Symone loves a parade — especially at WorldPride.
The RuPaul's Drag Race season 13 winner is set to host the WorldPride Parade Viewing Party Saturday at the Hamilton Hotel, which is the 2025 WorldPride Music Festival's official host hotel. The House of Avalon member is excited to celebrate at the global queer gathering, particularly in in Washington, D.C., as a show of LGBTQ+ joy and might in the nation's capital. And Symone is also ecstatic to watch the festival's powerhouse lineup of LGBTQ+ and ally talent, among them RuPaul, who will be spinning a DJ set.
Ahead, Symone discusses her WorldPride plans and the message she hope it sends in an era of renewed anti-LGBTQ+ attacks. Attending WorldPride DC? Don't miss Symone's viewing party, which she will cohost with fellow Drag Race alum (and WorldPride performer) Derrick Berry. The viewing party will be held at the Hamilton Hotel's restaurant, Via Sophia. More information is available on hamiltonhoteldc.com. And check out the WorldPride Music Festival lineup at worldpride25.com.
SymoneGEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images
You're hosting the WorldPride Parade Viewing Party! Can you tell us what that gig entails and what you'll be looking for in the parade?
It entails, you know, first of all, being with my community, which I'm always grateful and happy to be with. And also just I'm excited to see everyone be out and proud, especially now in the capital. I just hope that it's really gay, it's really loud, I hope it's really colorful. I hope it's everything that we are as a community. I'm hoping to just see us being happy and proud in a place that, you know, it probably doesn't feel the most welcoming. ... I hope it just pushes us to be even more loud and more gay and more LGBTQ.
What message do you hope that loud and gay and fabulous celebration sends to the Powers That Be that are seeking to oppress us?
We're not going anywhere. And like just like it's your country, it's ours too, and this is our capital, just like it's yours. We're just here to have a good time. We're here to spread love, that's it.
WorldPride features some of biggest queer stars in the world — RuPaul, Cynthia Erivo, Doechii. What does it mean to you to have so much Black queer excellence on display on this world stage?
It means the world. It shows me how far we've come. It just makes me feel just so happy and joyous, and I can't imagine what it feels like for other people who need that, who may not be able to be in a space where they can be themselves, or maybe not feel safe to be themselves. To see all these people who persevered with whatever their story is, and to come out and be out loud and proud, it just makes people so happy. Whatever the times may be that we're living through, there's still people out there doing it and that are out there just being themselves and visible and still spreading that love and joy.
It's an interesting cultural moment right now. There's this real emergence of Black queer talent and also there's this really reactionary rise in the political world that's seeking to erase, take away the voices of historically marginalized folks. What do you think that says about our culture right now?
I think about it all the time 'cause, you know, as far as we've come, obviously we are kind of experiencing a backlash. And I just don't know, there's so many different factors that contribute to that. As much love as we push out, I think it sometimes can be twisted depending on what space you're in. We have our own bubbles, it's really actually kind of scary.
But [that love] can be twisted into fear, and I think we're having a real tug of war of which, just not in our country, but just all around the world, of like love and fear. There was just so much happening. ... Maybe [LGBTQ+ progress] was too fast for [many people] or too quick for them. I think human experience is scared of change, and ... they somehow feel like there's no place for them. ... Some people feel like they've been left behind.
That's not what it is. It's us just becoming more visible and that doesn't mean that's gonna take away from you in any way. If anything, it just makes us stronger, 'cause it makes us feel like, oh, we're not as different as you, we're people as well.
What message do you have for young queer kids in particular who are coming of age right now and and maybe are a little fearful?
I would say first and foremost, find a community. I think that's kind of what helped me grow as a younger person, with drag as well, but finding people who got what I was doing and trying to say.
I think that'll really help you. There's always a little pocket somewhere. It may not be near you as close as you think, or may not be as far as you think, but there's always some community around you that can help you coming into your own and help you through your journey. ...
And look up to the people that give you strength, whether it be a RuPaul or Cynthia [Erivo] or whoever it may be in culture. Find that person and help so that you can learn from them. You have what they did, and hopefully, you can learn and use that for your life. We're all here. In the words of Diana Ross, "If you need me, call me. No matter how far, no matter where you are, darling."
Are there any artists you're excited to hear that will bring you joy this WorldPride?
Mother [RuPaul] is DJing, so I'm excited to see her. I'm excited to see Cynthia, and I'm also excited to see the local town. I've been to D.C. before, so I have a few girls there that I know, so I'm excited to see them and see what they do for Pride. I'm just excited to see it all. I'm like a little kid in a candy shop. I just love this time of year, and going around and traveling and seeing how everybody celebrates Pride in their own town, so I'm just excited to see.
Are there any other projects, upcoming gigs you'd like to mention?
I'll be traveling in this summer. I'll be in Chicago. I will be in New York. I'll be back in Toronto, hopefully if everything works out. And I'll be traveling over to the U.S. and overseas and South America. I'll be in Brazil and Chile in August, and I'm learning how to DJ, so look out for me! ... My best friend is Leland, he's kind of my mentor, so he's teaching me the ropes and such. I'm very excited for that new journey, so we'll see where it takes me.
