As World Pride begins in Washington, some foreigners stay away 10 hours ago Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu & Brandon Drenon BBC News Reporting from Washington DC Across Washington, large rainbow flags are flying next to the stars and stripes as the city plays host to World Pride, a global celebration of LGBTQ culture and identity.
The US capital won the bid to host World Pride years before Trump’s re-election.
It has previously participated in World Pride events in London, Sydney and at home in Toronto.
Ms Kennedy said the organisation wasn’t boycotting World Pride itself, but protesting against Trump’s policies on LGBTQ issues.
Capital Pride Alliance, the organisation running this year’s World Pride in DC, told the BBC it has recieved “an unordinary amount of questions and concerns”.
Some foreigners avoid Washington as World Pride kicks off.
A decade ago.
Gyamfi Asiedu Kwasi and Drenon Brandon.
the BBC News.
reporting from Washington, DC.
Large rainbow flags are flying alongside the stars and stripes throughout Washington as the city hosts World Pride, an international celebration of LGBTQ identity and culture.
This year, however, it has been difficult to get the world to come. Concerns about travel are causing some foreign visitors to skip the biennial event, while others are demonstrating against the policies of President Donald Trump.
Transgender data analyst Alice Siregar, who lives in Montreal, had been scheduled to attend. However, she told the BBC that it was currently impossible to travel to the US.
She said, “Coming over now is risky, especially as a trans woman.”.
The bid to host World Pride was won by the US capital years before Trump was re-elected. As the celebration marks the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in Washington, organizers predicted in January that it would draw three million visitors and boost the local economy by almost $800 million.
However, their expectations have now fallen to roughly one-third of what they had anticipated. Additionally, hotel occupancy rates are lower than they were the previous year.
Although Ms. Siregar, 30, is a citizen of both the US and Canada, she claims that new regulations put in place by the Trump administration that forbid transgender Americans from changing their gender on official documents have prevented her from renewing her US passport.
“The biological reality of sex” is being defended, according to the White House.
With her Canadian passport, she could go south, but she is concerned that border officials might not recognize her gender because it is female on her Canadian documents.
“She is concerned about reports of other foreign travelers being arrested and detained,” she said.
“It’s too dangerous to risk it,” she declared.
According to a US Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, a person’s gender identity does not render them ineligible.
In a statement, the spokesperson told the BBC that a foreign traveler’s gender as listed on their passport and their personal sexual orientation do not make them inadmissible. Claims to the contrary are untrue. “,”.
Ms. Siregar’s worries are not unique, though. Travel advisories for transgender and non-binary individuals visiting the United States have been issued by a number of European governments, including those in Germany, Finland, and Denmark. An advocacy group called Equality Australia also warned people who identify as gender non-conforming or have a history of LGBTQ activism not to travel.
Due to worries about the safety of their transgender and non-binary employees, Egale Canada, one of the biggest LGBTQ charities in the nation, announced that it would not be taking part in World Pride. It has previously taken part in World Pride celebrations in Toronto, Sydney, and London.
Its executive director, Helen Kennedy, stated, “We are very concerned about the general tone and hostility towards domestic LGBTI people in the US, but also to those who may be visiting the US from other jurisdictions.”.
She added that another factor was Trump’s repeated remarks about Canada becoming the 51st US state. According to Ms. Kennedy, the organization was protesting Trump’s LGBTQ policies rather than boycotting World Pride per se.
A Biden-era executive order prohibiting discrimination “on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation” has been revoked by Trump since taking office, among other LGBTQ protections. Additionally, he has prohibited federal agencies from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
Some, like Trump, claim that those policies are discriminatory in and of themselves, while supporters claim that they aid in redressing injustices.
Additionally, his administration has prohibited federal funding for gender care for transgender youth and prohibited transgender individuals from serving in the military. Additionally, states that permit transgender athletes to compete risk having their funding suspended.
Trump has justified his actions by claiming that it is “demeaning for women and very bad for our country” for trans women to participate in sports.
In court, some of these policies are presently being contested.
The navy plans to rename a ship that was christened in Harvey Milk’s honor, according to US media this week. In 1977, the former activist and Navy sailor became the first openly gay person elected to public office in California.
Trump has not mentioned the celebration in recent days, despite former US President Joe Biden hosting a Pride month event on the White House lawn in 2023 and issuing a proclamation last year in support of the community.
White House spokesperson told the BBC that Trump was “fostering a sense of national pride that should be celebrated daily” and that he was “honoured to serve all Americans” in response to a question about the president’s stance on World Pride.
According to the BBC, the group organizing this year’s World Pride in Washington, DC, Capital Pride Alliance, has received “an unordinary amount of questions and concerns.”.
Sahand Miraminy, director of operations for the Capital Pride Alliance, stated, “A lot of people are aware that our celebration is literally in the footsteps of the Capitol Building and a block away from the White House.”.
He said that because Pride in DC is expected to attract larger crowds than previous years, it will have an enclosed perimeter and weapons detectors for the first time.
The LGBTQ+ liaison unit of the Metropolitan Police Department will also be more visible at World Pride events and will be given “first priority” when it comes to responding to crises, Mr. Miraminy stated.
The Democratic mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, admitted that tourists “feel scared that an environment is developing that is anti-LGBTQ.”.
According to her, however, “we can’t live in fear, we have to live our lives [and] be as best prepared as we can,”.
According to Kelly Laczko, co-owner of Her Diner in DuPont Circle, one of the liveliest LGBTQ neighborhoods in Washington, DC, she has also raised security for the weekend.
She remarked, “I feel like normally with Pride we are ready for the celebration.”. “And it’s clear that the current government has seriously hampered that. “,”.
Ms. Siregar stated that she hopes others will come to Washington even though she won’t be there.
“I firmly believe that individuals in the United States ought to go and do so safely,” she stated. “Now more than ever, it is critical that people take a stand. “..”.
I agree, Ms. Laczko. According to her, “even joy can be an act of defiance.”.
