Capital Pride (Washington, D.C.)
capital pride annual lgbt pride festival held early june year washington dc founded gay pride day oneday block party street festival p street festival committee formed take planning changed name gay lesbian pride day event moved week prior father day financial difficulty led new organization one ten take planning festival whitmanwalker clinic wwc joined one ten cosponsor event time event name changed capital pride whitmanwalker became sole sponsor healthcare organization came significant financial pressure turned producing duty new organization capital pride alliance event drew people first year grew people covering block expanded weeklong event estimated attendee came street festival parade attendance began fluctuating late stabilized festival fourthlargest gay pride event united state capital pride saw record attendance th anniversary celebration estimated people turned parade another street festival festival first held father day deacon maccubbin owner lgbt bookstore lambda rising organized city first annual gay pride event oneday community block party held th street nw r street nw washington dc block lambda rising located two vending truck one loaded beer another soft drink served crowd people attended visited dozen organizational booth vendor surprising political move indicative growing political power gay lesbian city several candidate dc city council also attended shook hand several hour gay pride day first hosted parade addition street festival growing festival drew attendee year washington mayor marion barry elected previous november attended first gay pride day —and would rest time office mayor following event crowd growing larger could accommodated original location maccubbin turned planning event new nonprofit group p street festival committee formed take growing event committee established board director oversee planning administer festival finance widened planning participation include number prominent lgbt organization dc metro area gay pride day festival known moved year francis junior high school th n street nw next rock creek park parade route also established parade began th street nw meridian hill park traveled along columbia road nw connecticut avenue nw ended dupont circle year first woman person color named grand marshal gay pride day parade festival organizer began bestowing hero pride award member racial ethnic minority made difference community attendance gay pride day event reached people oneday festival become weeklong series meeting speech dance art exhibit party th anniversary dc gay pride day drew estimated attendee street festival parade attendance began varying dramatically year year late people watched parade another stayed event francis junior high year later attendance estimated variously people financial problem growing concern organization lack inclusiveness led p street festival committee disband favor successor organization pride washington several change event occurred district columbia african american gay community sponsored first black lesbian gay pride day may event created competitor june gay pride event rather way enhancing visibility african american gay lesbian community also saw gay pride day parade festival move away traditional date first time organizer shifted event week prior father day give people chance spend holiday family also year street festival expanded booth first year activeduty retired american military personnel marched parade parade made national headline u air force captain greg greeley led activeduty group later questioned military security officer told pending discharge hold participation gay pride day action greeley taken eventually received honorable discharge festival suffered financial difficulty early rain parade street festival significantly reduced attendance several year row unfortunately festival organizer decided costsaving move take weather cancellation insurance festival lost significant amount money came close bankruptcy one ten dcbased art organization hosted reel affirmation film festival assumed responsibility organizing gay pride day event one ten moved street festival francis junior high freedom plaza near white house pennsylvania avenue nw parade route also changed instead traveling westward dupont circle p street nw finish francis junior high school parade began school moved east along p street th street nw traveled south th street nw freedom plaza change sponsorship significant organizational promotional change led sharply higher attendance parade festival drew attendee soared however financial organizational strain producing event proved heavy small art group whitmanwalker clinic joined one ten cosponsor festival event renamed capital pride street festival moved freedom plaza onto pennsylvania avenue nw th th street nw corporate sponsorship also rose dramatically reflecting festival growing commercial nature corporate sponsorship reached also saw city first youth pride day event sponsored youth pride alliance umbrella group lgbt organization supporting sexual orientation gender expression need young people event held first held late april although moved date closer capital pride whitmanwalker clinic became sole sponsor capital pride festival moved pennsylvania avenue nw th th street nw festival main stage repositioned united state capitol building background costsaving move parade moved early evening saturday festival continued occur sunday afternoon year number parade contingent reached first time people attended capital pride event financial problem plagued capital pride event come billed fundraiser clinic although net revenue also shared organization july capital pride whitmanwalker clinic revealed asked human right campaign national gay right advocacy group emergency donation clinic also asked dc mayor anthony williams waive street closing police overtime fee request granted unnamed source quoted washington blade local lgbt newspaper said whitmanwalkers financial problem spilled capital pride planning financial help forthcoming festival would significantly curtailed whitmanwalker official strongly disputed claim organization finance deny financial request made wwc estimated day festival ended net proceeds capital pride week financial problem revealed robert york whitmanwalker staffer served executive director capital pride since unexpectedly resigned clinic capital pride organizer york departure followed series resignation clinic upper middlelevel manager york replaced clinic staff member david mallory financial difficulty whitmanwalker clinic led speculation healthcare organization would spin capital pride independent body permit another group take washington blade quoted unnamed whitmanwalker staffer saying capital pride consumed significant amount clinic time resource staff generate large revenue return april center lgbt organization attempting build gay lesbian community center district columbia approached whitmanwalker official asked would turn capital pride whitmanwalker refused offer citing center financial difficulty small staff financial distress staff change appear change event appeal however capital pride attracted people making fourthlargest gay pride event united state festival included four major dance party youth prom transgender dinner dc leather pride held first event well included mr m capital pride leather competition whitmanwalker expanded organizational oversight capital pride although healthcare organization remained sole sponsor festival local nonprofit organization joined wwc form capital pride planning committee committee contributed staff organizational resource help produce event also saw city first trans pride organized dc trans coalition umbrella group organization activist supporting need transgender people addition trans pride capital pride direct outcome expanded organizational planning group dc latino pride also held first event well hosted latino lgbt history project featured exhibit panel discussion led date founding dc latino pride expanded event rather financial pressure whitmanwalker abate clinic significant financial pressure wwc issued request proposal second week january asking one group replace wwc organizer sponsor capital pride january whitmanwalker clinic disclosed first time year financial status capital pride wwc revealed capital pride festival ran deficit revenue clinic also reported included reimbursing upfront money pay festivalrelated expense occurred far advance festival twelve local organization also reimbursed upfront money well march whitmanwalker clinic awarded production right capital pride capital pride alliance—a group volunteer organization formed member capital pride planning committee capital pride alliance bid center westminster presbyterian church jansi llc parent company local lgbt newsweekly metro weekly wwc last helped produce capital pride capital pride alliance sole producer event beginning th anniversary capital pride occurred organizer affiliate organization hosted event day according organizer record attendance people turned pride street festival capital pride continued flourish next several year per policy city official police declined provide crowd estimate event organizer said people attended parade street festival capital pride parade extended mile km expected draw spectator although attendee expected street festival next day organizer put actual attendance vendor participated street fest dc latino pride expanded four day event contingent washington national cathedral marched capital pride parade first time leading group staffer reverend gary hall dean cathedral washington post described cathedral group participant stunner washington blade reported attendance parade change parade included turn north rather south th street nw street festival started hour later noon ended hour later pm take advantage summer sunlight hour less positive change split among organizer dc latino pride group organization questioned latino lgbt history project control use event fundraising mechanism also claimed transgender group excluded event focused national issue expense grassroots organizing community group latino glbt history project strongly denied claim dissenting group split dc latino pride effort group latino organization held competing event party early june june united state armed force color guard led way retired color capital pride parade first time american history officially sanctioned united state armed force color guard marched gay pride parade although several gay pride parade organizer nationwide requested color guard since demise military dont ask dont tell policy none ever approved eightperson color guard represented branch united state armed force military district washington provided color guard also present color president united state member congress official state function parade attracted people festival organizer estimated people attended event entire weeklong capital pride celebration parade drew roughly people june report gunfire parade dupont circle caused people flee street panic police responded scene determined shot fired sound gunshot likely falling crowdcontrol barrier man bb gun arrested causing panic possession illegal weapon pointed bb gun another person dupont circle assaulting female significant according police report seven people hospitalized nonlifethreatening injury stampede capital pride held due covid pandemic washington dc event conducted virtually capital pride resumed inperson event including parade festival vice president kamala harris surprised audience capital pride originally called gay pride day changed name gay lesbian pride day capital pride event initially organized deacon maccubbin owner lambda rising bookstore help bookstore employee volunteer parttime executive director bob carpenter maccubbin lambda rising hosted event first five year existence grew attendee spread three block point became large space available maccubbin began looking alternative location group community activist incorporated p street festival committee maccubbin turned event group financial problem growing concern organization lack inclusiveness led committee disband favor successor organization pride washington financial problem led pride washington transfer event local lgbt art organization one ten one ten partnered whitmanwalker clinic coproduce festival whitmanwalker clinic became sole sponsor whitmanwalker turned event new group capital pride alliance capital pride alliance continued produce festival although capital pride alliance formed organization selfperpetuating board director exhibit warehouse gallery art gallery museum district columbia documented history meaning capital pride area resident exhibit queering sight—queer insight opened june ran month capital pride featured comedy film borat cultural learning america make benefit glorious nation kazakhstan one ten sponsored second exhibit capital pride history exhibit installed sumner school cityowned museum historic former school building midtown dc exhibit ran march june new york time may called capital pride one notable pride festival parade around country gay men chorus washington dc dc black pride lgbt right district columbia capital pride web site