Even on a day with forecast of rain and extreme heat, so many of us showed up for the WorldPride DC Human Rights Rally & March. The “Weaving Resistance: Storytelling with Saris” team worked hard during WorldPride DC 2025, holding five public workshops, an exhibition at World Pride Welcome Center, and co-creating five saris on themes of equality and human rights for the LGBTQ+ community. The saris were sewn together in an outdoor performance in Adams Morgan on June 6, 2025 and then used for the March & Rally on June 8, 2025. This year’s WorldPride theme was “The Fabric of Freedom”and the official events took place from May 16-June 8, 2025. We met at 10 am on June 8th at the Foggy Bottom metro and marched to the Lincoln Memorial holding the 100-foot sari banner for equality and justice. For the first time in a decade of sari processions, we were stopped by police, who asked for an explanation of what we were doing; but we answered questions and kept going. We had a diverse group joining us from as far away as New York City and Baltimore. It was a moving day and really important to show up for the rights of all people regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

This was the first time Storytelling with Saris participated in Pride, and it was an honor to be part of the official program. So many people joined in, and were truly thankful to be part of the healing and empowering workshops. We met people from all around the country and the world.

Thank you to all the amazing participants, to the WorldPride DC team, to our community partners Moms Clean Air Force and Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, and to the Mayor’s Office for providing ASL interpreters.

– Monica Jahan Bose, July 2025

Click on these photos to see the full image. Photo credit: Daniel Wilson.