A few weeks ago, I (Emily, founder/writer here at Profiles in Pride) spent some time in Northern Virginia to visit my partner’s family, but we timed it to coincide with Capital Pride. Neither of us had been to Pride in DC before, and it was full of vibrant color and costumes, joyous celebration, communal commemoration, and every imaginable flavor of diversity. Instead of an interview this week, I’m mixing things up and publishing a photo essay of my favorite images I took at DC Pride.

We attended the Capital Pride parade on Saturday, June 9, which featured wild outfits and colorful floats from local and national LGBTQIA+ and political orgs, plus local and national businesses. There were also incredible music and dance performances, and even a pole dance on a moving float!

We also went to the Capital Pride festival on Sunday, June 10, which featured live music and drag performances, in addition to hundreds of booths. There were booths for clothing and merch vendors, temples and churches, local and national businesses and nonprofits, employee organizations, and just an insanely awesome amount of wonderful resources (and swag!). I learned about so many helpful organizations I’d never heard of and met tons of amazing people.

First are my photos of the parade, followed by images of the festival. Enjoy! Please note: feel free to republish these photos, but please credit Emily Starbuck Gerson of ProfilesinPride.com.