Laverne Cox And Reneé Rapp Named Grand Marshals For WorldPride DC
The pair will headline a weekend of Pride events in the capital, including a massive parade and a two-day music festival.
Washington, D.C. is gearing up for WorldPride, and the Capital Pride Alliance has named Reneé Rapp, Laverne Cox, and local activist Deacon Maccubbin as grand marshals for this year’s parade. Set to take place on June 7, the event will spotlight voices from across the LGBTQ+ spectrum and bring tens of thousands together for a weekend of celebration, visibility, and community.
For Cox, the honor comes at a critical moment for trans and queer visibility. “This has been one of the most difficult times in recent history for queer and trans people globally,” she said in a statement. “But in the face of all the rhetorical, legislative and physical attacks, we continue to have the courage to embrace who we truly are, to celebrate our beauty, resilience and bravery as a community. We refuse to allow fear to keep us from ourselves and each other. We remain out loud and proud.”
Cox made history in 2014 as the first openly trans actor nominated for a Primetime Emmy. She has since used her platform to elevate trans stories and fight for justice, most notably through her Emmy-winning documentary The T Word and her fearless public advocacy.
Related: Cynthia Erivo Announced As WorldPride Headliner In D.C.
Reneé Rapp, meanwhile, brings a different kind of star power. The 24-year-old singer and actress has taken both Broadway and Hollywood by storm—first as Regina George in Mean Girls (both the musical and its 2024 film adaptation), and then as a breakout star in Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls. Her debut album Snow Angel topped charts, and her sophomore effort Bite Me is set to release this summer.
“Pride is everything. It is protection, it is visibility, it is intersectional. But most importantly, it is a celebration of existence and protest,” Rapp said.
That combination of protest and celebration is at the core of WorldPride DC 2025, which runs from May 17 through June 8. The parade route itself carries symbolic weight: starting in Logan Circle, a neighborhood with deep queer roots, and ending in front of the U.S. Capitol—a visual declaration that LGBTQ+ people are here, visible, and unshakably woven into the fabric of America.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Pride without a party. The WorldPride weekend includes a two-day street festival and concert, featuring performances from artists like Doechii, Khalid, Brooke Eden, and a kickoff by Cynthia Erivo. Rapp will also take the stage at the WorldPride Music Festival at the RFK Festival Grounds.
Related: Cue The Biblical Meltdowns, Cynthia Erivo Announces Her Next Role—Jesus
Maccubbin, the third grand marshal, organized D.C.’s first Pride event back in 1975 and founded Lambda Rising, one of the country’s first LGBTQ bookstores.
“Reneé, Laverne, and Deacon each embody the authenticity, resilience, and fearless advocacy at the heart of our movement,” said Ryan Bos, Executive Director of Capital Pride Alliance. “Having them lead this historic parade reminds us that Pride is both a celebration of how far we’ve come and a call to keep marching forward.”
If you’re planning to be at WorldPride, come say hi—GO will be there! We’ll be handing out free copies of our spring issue, and we’d love to see your beautiful faces.
For more information on events and programming, head to WorldPrideDC.org. See you in the streets.
