As World Pride starts in Washington, some foreigners stay away

Throughout Washington, the flags of the big rainbow fly next to the stars and stripes where the city hosts global pride, a global celebration of the culture and identity of LGBTQ.

But made the world to come a challenge this year. Some international travelers choose to skip this event every two years due to travel concerns, while others protest against President Donald Trump’s policies.

Alice Sayerjar, a data -based data analyst and transgender, planned to attend. But traveling to the United States is currently unimaginable.

She said, “It is now risking to come, especially as a passing woman.”

The US capital won the bid to host global pride before Trump’s re -election. In January, the event organizers had expected the celebration, which coincides with the fifty anniversary of the first pride in Washington, would attract three million visitors and contribute about $ 800 million in the local economy.

But their expectations have now decreased to about a third of their previous estimates. Hotel occupancy rates are also low compared to last year.

Mrs. Sirgar, 30, holds Canadian nationality and the United States, but she says she was unable to renew her American passport due to new rules implemented by the Trump administration that prevents sexually transmitted Americans from changing their gender in official documents.

The White House says it is defending the “biological reality of sex.”

She can travel south with her Canadian passport, but she is concerned that border agents may not accept her gender, which is listened to as female in her Canadian documents.

She said that the reports of other foreign travelers detained and detention had raised her concerns.

“It is very dangerous to risk it,” she said.

A US customs and border protection spokesman said that a person’s sexual identity does not make it unacceptable.

“The sex of the foreign traveler as shown in their passport and personal beliefs about sexual life does not make a person unacceptable,” BBC spokesman said in a statement. “The claim on the contrary is false.”

But Mrs. Sirgar is not alone in her concerns. Several European governments, including Germany, Finland and Denmark, have released travel consultations for sexually transformed citizens who travel to the United States. Equality Australia, a group of invitation, has also released a travel alert to non -corresponding people and those who have a history of LGBTQ activity.

Egali Canada, one of the largest charitable institutions in the country, said that she has not participated in global pride because of their concerns about the safety of its transgender and non -bilateral employees. She previously participated in World PRIDE EVENTS in London, Sidni and at home in Toronto.

“We are very concerned about the general tone and hostility towards local people in the United States, but also for those who may visit the United States from other judicial states,” said CEO Helen Kennedy.

She added that Trump’s repeated comments about making Canada State 51 were also a worker. Ms. Kennedy said that the organization did not intersect global pride, but protesting Trump’s policies on gay issues.

Since his arrival in office, Trump has declined some LGBTQ protection, including canceling an executive order during the Biden era about preventing discrimination “on the basis of sexual identity or sexual inclination.” He also banned diversity, fairness and integration policies (Dei) in federal agencies.

Supporters say these policies help to correct injustice, but others, including Trump, say they themselves are discriminatory.

His administration also prevented transgressive persons from service in federal financing and the prohibition of gender care for sexually transformed youth. He threatened to suspend funding for countries that allow sexually athletes to compete.

Trump has defended his actions, saying that women crossing in sport are “insulting to women, which is very bad for our country.”

Some of these policies are currently challenging in court.

This week, the American media reported plans by the navy to Rename It was baptized to honor Harvey’s milk. The sea and former naval activist was the first gay man publicly elected to public positions in California, in 1977.

While former US President Joe Biden held an event in the month of pride in the White House Park in 2023 and He issued an advertisement to support society Last year, in recent days, Trump did not talk about the celebration.

He was asked about the president’s position in global pride, A White House spokesman told the BBC Trump was “strengthening a sense of national pride that should be celebrated daily” and that he “oversees the service of all Americans.”

Capital PRIDE Alliance, the organization that runs World World PRIDE in the capital, told the BBC that it had received an “unusual amount of questions and concerns”.

“We were literally celebrating the footsteps of the Capitol building and a building away from the White House, which is something that many people realize,” said Sahand Miraminy, Director of Capital PRIDE Alliance Operations.

He said that for the first time, PRIDE will have a surrounding perimeter and closed weapons, and he partially said that this year’s event would attract greater crowds than usual.

Mr. Miramini said that global pride will also witness a high presence of the LGBTQ+ connection unit of the Metropolitan Police Department, which will be “the first priority” to respond to emergency situations.

The mayor of Washington, Morel Bosser, a democratic, admitted that visitors “are afraid that the environment is developing homosexuals.”

But “we cannot live in fear, we have to live our lives [and] Be better ready as possible. “

Kelly Lacco, the owner who participated for her dinner in Dubont Serkel, one of the most LGBTQ neighborhoods in the capital, said it increased security at the weekend.

“I feel proudly that we are ready to celebrate,” she said. “It is clear that the current administration has put a large inhibitor on it.”

Although she will not be in Washington, Mrs. Sirgar said she hoped to visit others.

“I think people in the United States should attend and be safe to attend,” she said. “It is important for people to stand more than ever now.”

Lady Lacco agrees. “Even joy can be a challenging work,” she said.