WorldPride Warns International Trans Visitors About Travel Risks
WorldPride urges international transgender visitors to attend, while stressing caution over Trump's rabid anti-trans policies.
WorldPride 2025 organizers are advising transgender travelers planning to travel to D.C. for the global Pride celebration to be aware of potential hurdles they may face upon attempting to enter the United States.
Ryan Bos, the executive director of Capital Pride Alliance (the chief organizer of WorldPride), noted in an interview with Metro Weekly that some transgender and nonbinary revelers may be reticent about traveling to the United States, where the Trump administration has imposed several anti-transgender policies that could see trans travelers denied entry, detained, or even banned from returning.
“We acknowledge that there are folks who are uncertain or afraid to come to WorldPride,” Bos said. “We want to assure them that D.C. is going to be ready, working with all agencies, to host the event. We are one of the most welcoming cities in the country, with one of the largest LGBTQ populations per capita in the country. We have great support from our neighbors in Northern Virginia and Maryland, who are excited to host attendees.”
Several news outlets previously reported that Bos had told members of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments that it may be dangerous for transgender and nonbinary individuals traveling from abroad to visit the United States due to the Trump administration’s policies.
That reporting claimed that Pride would be issuing an official warning encouraging transgender folks from abroad not to attend, or if they do come, that they do so at their own risk.
But Bos claims that his comments have been misrepresented and that organizers are not trying to discourage anyone from attending the global LGBTQ event.
“We are encouraging people to come to D.C. to be part of this historic moment, and acknowledge that there are those who feel afraid, who we encourage to get information regarding the travel advisories put out by their countries,” Bos said. “We will continue to provide more information on our travel page, as well as our health and safety page, for WorldPride.”
WorldPride is comprised of a number of different events over a three-week stretch from May 17 to June 8.
These include various concerts, a music festival, a sports festival, an international human rights conference, a parade, and a march.
The global event celebrating the LGBTQ community is estimated to bring in at least two million visitors and more than $780 million to the District of Columbia.
According to WTOP, Some members of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ Board of Directors said they were disheartened by the news — as any drawback on visitors not only impacts the event’s success, but can result in reduced revenue for greater D.C. area businesses, restaurants, and hotels that were hoping to get a financial boost from catering to WorldPride attendees.
“It’s really shameful that you all are having to consider making statements like that,” Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater told Bos. “It’s really heartbreaking.”
D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) said issuing a potential warning to trans or nonbinary travelers is consistent with the types of policies being pushed by the Trump administration, which has said that it only recognizes the fixed, binary gender options of “male” or “female” as legitimate, including on identity documents.
“I hope you also recognize you’ve got partners in this room that want to be right there with you to make sure this is a wonderful, successful event, a safe event, that’s going to take place across the whole region,” Allen told Bos.
Besides its directive on binary sex, the Trump administration has also promised to deny visas to transgender athletes attempting to come to the United States for sporting competitions, especially those seeking to compete as women.
Under a separate directive from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, federal officials have been instructed to refuse entry to any visa applicant whose documents don’t match their assigned sex at birth on the grounds of “identity fraud.”
Anyone found in violation can be permanently refused entry to the United States, effectively constituting a lifelong ban.
Germany’s Foreign Office has already warned transgender and nonbinary citizens about traveling to the United States.
Egale Canada, that nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group, has decided not to participate in WorldPride festivities at all this year. InterPride, the international association of Prides — which is working with Capital Pride Alliance to organize WorldPride, also issued a travel warning to queer and transgender individuals wishing to attend the event.
Beyond the Trump administration’s crackdown on transgender travelers, several countries, including Canada and some European nations, have also begun warning citizens about the potential dangers of traveling to the United States due to stricter immigration enforcement.
There have been reports of foreign nationals seeking to visit the United States temporarily on work or tourist visas — and in some cases, even U.S. permanent residents who were born elsewhere — who have been detained and imprisoned in detention facilities by U.S. Border Patrol agents and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials.
The very valid fears of imprisonment or detention of foreign nationals — even if they are cisgender and have legitimate documentation — may be enough to scare away international attendees at WorldPride.
This story has been updated from its original version to include quotes from Capital Pride’s Ryan Bos and better clarify elements of the story.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.