MetroPulse app to help navigate the system, and increased service on WorldPride’s closing weekend.”
One of the biggest updates ahead of WorldPride is the launch of Metro’s new “Tap. Ride. Go.” fare payment system. Beginning Wednesday, riders can enter the Metrorail system simply by tapping a credit card, debit card, or mobile wallet at fare gates — eliminating the need to purchase a physical SmarTrip card. Riders must use the same card to tap in and out, and should note that transfer discounts will not apply when using this payment method. The feature will expand to Metrobus and Metro-operated parking facilities at a later date.
For full details on all Metro updates related to WorldPride, visit wmata.com.
District of Columbia
WorldPride hotel bookings hint at disappointing turnout
Welcome events set for this weekend but predictions of 3 million visitors not panning out
Beneath the optimistic press releases from WorldPride D.C. organizers lies a disappointing reality: Predictions of up to three million visitors traveling to the region for the events are not materializing.
Indeed, a quick look at hotel occupancy rates reveals wide open availability across D.C. for the June 6-9 weekend with many hotels offering discounted rates.
LGBTQ activists from Europe, Mexico, Canada, and other parts of the U.S. have announced they decided not to come to Washington, D.C. for WorldPride because of the hostile, anti-LGBTQ policies of President Donald Trump and his administration. The activists indicating they would not come to WorldPride D.C. have said they were especially concerned over the Trump administration’s anti-transgender policies.
Kyle Deckelbaum, an official with Destination D.C., an organization that promotes tourism and large-scale events, and that has been supporting WorldPride D.C. for at least two years, said his group has received differing reports about the attendance at WorldPride.
He said that as of May 21, the most recent data show that hotel bookings for the WorldPride opening ceremony weekend of May 30-June 1, and for the closing ceremony weekend of June 6-8, are down by 3 percent compared to the same two weekends in 2024. D.C.’s regularly scheduled annual Capital Pride Festival and Parade took place the second weekend of June 2024.
But Deckelbaum points out that the 3 percent lower bookings are for D.C. hotels only, not those in the surrounding Virginia and Maryland counties, where many WorldPride participants are expected to stay. He also notes that bookings do not reflect the full “occupancy” of a hotel room, saying it is common that two or more visitors can share a hotel room.
“The way to look at hotel booking pace is it is a kind of indicator of travel, but it does not necessarily indicate occupancy, nor would it indicate attendance,” he said, referring to the overall attendance at WorldPride.
Deckelbaum said another factor is that there are more hotels that have opened in D.C. since last year, increasing the supply of rooms, which could account for a slightly lower booking rate.
“And there are a lot of factors at play outside of WorldPride, where occupancy has been tracking just below last year every weekend this year because there is a decrease in international visitation,” he said. “That’s overall to the U.S., that’s not D.C. specific.”
On the optimistic side, Deckelbaum notes that a “surge in positive op-ed articles from around the world” have appeared recently in support of WorldPride D.C. in newspapers in countries such as United Kingdom and Canada.
“We are seeing an uptick in op-ed submissions from international markets that explain people’s reasons for coming,” he said.
Last month, Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination D.C., told the Blade he could not predict whether as many as 2 million or more visitors would come as WorldPride organizers had predicted earlier this year.
“So, as we talk to hotels, we would have liked to see the city fully sold out at this point,” he said.
The Capital Pride Alliance, the D.C.-based group serving as lead organizer of WorldPride D.C., has pointed out that the local D.C. government has a longtime strong record of support for the LGBTQ community. They have also argued that LGBTQ activists should come to WorldPride as a form of protest against the Trump administration, among other things, by joining the planned LGBTQ and allied March on Washington for Freedom, set to take place June 8 and travel from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol.
Ryan Bos, executive director of Capital Pride Alliance, said the group doesn’t believe media reports of lower hotel bookings are predictive of the actual number of people that will turn out for WorldPride D.C. Although he did not offer a prediction of the size of the turnout, he said the enthusiasm and large number of people who turned out for the first week of WorldPride events was impressive.
“The energy and respect among each other were energizing and continued as other events popped up through Latinx Pride and API [Asian Pacific Islander] Pride and this past weekend with D.C. Black Pride, which was a huge success,” he said.
“People understand this is an historic moment, how important it is that our community supports each other, that every LGBTQ business, organization, social group that we rally together to ensure that our community shows up,” Bos told the Blade in a May 27 phone interview.
“Celebration is a form of protest,” he said. “So, protest is defiance, resilience and joy. And it’s not just about WorldPride,” Bos continued. “This is about us ensuring that we can persevere and be resilient across our country and around the world. And to ensure that all of our Prides continue to take place and that we do not go back in the closet.”
He added, “We have nearly 300 events between the ones Capital Pride Alliance is organizing to all the amazing partners in the community to have something for everybody, and we are excited to welcome so many who deserve to be seen so they can experience the D.C. that isn’t the federal government, that is part of this fabric of freedom, this community, these neighborhoods that make D.C. such a great place to live.”
A statement released on May 27 by WorldPride D.C. 2025 organizers says the events that began May 17 and dozens more set to take place through June 8 represent a “celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, identity, and unity.”
The statement adds that the events make up a “packed calendar of festivals, sports, concerts, and cultural experiences marking 50 years of Pride in D.C.”
It points out that this week’s highlights included the start of the WorldPride Film Festival, scheduled for May 27-29, the annual Pride Flag Raising ceremony organized by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, which was set for May 29, and the kickoff of the Capital Cup Sports Festival set for May 30-June 4.
As if that were not enough, the organizers’ statement notes that the WorldPride Welcome Ceremony and Concert set for Saturday, May 31, at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium with headliner Shakira performing and welcoming remarks by key dignitaries would set the pace for the remainder of the WorldPride events.
But while indicating all is going according to plans, the statement does not respond to multiple media reports that earlier predictions that WorldPride D.C. would attract between two and three million visitors does not appear to be happening.
WorldPride organizers announced last week 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 set for June 7.
“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.
Immigration judge dismisses Andry Hernández Romero’s asylum case
Four UK Pride organizations ban political parties from events
‘Pee-wee’ spills the tea in outstanding new documentary
Faith and interfaith-based events for WorldPride
Blade welcomes summer intern
WorldPride hotel bookings hint at disappointing turnout
Kristine W on WorldPride, drag queens, and being ‘Love Personified’
Gay director on revealing the authentic Pee-wee Herman
Queer film festival comes to D.C.
Pride, patriotism, and prosperity
-
District of Columbia1 day agoWorldPride hotel bookings hint at disappointing turnout
-
World Pride 20251 day agoKristine W on WorldPride, drag queens, and being ‘Love Personified’
-
Movies4 days agoGay director on revealing the authentic Pee-wee Herman
-
Out & About4 days agoQueer film festival comes to D.C.