A Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Friends,

This past has been one of struggles, resilience, and triumph. The Capital Pride Alliance has had to move beyond our annual traditions of celebration and remembrance and reflect on how we can best serve our community during these challenging times. The decision to put our usual Pride traditions on hold has given us the opportunity to also work on serving our community in different ways. We continue to fulfill our mission by providing diverse programming and events in the National Capital Region and we are always looking for additional inclusive and accessible ways to bring Pride to a larger audience. We want to help foster the growth and development of the LGBTQ+ community, as well as provide a sense of unity, by looking to the future and preparing for a time when we can all come together once more.

The Capital Pride Alliance partnered with an industry leader to gauge the economic impact of Pride celebrations on the District of Columbia. This study will be integral in aggregating data that demonstrates the critical role that Pride celebrations have in bolstering the DC economy. The Economic Impact Study will ultimately support future efforts to get direct support from DC for the annual Capital Pride Celebration. The study will also provide the foundation to launch our upcoming bid for World Pride in 2025, enabling us to expand our presence and programming globally.

The valuable input that we received from our community partners will allow us to get to the root of what makes Pride great and how we can make it better. This effort will help us demonstrate how Pride is a critical investment for DC. Facts and figures – while not the most colorful thing at Pride – produce the measurement and evidence to better cross collaborate with our community and truly showcase how Pride not only brings joy, community, and love to our community but improves our District as well!

I am pleased to share with you the findings that our special team put together, and I am very excited for the moment we can celebrate Pride in-person once again.

Sincerely,

Ryan Bos Executive Director of Capital Pride Alliance