May 16 at 5:30 pm – June 8 at 12:00 pm

Various

Brought to you by Monica J. Bose

“Weaving Resistance: Storytelling with Saris” by artist Monica Jahan Bose
In this moment of human rights crisis created by the Trump administration, it is imperative to build community and fight back for LGBTQ+ rights without apology or retreat. This year’s World Pride theme is The Fabric of Freedom. Textiles have served as modes of resistance for centuries, especially by women and other marginalized groups. Since 2012, the Storytelling with Saris collaborative art project has been using the cotton sari — a 19-foot-long unstitched garment— as a site of community expression of bodily autonomy and gender and climate justice. Cotton saris are covered in woodblock printing, stencils, painting, drawing, embroidery, appliqué, and poetry and then used for large scale installations and performances.
Over the last decade, Storytelling with Saris workshops, performances, and installations have engaged thousands of people in 12 U.S. states and 8 countries, including Bangladesh, Canada, France, Greece, and Italy. Recent Storytelling with Saris projects, performances, workshops, and roundtables in the U.S. and Bangladesh have specifically focused on LGBTQ+ issues, gender roles and identity, bodily autonomy, and increasing understanding and acceptance of gender-nonconforming persons through discussion, education, and collaborative art and performance.
For World Pride 2025, Storytelling with Saris will present five healing and empowering art and poetry workshops on gender/sexuality/identity to foster greater inclusion, empathy, and pride in this difficult political climate. The workshops will culminate in a community performance and march.
Weaving Resistance: Storytelling with Saris Events:
1. Workshop hosted by Moms Clean Air Force, 555 12th Street NW, May 16 from 5:30 to 7 pm
2. Display of artwork Prokash/Reveal Sari Scroll on gender/sexuality/identity at World Pride Headquarters, 901 7th Street NW, 4th Floor, Washington, DC 20001, from May 17-June 8, open noon to 8 pm most days
3. Workshop hosted by Asian Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Group, May 29, 6:00 to 7:30 pm
4. Drop-in Workshop at World Pride Welcome Center hosted by Human Rights Campaign, 737 7th St NW, May 31, 12:00pm to 3:00pm
5. Drop-in Workshop at World Pride Welcome Center hosted by Human Rights Campaign, 737 7th St NW, June 1, 12:00pm to 2:00pm
6. Drop-in Workshop at the Human Rights Conference, JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, on June 5 from 10 am to 2 pm
7. Outdoor “Weaving Resistance” community sewing performance on June 6 during the 17th Street Dupont Circle Block Party, 6 to 8 pm
8. Culminating event: international march with massive “Weaving Resistance” sari to the Capitol, starting at Lincoln Memorial, June 8, from10 am to noon.