A scene from the 2023 Capital Pride Honors reception with Admiral Dr. Rachel Levine, the first transgender Assistant Secretary of Health (second from left)
The Capital Pride Alliance will host its annual Capital Pride Honors on Friday, May 31, at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill Maryland.
A set of various awards, the Honors are bestowed on LGBTQ individuals, allies, or LGBTQ-owned/allied businesses that have advocated for issues important to the LGBTQ community, have donated their time and money to LGBTQ causes, or have made significant contributions benefitting the local LGBTQ community in the D.C. metropolitan area.
This year’s Honors will feature performances from Crystal Waters, DJ Honey, and the Black Leaves Dance Company. Lorenzo Hall, anchor for local CBS affiliate WUSA, will emcee. Because alcohol is served on premises, admission is limited to those aged 21 and over.
This year’s Capital Pride Hero Awards recipients are:
Hope Giselle, transgender activist and author who launched AllowMe, a nonprofit promoting the personal and professional growth of young LGBTQ people of color.
Jamison Henninger, the leader of the D.C. Area Transmasculine Society.
Kenya Hutton, deputy director and soon-to-be executive director of the Center for Black Equity.
Carol Jameson, the retired CEO of HealthWorks for Northern Virginia, who developed various programs aimed at addressing healthcare disparities.
Tula, a longtime local drag performer.
José Alberto Uclés, the former Ward 5 commissioner for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the director of the D.C. Capital Pride Festival from 1997 to 1999.
Iaya Dammons, founder of Baltimore Safe Haven and founder and interim executive director of DC Safe Haven, will be honored with the Breaking Barriers: Community Impact Award.
Receiving the Larry Stansbury award for “exemplary contributions” to Pride is Destination DC, a private, non-profit corporation with a membership of more than 1,000 businesses or organizations that support D.C.’s travel and tourism sector.
The Bill Miles Award, given for outstanding volunteer service to an individual who has made “exemplary contributions” to the Capital Pride Alliance and its various programs, initiatives, and sponsored activities, will be given to two individuals: Bryan Davis the current Volunteer Chair of the organization, who previously served as Capital Pride’s executive producer and chair for accessibility and its interpreter coordinator, and William Hawkins, the current chair of Health and Safety for the Capital Pride Alliance.
The 2024 Capitol Pride Honors will be held from 7:30 to 11 p.m. on Friday, May 31, at MGM National Harbor, 101 MGM National Ave., in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Tickets, which range from $49 to $98 per person, include access to hors d’ouevre tasting stations, an open bar for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and entertainment.
All proceeds benefit the Capital Pride Alliance and the 365 Pride Fund. To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.capitalpride.org/event/honors-2024.
At its annual reveal party, the Capital Pride Alliance unveiled the theme for 2026 Capital Pride: "Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!"
The theme is rooted in what the organization calls "the undeniable truth that our existence is not up for debate," and serves as a call for the community to "live loudly and proudly, stand firm against injustice and erasure, and embody the collective strength that has always defined the LGBTQ+ community."
"This year's theme is both a declaration and a demand," said Ryan Bos, CEO and president of the Capital Pride Alliance, in a statement. "'Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!' reflects the resilience of our community and our responsibility to protect the progress we've made. As we look toward our nation's 250th anniversary, we affirm that LGBTQ+ people have always been and always will be a part of the United States' history, and we will continue shaping its future with strength and resolve."
The Capital Pride Alliance, producer of the annual Capital Pride celebration, is inviting community members to its annual "Capital Pride Reveal" at 7 p.m. on February 26 at the Schuyler at the Hamilton Hotel.
The party serves as the official kickoff to a year of Pride-themed festivities, culminating in a parade, festival, and concert on June 20 and 21. It will be the 51st Pride celebration in the nation's capital.
At the Reveal Party, organizers will unveil a theme that ties together the upcoming year's festivities. The evening's program features updates, insights into future programming, and announcements from Pride's diversity partners, including AAPI Pride, DC Black Pride, DC Latinx Pride, Military Pride, Silver Pride, Trans Pride Washington DC, Women's Pride, and Youth Pride.
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