World Pride this year is to be held in Washington DC and international delegates and tourists are expected to flock to the city during the festivities which run from May 23 to June 8. But there is a fly in the ointment. Donald Trump’s executive order, signed on day one of his presidency, does not sit well with the LGBT+ community, both domestic and global, and there are serious concerns as to what treatment visitors can expect at the Border and at the festivities.
What Does the Order Say?
Trump’s order states: “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.” It defines the terms “man” and “woman” based on whether a person “at conception” belongs “to the sex that produces the large reproductive cell” or that “produces the small reproductive cell.”
Trump’s order also directs federal agencies to “enforce laws governing sex-based rights, protections, opportunities, and accommodations” which include designating sex on passports and other federal identification documents, or determining where transgender people are confined in federal custody.
Staying positive
Organizers of World Pride 2025, said plans for the many events associated with World Pride are moving ahead without any signs of problems. And Republican LGBTQ activists point out that Trump did not oppose Pride events during his first term as president. On the plus side he has also appointed Scott Bessent, who is gay, to be Treasury Secretary.
Officials with the Capital Pride Alliance, the group playing a major role in organizing World Pride 2025, note that World Pride is expected to draw more than two million visitors to D.C. and the events are being embraced by local businesses.
Theresa Belpulsi, senior vice president for Tourism and Visitor Services for Destination D.C., said the outcome of the presidential and congressional elections has so far not had a negative impact on World Pride.
“People are very excited about coming to D.C.,” she told the Washington Blade. “We’re looking at anywhere from two and three million people coming in over World Pride over the course of those three weekends that will be generating over $780 million in economic impact.”
Mixed reactions
Comments on social media are mixed, but certainly some participants are concerned about personal safety, particularly in terms of anti-LGBT+ violence. Others believe this is an opportunity to show their opposition and defiance.
Still, there are legitimate concerns that trans and non-binary attendees may face problems at US Border points. Several countries including Canada have an X option regarding gender designation on their passports. Others include Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Malta, Argentina, Mexico and India. Since 2022, the US has offered citizens the X option allowing them to indicate that they identify as nonbinary, intersex, or gender-nonconforming.
However, as of January 24 this year, according to a department spokesperson, in accordance with the executive order signed by Trump, the State Department announced it has suspended processing passport applications seeking the gender marker of “X” and will only process and issue passports for people identifying as male or female.
US government policy will now “recognize two sexes, male and female” and that “these sexes are not changeable.”
We’re not going
Egale is Canada’s leading organization for LGBT+ people and issues. They have now chosen not to attend World Pride and other upcoming events, including the Commission on the Status of Women, and “any other UN, OAS or global convenings, including World Pride, taking place in the United States in the foreseeable future.”
The decision said Egale in a statement, “is foremost based on the need to safeguard our trans and non-binary staff who would face questionable treatment at land and aviation borders to attend such convenings, and to stand in solidarity with global colleagues who are experiencing similar fear around entry to the US.
“It is also founded in the unique situation that has been thrust on Canadians (and citizens of other countries) regarding economic warfare and threats to our national sovereignty. We cannot in good conscience, engage in a process of disentangling our organization from US goods and services (as we have recently released in a statement) and then proceed to travel to the US.
“We will continue to work with civil society and government colleagues to ensure the best possible outcomes are achieved in these global spaces and continue to find ways to support our international partners during these trying times.”
We will continue to watch the situation.
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