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Travelling for World Pride and other International Pride events in 2025

16 May 2025

Pride is a global lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) event established to celebrate and advocate for LGBTQ+ equality.

Pride events began in 1970 to commemorate the riots which took place in the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, in June 1969 which was one of the most significant events leading to the modern gay rights movement.

World Pride 2025 will be held in Washington DC, USA between 23 May to 8 June. 2025 and marks the 50th anniversary of Pride celebrations in this location.

In addition to World Pride, multiple other Pride events are planned throughout 2025.

Those planning on travelling abroad to attend Pride events should be reminded to protect themselves against health risks.

Advice for travellers

All travellers should be advised to:

  • check the FCDO foreign travel advice for the country they are travelling to, for the latest information on COVID-19, safety and security, entry requirements and travel warnings
  • ensure they have valid travel insurance in place to cover the duration of their trip, including all planned activities
  • review the country specific advice for their destination(s) for information on advisable vaccinations, malaria and other potential health risks.

A recent U.S. State Department resource suggested all U.S. visa applications must list their sex assigned at birth, which may impact some transgender and nonbinary travellers. The Capital Pride Alliance recommend affected travellers should consult official sources (e.g. U.S. Embassy), and/or seek legal guidance as needed.

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI) and is transmitted through unprotected sex or genital contact with an infected partner. UK authorities have recently reported a rise in cases of drug-resistant gonorrhoea in UK travellers returning from abroad. Use of condoms offer the best protection against gonorrhoea and other STIs.

Mpox (Monkeypox)

Mpox is an infection caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). There are 2 distinct clades of the virus: clade I and clade II. Historically, clade I mpox was associated with a higher risk of serious illness, compared to clade II.

In 2022, a global outbreak of clade II emerged, mainly affecting gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). In 2024, an upsurge in clade I mpox, which first began in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2022, spread to additional countries marking the first known geographical spread. Sustained human-human transmission of clade I mpox continues in DRC and surrounding countries, with travel-related cases occasionally occurring outside the African region.

While mpox does not spread very easily between human beings, it is able to pass from an infected person to an uninfected person via close contact, such as through:

  • direct skin to skin contact, including the touching of blisters or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing or cuddling)
  • the touching of clothing, bedding, towels or personal items that have been used by a person who has a mpox rash, blisters or scabs
  • contact with coughs or sneezes or other bodily fluids from a person with mpox infection

Spread of mpox may also occur when a person comes into close contact with an infected animal.

Travellers to pride events can reduce their risk of exposure to mpox by:

  • practicing safer sex and using condoms
  • avoiding close contact (including sexual contact) with someone who is unwell and may possibly have mpox
  • avoiding touching the clothes, bedding or towels of a person who may have a mpox rash
  • avoiding coughs and sneezes from a person who may have mpox
  • avoiding contact with animals, including their blood and other parts
  • avoiding consuming undercooked meat from any source

A vaccine designed for preventing smallpox (Modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine) is being offered to people who are most likely to be exposed to mpox. Further information about the mpox vaccine and eligibility is available for those living in:

Also see Smallpox and mpox: the green book, chapter 29 for information on the vaccine.

Other Health Considerations

Furthermore, travellers attending Pride events should consider:

During pride, travellers should be advised to:

After Pride

After returning home from pride events, travellers should be aware to:

  • seek medical advice if they are experiencing any symptoms of infection or illness
  • seek sexual health advice and screening if unprotected sexual activity has occurred

For further information on accessing sexual health clinics see: