The 2024 Capital Pride Festival took place this weekend on June 9th in Washington, D.C. It was a day of sunshine and cool breezes mixed with a few sprinkles to cool the festival goers down. Hundreds of tents lined Pennsylvania Avenue with give aways for all, everything from flags and beads to pins and chapstick. Some tents made a game of it. When is the last time you spun a wheel or swung a huge mallet to make a bell ring, to win a prize?
The event was colorful and happening with rainbows and positive attitudes. A diverse crowd of people, most decked out in Pride attire, attended the festival to show their support. Everywhere you turned you saw a flag raised. There were endless amounts of entertainment, and although I did not see it all, I danced to a few performances and met a few local drag queens. Pink Moni, Mas Vuci, John Levengood, and Stormi Skye lit up the stage in separate uplifting performances causing the crowd to have fun and dance. The clothing and visuals were amazing.
Outside of all of the amazing entertainment, it is also important to understand the reason why the festival took place. The event shined a light on a beautiful community and the importance of acceptance for all people. Many people used this as an
opportunity to speak on other issues in our country such as reproductive rights, equal rights, and war in other countries. Heath, wellness, mental health, and suicide prevention were also prominent topics. Narcon was free to take home and there was free HIV testing available.
Pride Month is a way of bringing awareness and showing support for the LGBTQ+ community. The acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community has rapidly grown over the past few decades.
Many organizations and companies came together in support to sponsor the event, including churches and the military. It's amazing how many different groups of people, even the ones you wouldn't expect, came together to support a great cause.
The event was definitely a great experience. As a person who has never been to a Pride event before, it was a very memorable time. Love is love!
