Photos: WorldPride weekend in D.C.

Not a drizzly forecast, the flip-flopping on the fencing around Dupont Circle, nor the ongoing political hostilities toward the queer community coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue were enough to dampen the spirit of D.C. Pride parties this weekend. (In fact, it may have even invigorated the celebration's spirit and history of protest even more.)

As the host of the 25th annual WorldPride, which rotates between cities across the globe, D.C. found itself in a complicated position this year. With Trump's executive orders stripping away protections for LGBTQ+ people and his 'America First' agenda threatening and surveilling non-citizens, corporate sponsors were not exactly jumping at the chance to put their money behind a gay, international celebration in the president's backyard. The budget for the event was slashed by 25% once Trump took office, and hotel bookings from May show that the estimated 3 million travelers expected to visit D.C. for the party didn't manifest.

The obstacles around the event became even more concrete last week, when the National Park Service announced that, at the behest of the Metropolitan Police Department, they'd be closing Dupont Circle – an iconic locus of D.C. Pride celebrations – for D.C.'s Pride weekend. The move was met with swift pushback, and not even 24 hours later, the National Park Service reneged on their plan, stating the park would remain open. But come Friday, crews were spotted erecting fencing around the park anyway – this time at the request of the U.S. Park Police. The fencing stayed up for about 24 hours, until crews took it down Saturday morning – just hours before the start of the WorldPride Parade.

Then on Saturday night in Dupont, violence disrupted the activities; two young people were stabbed on Massachusetts Avenue near the circle in what police described as an interpersonal dispute, and around an hour later, a man was shot south of Dupont Circle on 19th Street. The violence was not related to the Pride events, MPD Chief Pamela Smith said at a press conference on Monday, and there were no hate crimes reported over the weekend. All three victims were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

During that same press conference on Monday, Bowser stood by her decision to remove the fencing and host a programmed Pride event in the Circle instead of closing it.

"Let's not forget, people should be able to go to a park during Pride," she said. "We also have to focus on why someone thought it was okay to bring a gun to that celebration."

Despite the local and federal headwinds (and wet weather), residents and visitors alike took to the streets over the weekend to celebrate queer joy with a block party, the annual Pride Parade, and a march against Trump on the National Mall.

51st contributor Shedrick Pelt was out with them, capturing the festivities behind the lens.

This story was updated with information about the shooting and two stabbings that occurred in Dupont on Saturday night.