ATLANTA (JANUARY 2026) — Atlanta Pride today releases its 2025 Impact Report,
documenting a milestone year that marked the organization’s 55th anniversary and
underscores its role as a leading cultural, civic, and economic force for LGBTQ+
communities across Georgia and the Southeast.

With its 2025 theme, Rooted in Resistance, Atlanta Pride’s report highlights unprecedented community engagement, historic festival attendance, expanded media reach, and continued reinvestment in local Pride organizations statewide.

Record Festival Attendance and Cultural Impact
In 2025, Atlanta Pride once again hosted the largest free Pride festival in the United States, welcoming more than 350,000 attendees over festival weekend. The Atlanta
Pride Parade drew more than 100,000 spectators, making it the largest parade in
Atlanta. The weekend culminated in the Starlight Cabaret, the largest outdoor drag
event in the country.

The festival continued to grow in 2025 with Atlanta Pride’s largest Family Fun Zone
and Artist Market to date, expanded historical exhibits in partnership with local
archives, and signature programming like “A Chaka Moment…In the Park,” reinforcing
Pride’s cultural and historical legacy.

Statewide Community Investment
Through its Pride Across the Peach State initiative, Atlanta Pride has now awarded
$90,000 in grants to 16 Pride organizations across Georgia, including support for 10
organizations in 2025 alone. To Atlanta Pride’s knowledge, no other Pride organization in the state reinvests in local communities at this scale.

This funding supported grassroots Pride efforts during a year in which more than 600
anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced nationwide, reaffirming Atlanta Pride’s commitment to visibility, advocacy, and mutual support.

Organizational Growth and Sustainability
Despite a nationwide decline in corporate sponsorships, Atlanta Pride welcomed 10
new sponsors, and more than doubled its total number of individual donors. The
launch of the 70 CLUB, Atlanta Pride’s monthly donor community, strengthened
grassroots giving and supported a new three-year strategic plan focused on Community Connection, Festival Resiliency, and Organizational Sustainability.

Atlanta Pride also completed its 2024 financial audit, reaffirming its commitment to
transparency and responsible stewardship.

A Legacy Rooted in Resistance
“For 55 years, Atlanta Pride has existed because our community refuses to be erased,”
said Chris McCain, Executive Director of Atlanta Pride. “At a time when LGBTQ+
people, especially trans and gender-expansive communities, are facing renewed
political attacks, our 2025 Impact Report makes clear that visibility, community
investment, and joy are powerful acts of resistance. Choosing Pride means choosing
each other, choosing community, and choosing to build a future where our stories, our
history, and our lives are valued.”