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Organizers of World Pride 2025, the international LGBTQ celebration scheduled to take place in Washington, D.C. May 17-June 8, 2025, say plans for the many events associated with World Pride are moving ahead without any signs of problems caused by the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

Although many LGBTQ activists saw President-elect Donald Trump’s positions on LGBTQ rights as far less supportive than losing Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, LGBTQ Republicans point out that Trump did not take steps to oppose Pride events in the nation’s capital during his first term as president. As president-elect, Trump recently nominated Scott Bessent, who’s gay, as Treasury Secretary. If confirmed, Bessent would become the “highest-ranking openly gay U.S. government official in American history,” according to the Equality Forum, since the Treasury Secretary is fifth in the line of presidential succession.

Officials with the Capital Pride Alliance, the group that organizes most of D.C.’s annual Pride events and that is playing a lead 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., an organization that promotes tourism and business-related events in D.C. and that is working with Capital Pride Alliance to support World Pride, 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,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Trump presidential transition team couldn’t immediately be reached to determine whether the

Donald Trump Kamala Harris