The DC Public Library will host a Children’s Pride Parade for babies, toddlers, children, and teens in Washington, D.C., on Saturday morning, The Daily Signal has confirmed.
“The parade is for LGBTQ kids and families, signaling that their community supports them,” media relations manager George Williams said Thursday. “The event does not require registration, so we do not have an estimate of how many people will attend. The program will not include any speakers.”
D.C. police are preparing to restrict parking and close streets in preparation for the event, the 2023 Georgetown Neighborhood Library Children’s Pride Parade, put on by the Georgetown, Palisades, and Tenley branches of the DC Public Library. The event is intended for “kids ages 0-18,” who are encouraged to wear fun “costumes, rainbow wear” and otherwise represent “your most fabulous self.”
Though DC Public Library lists a number of events on its website, the parade itself has not been posted online as an event and the library similarly does not appear to have advertised the event on social media.
Williams said that the event was promoted on the community level, as the DC Public Library typically does. He provided The Daily Signal with a notice sent to the library’s Dupont Listserve that advertises the event.
“The parade is for ALL kids to signal that their community supports them being themselves, regardless of their gender or sexuality,” the notices says. “One of the parade themes is ‘Be-YOU-tiful!‘ For LGBTQ kids, kids who want to be allies, and kids who haven’t figured that all out yet, the parade will signal that their families, school and community joyfully accept their full identity- whatever that may be. We want this to be an event for every family, not just ones that already know they have members that are LGBTQIA+.”
According to the flier provided to The Daily Signal, the event’s goals are to provide a pride event “especially for kids, many of whom are coming out at younger ages.” The parade also seeks to provide a pride event for “every family, whether they know they have LGBTQ+ members or just want their kids to know their family loves others regardless of sexuality or gender identity.”
The DC Public Library was also seeking to provide local schools with an opportunity to “show they support LGBTQ youth and families,” the flier said. And finally, the parade seeks to provide a “community celebration of diversity and inclusion, particularly the diversity of gender and sexuality.”
DC Library listed events include “An Evening with Chasten Buttigieg” titled “I have Something to Tell You,” where Buttigieg, who is gay, will discuss his coming-out journey with “adults of all ages, parents, and kids.”
“Chasten’s ultimate goal is to show young people that they are not alone and to inspire them to forge their own path to acceptance,” the event description says. Buttigieg is legally married to another man, Pete Buttigieg, who serves as the United States secretary of Transportation.
On Thursday and Friday, the DC Public Library also will host events titled “Rainbow Pride Wand Take-Home Kit” for children ages 5-12 years old. These events will be put on by the Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library and are categorized under “LGBTQ Pride” and “Family Program.”
“Take this kit home and make a Rainbow Wand to celebrate Pride month!” the event description says. “While supplies last.”
According to an archived version a Georgetown Metropolitan post, published May 4 and then apparently removed, the parade “will be a nice short walk from Montrose Park down R St. to the library.”
“Children of all ages are encouraged to join and show their support for LGBTQ kids and their families,” the post said. The Georgetown Metropolitan did not immediately explain why its post had been removed.
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