Ahead of this year’s Capital Pride events, Capital Pride Alliance CEO Ryan Bos says the 2026 theme—“Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!”—is meant to answer current efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ protections and erase history, while urging people with safety and pri
When the Capital Pride Alliance unveiled its theme for 2026, it didn’t try to soften the message. “Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!” is meant to be both defiant and joyful—a rallying cry for a community facing pressure in public life.
Ryan Bos. CEO and president of the Capital Pride Alliance. said the theme is a direct response to what many in the LGBTQ+ community and intersectional communities are dealing with right now. In his account. that includes efforts to roll back diversity. equity. inclusion and accessibility initiatives. removals of books from libraries. and what he described as attempts to “erase history.”.
This year’s pride programming begins with the Capitol Pride Honors, rebranded as “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia,” on Sunday, June 7, at the Four Seasons. The Pride parade is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, with the festival and concert on June 21.
The word at the center of the theme—“audacity”—wasn’t picked without debate. Bos said there was some discussion before settling on it. He initially considered “audaciously,” but “audacity” proved easier to latch onto and came with a double meaning.
“How dare we exist,” Bos said, describing it as a kind of pun. He also framed it as an invitation: to live audaciously, to “just have the audacity to be you.”
Bos also acknowledged that safety isn’t equally available for everyone. Not everyone can show up safely, he said, and that’s precisely why those who can—especially people who have the privilege to be in places where they can attend—should show up for those who don’t feel safe.
“It’s important for those of us who have the privilege to be in places where we can show up. to show up for those who don’t feel safe to do so. ” Bos said. “It can be done in the big ways. but it can also be done in the small ways. just by saying ‘hi’ to somebody. thanking somebody. acknowledging somebody.”.
He pointed out that Pride has never been static; its relevance has shifted alongside the political climate. Bos referenced past moments when some people questioned whether Pride was still necessary—such as the repeal of “Don’t Ask. Don’t Tell” and the legalization of marriage equality—before noting that political cycles and policy changes can quickly affect safety and even the basic ability to exist.
“The relevance of Pride has always shifted with the political climate,” he said, adding that it can be tied to policies and to what impacts “our own safety, our own existence.”
By the time the events begin this weekend, Bos’s theme aims to make one thing clear: celebration isn’t happening in a vacuum. It’s happening alongside resistance—loud, public, and, for many, still necessary.
Capital Pride 2026 theme Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity! Ryan Bos LGBTQ+ community Pride parade Audacity Brunch Four Seasons June 7 2026 June 20 2026 June 21 2026
Kinda love the title, honestly.
Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity! is giving big “don’t mess with us” energy. But aren’t they the ones trying to erase history too by like changing the name of stuff? I dunno. Also Four Seasons for a brunch sounds wild.
So wait, is the parade June 20 or June 21? I saw like 2 different dates scrolling on my feed. And “remove books from libraries” is just politics, not sure how that turns into a pride theme. Sounds like they’re mad about something specific but the article kinda jumps around.
I don’t get why they gotta do the whole “resist” thing like it’s a war. Can’t they just celebrate and be happy? Sounds like somebody wrote this to trigger people. Also “safety isn’t equally available” like yeah that’s sad, but I feel like it’ll just make tensions worse at the Capitol. Anyway I’m sure it’ll be fun for the people who can actually go.