D.C. (District of Columbia) Black Pride is the first official black gay pride event in the United States. Since 1991, tens of thousands from the D.C. metro area and beyond gather for special celebrations and events to acknowledge the progression of the black LGBT community every Memorial Day weekend. The success of D.C. Black Pride inspired the creation of elaborate annual official black pride events in other major cities across the country.
D.C. has historically been a popular destination for black gays and lesbians as a result of its large population of black LGBT people in the metro area and presence of more liberal laws. D.C. was among the first in the nation to allow same-sex marriage and establish LGBT protections laws. Since 1978, D.C. has been home to the nation's first black gay political organization called the D.C. Coalition of Black Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals.