Taiwan City Wins Bid for WorldPride

The city of Kaohsiung is reveling in excitement today after InterPride announced that the Taiwan City won the bid to host WorldPride in 2025. That means this will be the first time a WorldPride will be held in East Asia. 

The crucial vote for InterPride members came during a four-day period at the organization’s 2021 General Meeting & World Conference. The two bidders for WorldPride 2025 were Capital Pride Alliance, Washington D.C., and Kaohsiung Pride, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan.

In light of the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s conference and bidding process took place virtually. More than 300 member organizations worldwide participated in the voting process, workshops, plenary sessions, regional and board meetings during the 8-day virtual event.

“The WorldPride Taiwan Team 2025 would like to thank all before us who lit the way, to thank InterPride who built this wonderful organization and platform, and thank our supporters who have bestowed this amazing opportunity for Taiwan and Asia. This is the beginning of a 4-year journey that we plan to ignite change in Asia, to promote InterPride’s mission, and to advance human rights in the world,” said Darien Chen, the official spokesperson for Kaohsiung Pride in response to this historic vote.

And even though the District was edged out by Kaohsiung City, Capital Pride organizers are already making plans to commemorate a milestone anniversary in 2025.  

“Capital Pride will use the next three years to continue with our long-standing plans to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Pride in Washington D.C. in June 2025,” said Ryan A. Bos, the Executive Director for Capital Pride Alliance, in response to the announcement.

Licensed by InterPride and organized by one of its members, WorldPride is an international event that promotes visibility and awareness of LGBTQ+ issues on a global scale. Cultural events such as human rights conferences and parades/marches make up WorldPride.

“Bringing WorldPride to East Asia for the first time will create a significant impact to the much-needed visibility and awareness of human rights for the LGBTQ+ community there while providing the ability for millions more to participate from surrounding countries and territories including China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia,” added Julian Sanjivan, Co-President of InterPride.

But first LGBTQ+ revelers will head to Sydney, where the city Down Under will host the next WorldPride in 2023.