(WASHINGTON, DC) – In celebration of Pride Month, the Bowser Administration, led by the DC Office of Planning (OP), launched a new website featuring an interactive map of important LGBTQ sites in the District. Residents can visit The Queer Capital: Historic LGBTQ Spaces in Washington, DC to explore and learn about the people, places, and events that have shaped the history and culture of the nation's capital.

“As the District hosts WorldPride 2025 and celebrates 50 years of Pride celebrations in DC, we’re inviting people to explore and be inspired by our local queer history,” said Anita Cozart, Director of OP. “Our city has been the home of many incredible LGBTQ leaders. It has also been the scene of events and movements that shaped the culture in this city and across the nation.”

The Queer Capital website features historic images and location information that serves as a tour guide for visiting sites across the city. The featured spaces include businesses, recreational centers, health and wellness facilities and homes where queer Washingtonians gathered, worked, played, and fought for their rights.

The digital tour tells the story of well-known places like Lafayette Square where protestors gathered from the 1960s onwards to advocate for queer rights and representation, to lesser-known locations, like the site of The ClubHouse, a dancehall in Petworth that created a safe place for Black, queer people to gather and led to the formation of the first Black Pride in 1991. These stories are a testament to the resilience, tenacity, diversity, and joy of the queer community in the face of oppression and discrimination.

The research for this project was supported by an Underrepresented Communities Grant from the National Park Service.

For more information about the DC Office of Planning, please visit planning.dc.gov. For more information about WorldPride and a full list of events, visit worldpridedc.org.