One in Ten (organization) - Capital Pride

Capital Pride

In 1995, One In Ten assumed responsibility for organizing Washington, D.C.'s Gay Pride Day events after the festival's original sponsoring organization nearly went bankrupt. One In Ten moved the street festival from Francis Junior High to Freedom Plaza near the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. The organization also changed the festival's parade route. Instead of traveling south from Meridian Hill Park and then westward on P Street N.W. to finish at Francis Junior High School, the parade now began at the school, moved east along P Street N.W. to 14th Street N.W., and then south on 14th Street to Freedom Plaza.

However, the financial and organizational strain of producing the event proved too heavy for the arts group. In 1997, Whitman-Walker Clinic joined One In Ten as a co-sponsor of the festival, and the event was renamed Capital Pride. The street festival was moved off Freedom Plaza and onto Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. between 14th and 10th Streets N.W. Corporate sponsorships also rose dramatically, reflecting the festival's growing commercial nature. Corporate sponsorships reached $247,000 in 1999, up from $80,000 in 1998.

In 2000, Whitman-Walker Clinic became the sole co-sponsor of Capital Pride, although One In Ten continued to serve on the festival's community board along with other organizations.