LGBTQ+ people and their allies gathered on Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, site of Martin Luther King's 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech, to rally for preserving decades of progress while protesting setbacks under President Donald Trump.
After the festive nature of a parade on Saturday through the streets of the capital, the rally, one of the main events of the weeks-long WorldPride celebration, turned more overtly political. Taking place in cities around the globe every two years, WorldPride is occurring in Washington at a time of high tension over LGBTQ+ rights in the US.
Speakers evoked outrage, humour, and upbeat messages, criticizing Trump for issuing executive orders limiting transgender rights, banning transgender people from serving in the armed forces and rescinding anti-discrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people.
They also had an eye on demonstrations taking place on the other side of the country in Los Angeles, where the Trump administration has summoned the National Guard to confront protesters who have opposed federal raids detaining immigrants.
"LGBTQI+ people are under siege, especially our trans siblings, who are being targeted by legislation, rhetoric and violence in every region, and immigrants, refugees and undocumented folks living in fear of deportation," Ashley Smith, president of the Capital Pride Alliance board and a WorldPride organizer, told the crowd of several hundred people.
Comedian Mimi Gonzalez sent up Trump and his one-time billionaire ally Elon Musk with a rewritten version of the song "I Will Survive," adding that the pronouns uniting the movement were "we, us, ours."
The White House has defended its dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs, calling DEI a form of discrimination, and said its transgender policy protects women by keeping transgender women out of shared spaces.
The Trump administration has also touted its appointment of a number of openly gay people to cabinet posts and judgeships as evidence that Trump aims to serve all Americans.
Bianca Sprague, the executive director of Trans Pride Washington DC, denounced what she called "an unprecedented assault on trans rights," referring to myriad state laws around the country that ban transgender healthcare services for minors. Backers of those laws say they are attempting to protect minors from starting on a path they may later regret.
"These attacks are not just legislative, they are deeply personal, inflicting harm, fear and despair upon our community," Sprague told the rally.
The Lincoln Memorial is considered hallowed ground in the US civil rights movement as the site of the King speech and the March on Washington that preceded historic legislation such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
"When Dr. King marched on Washington in 1963 right here on these steps, he wasn't just speaking for one group, he was planting a seed for all of us," Smith said.
The crowd, however, was sparse compared to the multitudes who gathered here 62 years ago. Event organizers had no immediate statement on the turnout.
