The setting of this year’s WorldPride resulted in many setbacks and challenges for the organizers. Washington, DC, after all, is the epicenter of the administration currently doing everything it can to roll back LGBTQ+ rights.

Despite the fears facing the LGBTQ+ community, the Capitol Pride Alliance (CPA), the event’s primary organizer, pushed through in a show of defiance, resulting in a tempered, but still joyous celebration.

Attendance was significantly down from the projected 3 million people for the event, an absence foreshadowed by boycotts announced earlier this year by those who did not want to travel to a country that many view as unsafe due to the current administration’s attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and specifically its vilification of trans people.

Since the administration took power, many countries have issued travel warnings, and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups abroad also called upon WorldPride to cancel the event or host it in a safer location.

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Another issue arose when the U.S. Park Police and the National Park Service(NPS) decided to close off Dupont Circle, a historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood and park. Police cited property damage from a previous Pride event. Shortly after announcing the closure, they faced backlash and questioning of the authenticity of their reasoning, prompting them to rescind their decision in less than 24 hours.

On Saturday, the march took place, and a celebration ensued. This was the first time WorldPride was held in D.C., and though the timing may have seemed bad, it also coincided with Capital Pride, which is considered the largest Pride event in the nation, which helped make up for the loss of international turnout.