Mayor Muriel Bowser speaks at the Pride flag-raising ceremony in June of 2023 – Photo: Khalid.Naji-Allah
The District of Columbia Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs is promoting four city-sponsored events in June to commemorate LGBTQ Pride Month.
“These moments are designed to honor our history, elevate our community, and celebrate the partnerships that continue to move us forward,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
Beginning Monday, June 1, at 4 p.m., the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs will host its annual Pride flag-raising ceremony at the John A. Wilson Building. The event, considered the symbolic start of Pride Month, will feature remarks from the mayor and several community leaders on the building’s steps before attendees gather for a group photograph.
Following the ceremony, the mayor’s office will host a reception featuring performances by local drag queen Cake Pop! and mocktails courtesy of Spark Social. Attendees will also receive custom Pride swag. The event is free. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/LGBTQFlagRaising2026.
A week later, on Monday, June 8, at 6 p.m., the office will host the LGBTQIA+ Legacy Awards and Toast at the Dockmaster Building at The Wharf. The reception will honor leaders, advocates, artists, and institutions that have made significant contributions to Washington’s LGBTQ community. Organizers say the event will “create meaningful space for personal recognition, storytelling, and gratitude ahead of the larger public-facing celebrations during Pride Month.”
Those interested must RSVP in advance. For more information, visit S.DC.Gov/PrideToast2026 and enter the password LEGACY2026.
On Wednesday, June 17, the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs will host its 7th annual District of Pride Showcase at the Lincoln Theatre. Doors open at 6 p.m., with pre-show performances beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the main show starting at 7 p.m. Hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis, the program will feature live musical and theatrical performances, storytelling, and community recognitions celebrating the vibrancy of D.C.’s LGBTQ community. For more information or an official lineup, visit tinyurl.com/DOPShowcase2026.
On Saturday, June 20, the mayor’s office is inviting people to march with the D.C. government employee contingent in the Capital Pride Parade alongside representatives from the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, community leaders, LGBTQIA+ Advisory Committee members, Legacy Award honorees, and Mayor Bowser. Those interested in participating are asked to meet at 2 p.m. near the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/MMBPrideParade2026.
LGBTQ Black Pride events and Washington, D.C., share a compelling history that goes as far back as at least the late 19th century. That's when William Dorsey Swann, a former slave, was hosting parties of Black men in fine ladies' attire. It was enough to get him and some fellow celebrants thrown in jail. It's also why city leaders more recently moved to commemorate the already existing Swann Street NW in his honor in this century.
But just as Swann navigated the fraught terrain between party and peril, so too do the Black Pride celebrations of today. As Kenya Hutton, president and CEO of the D.C.-based Center for Black Equity (CBE), prepares for this year's D.C. Black Pride, May 22 to 25, he says there are warning signs flashing for his and similar events around the country, if not the world.
"We seek to celebrate and try to lift up as many students as we can," says Charles Roth, chair of the Team DC Scholarship Committee. Each year, Team DC, an umbrella organization for LGBTQ sports clubs across the region, awards $2,500 scholarships to several area high school student-athletes to support their college education.
The scholarships will be handed out at Team DC's annual Night of Champions Gala, taking place on Saturday, April 18, at the Georgetown Marriott. The evening, which features a reception, dinner, and both silent and live auctions, raises critical support for the organization and its year-round community efforts.
The LGBTQ advocacy group rated candidates for mayor, council, and attorney general based on their records, policy positions, and responses to a detailed questionnaire.
GLAA has released its election-year ratings for candidates seeking office in the District.
The D.C.-based LGBTQ political advocacy organization does not endorse candidates, but rates them on a scale of -10 to +10 based on their record of pro-LGBTQ advocacy, agreement with the group's policy positions, and responses to a comprehensive questionnaire on LGBTQ-related issues. GLAA's policy brief is typically emailed to all candidates seeking public office in D.C.
The group's policy positions touch on issues including D.C.'s right to self-determination and federal overreach, criminal justice, infrastructure, and access to housing, food, health care, and public benefits.
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