The future of Pride is not guaranteed. That's why we must fight for it.

Pride organizations across America are facing a coordinated and escalating backlash, squeezed by political hostility toward LGBTQ+ people, corporate retreat from DEI commitments, and shrinking public funding. Facing this reality, many Pride organizers have dramatically scaled back what festivals and celebrations look like. Others have shut down their events and organizing bodies altogether as our federal government dismantles DEI.

Washington, D.C.'s Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) is no exception, and here, the pressure is about to get more acute. The fees charged by D.C. government agencies that support major events like Capital Pride have increased dramatically. If these costs are fully passed on to nonprofit organizations like CPA, events like ours, which are a major economic engine for both D.C. and the region, will no longer be able to function.

This uncertainty is compounded by a new mayoral administration taking office in D.C. in 2027. This change in administration brings new priorities, new budget pressures, and new decision-makers, making it increasingly harder for us to plan responsibly for the years ahead.

We know this isn't hypothetical because we just lived through a version of it. In June 2025, Washington, D.C., welcomed the global community for WorldPride. From the outside, the event looked like a remarkable success, with over one million visitors creating a significant economic impact for the area by patronizing local businesses, including hotels and restaurants, and increasing government revenue.

While WorldPride was a tremendous success for the city, it came at a high cost to the organization that made it happen. To keep WorldPride safe, welcoming, and successful, the organization had to draw from its reserves. The visitors and economic impact it brought to the city were real, but unfortunately, CPA's financial picture didn't reflect that success. Planned government funding and corporate sponsorships fell short of projections, and attendance from outside the region came in below expectations, with some people choosing not to travel amid political uncertainty.

We entered 2026 hopeful that the worst was behind us. Some corporate sponsors who had stepped back signaled they were ready to return. That optimism didn't hold.

Thousands of federal jobs were cut, and that rippled through the region's economy. There was a broader, more hostile political climate in the region affecting people's willingness to visit D.C. All these factors, along with a change in dates for Freedom 250 events, caused us to miss every major fundraising target we set for this year, with CPA having to go even deeper into its reserves.

That national pattern extends beyond Pride organizations. Nonprofits providing critical social services face the same constraints and are being asked to do more precisely as funding becomes less certain.

Some of that pressure traces back to brands retreating from public commitments amid political scrutiny. Under the current administration, companies have been quietly redirecting funding away from anything remotely associated with DEI, while at the same time, federal support for DEI programs is being cut. We understand why companies are navigating this carefully, but we cannot be a trend when it's convenient.

We thank the companies that continue to show up and find ways to continue their financial support despite the obstacles and outside pressure. This allyship needs to be acknowledged. We need more partners whose support holds up during challenging times and not only when it's self-serving.

The consequences of letting Pride organizations disappear go far beyond a parade and festival. Funding for our organizations supports health programs, educational initiatives, advocacy efforts, community grants, youth services, senior services, and volunteer programs year-round. This infrastructure exists long after the festival ends, and it must be sustained.

Pride is often the first place someone coming out discovers they are not alone. That need hasn't diminished, and as hostility toward LGBTQ+ people has grown, it has intensified. The organizations built to meet these needs, however, are being asked to do so with fewer resources and greater uncertainty.

If we don't act, we risk losing more than Pride festivals. We risk losing organizations that have spent decades building connections, providing services, and creating safe spaces where people can live authentically.

We must look at what will keep these organizations going. That means diversifying revenue, strengthening individual giving, investing in local philanthropy, and treating this as a year-round commitment rather than a seasonal one.

It also means showing up in more direct ways. In the coming weeks, we will issue a call for committee members and volunteers to help build Capital Pride 2027. We need people invested in carrying this organization and its mission forward.

WorldPride brought volunteers, donors, and partners out of the woodwork. Some stayed; others came for the moment and walked away. CPA and other Pride organizations cannot be sustained by one extraordinary moment. It will take ongoing commitment and shared responsibility.

For decades, Pride organizations, most of which are nonprofits, have shown up for our communities. Now, our communities need to show up for Pride organizations. Not because we're in crisis, but because what we have built together is worth protecting. Pride is visibility, equality, and dignity. Pride is belonging, and it cannot be sustained by attendance alone; belonging is worth sustaining for generations to come.

Ryan Bos is a leader at Capital Pride Alliance, the nonprofit organization behind Washington, D.C.'s annual Capital Pride celebrations and WorldPride 2025.

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