Capital Pride kicks off this weekend with a theme that’s equal parts defiant and celebratory: “Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!”

Ryan Bos, CEO and president of the Capital Pride Alliance, said the theme is a direct response to what many in the LGBTQ+ community are facing now.

“It is really a nod to the times and the struggles that many folks in our community and many intersectional communities are dealing with,” Bos said.

He pointed to efforts to roll back diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives, book removals from libraries and what he described as attempts to “erase history.”

The festivities kick off with the Capitol Pride Honors, which was rebranded this year as “The Audacity Brunch: In Full Fuchsia,” Sunday, June 7, at the Four Seasons. The Pride parade follows Saturday, June 20, with the festival and concert on June 21.

Bos said the word “audacity” went through some debate before landing in the theme. He originally considered “audaciously” but said “audacity” was easier to grab onto — and carries a double meaning.

“How dare we exist,” he said, describing it as a kind of pun. “Really encouraging folks to live audaciously, to just have the audacity to be you.”

He also acknowledged that not everyone can show up safely — and said that’s exactly why those who can, should.

“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.”

Bos noted that the relevance of Pride has always shifted with the political climate, pointing to moments like the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the legalization of marriage equality as times when some questioned whether Pride was still necessary.

“It can be related to political cycles, to policies, to so many things that can impact our own safety, our own existence,” he said.