As WorldPride DC approaches, international LGBTQ+ groups voice concerns
WorldPride, the LGBTQ+ festival celebrating โdiversity, equality and love on a global scale,โ is expected to bring 2 to 3 million people to Washington beginning May 17. But a number of international groups, worried about the Trump administrationโs attacks on diversity, inclusion and equity efforts and its targeting of transgender rights in the United States, say they are planning to stay away.
The executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance, which is hosting the 23-day WorldPride festival, says he doesnโt blame them.
โTheyโre very justified in regards to their concerns and their questions around how safe it is for them to travel here, especially folks who identify as trans,โ Ryan Bos said in an interview Wednesday. โSo itโs our responsibility to ensure folks that do travel here, especially folks who identify as trans โฆ have the information and resources so that they can make the best decision for themselves.โ
The State Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection say there are no restrictions against international visitors to the United States based on gender identity or sexuality. But a number of European countries, including Denmark, Germany, Finland and Ireland, have issued travel advisories in recent weeks alerting citizens that if their travel documents have their gender marked as โXโ rather than male or female, they could face difficulties when trying to enter the United States. Some have warned about entry to the United States being denied even for holders of a valid visa.
The African Human Rights Coalition, which advocates for LGBTQ+ issues and causes in Africa, called for a boycott of WorldPride last month, saying it would be unsafe for international travelers, especially transgender and nonbinary individuals. In February, Canadaโs largest gay rightโs organization, Egale Canada, announced it would not take part in any events held in the United States, including WorldPride.
There is โa lack of human decency when it comes to how this administration wants to engage with or not engage with members of the LGBTI community,โ said Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada. โI didnโt think it was safe for my staff, specifically my gender diverse staff, to go and so this is the position that weโve taken.โ
Kennedy said the decision to not attend WorldPride or other conferences and events in the United States followed legislative changes related to gender identity supported by the Trump administration as well as increasingly charged rhetoric around inclusion and the removal of queer history from government websites.
In the first two months of his administration, Trump has signed executive orders to restrict transgender care for youth and to officially recognize only two sexes (male and female). He has also directed agencies to issue government documents showing peopleโs sex at conception, to stop using gender identity or preferred pronouns and to maintain women-only spaces in prisons and shelters.
In February, after Trump issued his executive order recognizing only two genders, the National Park Service removed references to transgender people from its website commemorating the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, a landmark event in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she will not engage with reporters who list their pronouns in their email signatures. โAny reporter who chooses to put their preferred pronouns in their bio clearly does not care about biological reality or truth and therefore cannot be trusted to write an honest story,โ Leavitt said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Trump has also ordered that transgender troops be banned from military service. A federal judge in Washington state blocked enforcement of that order late last month, saying the administration provided no explanation for why transgender troops should be banned.
InterPride, the coordinating organization for WorldPride, issued its own advisory last month telling individuals whose passports have โXโ as a gender marker or differs from their birth gender to confirm entry requirements with the U.S. Embassy or consulate.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency responsible for inspecting passports at ports of entry, rejected the possibility that international LGBTQ+ visitors would face additional scrutiny or be detained when entering the country.
โA foreign travelerโs gender as indicated on their passport and their personal beliefs about sexuality do not render a person inadmissible. Claims to the contrary are false,โ a CBP spokesperson wrote in an email Wednesday responding to Washington Post questions. โTravelers must present an official government-issued travel document and be the rightful bearer of that document when seeking entry at a U.S. Port of Entry.โ
But critics say official U.S. policy on acceptable travel documents cannot be trusted and that LGBTQ+ visitors could be in jeopardy. The current climate, they say, is not providing a welcoming environment.
โI believe you cannot call it WorldPride when half the world is either too scared to come, wonโt get visas or are in danger for coming,โ said Melanie Nathan, executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition.
Tens of thousands of international visitors are expected to attend WorldPride DC, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Washingtonโs first gay pride events in 1975. Organizers said dozens of countries will be represented, including Australia, Brazil, China, Columbia, Thailand, Iceland, Italy, India, Jamaica, Mexico and Uganda.
A diminished presence of international participants would be a blow for the Capital Pride Alliance, which has lined up major names for the festival, including Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Troye Sivan, Doechii and Cynthia Erivo. WorldPride has already had to deal with corporate sponsors pulling out, including federal contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, which withdrew its sponsorship following Trumpโs executive order targeting companies with DEI programs.
John Tanzella, president and CEO of IGLTA, an international travel association for LGBTQ+ individuals, said in an email that he was encouraging visitors with any concerns about visa status related to sexual identity or gender to consult official sources and seek legal guidance.
But, he added, โDC remains one of the most inclusive cities in the US. The cityโs local leadership, law enforcement, and official tourism board โ Destination DC โ are all working together to ensure that all attendees feel safe, welcomed, and supported.โ
Washington is practiced in hosting large-scale events safely and securely and WorldPride has the full support of the mayorโs office, said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC, the cityโs marketing arm.
โThe nationโs capital has a long history of being at the forefront of activism and dialogue surrounding equality, progress and major milestones for LGBTQ+ rights,โ Ferguson said. โThatโs why there is a large advocacy component to this landmark event.โ
Bos, Capital Pride Allianceโs executive director, acknowledges the worries expressed by the international community about coming to the District this year. But he also thinks having WorldPride in the nationโs capital provides an opportunity to make a statement.
โThis is a very historic moment, not just for the LGBTQ+ movement, but for human rights and human dignity,โ Bos said. โWe hope WorldPride this year will serve as a place to provide some hope to many who right now donโt see hope.โ
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