Awaiting the WorldPride DC Concert Announcement

Will Wednesday's Announcement Turn the Tide for WorldPride DC?

With WorldPride DC starting in less than 80 days, we finally know a little more about what is happening. 

This wasn't without what could be called a false start. While we waited for Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) to reveal who would perform at the WorldPride Street Festival and Concert (June 7th and 8th), at the end of February, Jake Resnicow and the organizers of the World Pride Music Festival Global Dance Party (June 6th and 7th) announced who they booked. The Coachella-like list of performers received instant praise from some in the social media comments, particularly easily entertained suburban youth and others with the privilege to be willfully ignorant or blissfully unaware of the current relevance of terms such as DC home rule, authoritarian regime, constitutional crisis, or coup d'état. It also seems that the general public was conflating this ticketed music festival on the grounds of RFK with this year's super-sized version of CPA's free annual gathering which will happen downtown. 

Putting aside the confusion caused by the title of the dance party and the timing of the announcement, many of us were displeased with the lineup which, in addition to listing a questionable ratio of LGBTQ performers to allies and seemingly no performers from the Capital region, includes Paris Hilton (who has been recorded saying racial slurs and other offensive comments) and Grimes (who thrice procreated with the Bond 007 villain parody incarnate who is currently running amuck in the US government). Those displeased individuals included activist and LGBTQ advocate Hope Giselle, who live streamed her criticism to her over 80k followers on Instagram, calling out the lack of diversity and sharing her frustration with not only CPA as an organization, but directing her ire specifically at executive director Ryan Bos. She also stated that DC Black Pride organizer and Center for Black Equity president and CEO Kenya Hutton and herself had both experienced frustration as subcommittee members. She was later joined by CPA staff member Tiffany Lyn Royster, who shared her insights and responded to Hope's concerns for nearly an hour. Royster expressed her frustration with distribution of funds and the planning process. 

I think it is important that there is diverse representation on the official WorldPride DC stage. There should be diversity not just for tokenism or to fulfill a quota, but to demonstrate solidarity and to celebrate the array of people in the LGBTQ community, particularly in Washington, DC. With two days of programming, there is ample opportunity for CPA to do the right thing. They have a daunting task, but unlike some production company which is not part of our local community, CPA has a responsibility to be inclusive. 

These past several weeks have not bode well for WorldPride DC. A major corporate sponsor and a Canadian LGBTQ organization withdrew. Concerts by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington and the International Pride Orchestra at The Kennedy Center were cancelled. A CPA board member created controversy by accepting a position with the new administration. The topic of ending DC home rule re-entered the news cycle due to recent comments by the White House resident who wants to be King. 

What might have gotten lost in all of this chaos and hoopla is that the day prior to the RFK event announcement, CPA posted on social media that, upcoming on March 5th, they plan to reveal their Concert lineup.

From what I have heard, some of the performers, to paraphrase the meme, will be pleasing and not upsetting to either me or my homegirl Hope Giselle. However, I am awaiting more than just a list of acts which may or may not include a Grammy Award-winner and a legendary diva. Who will be the emcees? Will there be any special appearances or stirring speeches? Are there going to be any inspirational, sentimental, or iconic moments? Will it be broadcast or professionally live streamed? A music concert of hit makers is fantastic, but will there be anyone on stage other than singers, rappers, and drag performers? Will the 50th anniversary of LGBTQ Pride in the nation's capital and WorldPride DC, a singular event during a volatile and precarious time in our country, be culturally significant, politically impactful, and, ultimately, historically relevant?

We will learn some of these answers, presumably via a post on social media, on March 5th. I am looking forward to it. I've been waiting since WorldPride DC was announced in the good old days of 2022.