For the first time ever, the high-energy, dazzling voguing tournament known as the World Pride Ball is hitting television screens. Revry, the world’s pioneering LGBTQ+ streaming network, announced the televised debut of World Pride Ball 2025, presented by McDonald’s, airing June 27 at 9 p.m. ET.
The annual ballroom dance battle, held live in Washington, D.C., electrifies audiences with fierce competition and jaw-dropping performances. The 2025 edition sold out quickly, taking place June 5 as the official after-party of the Capital Pride Honors Awards.
The Ballroom Comes to Your Living Room
Revry’s co-founder and CEO, Damian Pelliccione, shared his excitement about broadcasting the event, calling the competition a “fierce showcase of athleticism and artistry in the queer community.” He added, “It’s an honor to bring World Pride Ball’s full multi-camera extravaganza to a wider audience, spotlighting the vibrant culture of self-expression, love, and acceptance.”
Photo: B Sharp for RevryPhoto: B Sharp for Revry
Starting June 27, the World Pride Ball special will run as a 24-hour marathon exclusive on Revry, giving fans across the globe a chance to experience the glamour, grit, and grandeur of ballroom culture.
McDonald’s Champions Inclusivity Year-Round
Backing this iconic event is McDonald’s, whose representative highlighted the company’s commitment to inclusivity. “We open our doors to everyone,” they said. “Our goal goes beyond Pride Month, when fans interact with McDonald’s, everyone should feel welcome, safe, and free to express their authentic selves.”
Legendary Hosts, Iconic Judges, and Electrifying Categories
The competition features hundreds of voguing competitors representing “houses,” or teams, battling it out for ballroom glory. The star-studded panel includes:
Dashaun Wesley – Voguer and choreographer from Pose
Ivy Mugler – Renowned voguer
The ball’s runway categories promise thrills with names like “Taste Level: Opulence,” “Let Them Cook,” and the highly anticipated “Select Six World Pride Vogue Down.”
As voguing continues to captivate mainstream audiences, Revry’s televised World Pride Ball offers a vibrant, unapologetic celebration of queer artistry and resilience. Mark your calendars, this is one ballroom battle you won’t want to miss.
For the first time in her career, Trisha Paytas—YouTuber, mother, pop provocateur, and unexpected queer icon— is stepping onto the global stage at WorldPride, delivering a performance that can only be described as pure, unfiltered queer euphoria.
“I’ve never even been to a festival, not even Coachella,” Paytas confessed exclusively to Gayety. “And now I’m performing for 35,000 people at WorldPride? It’s surreal.” And surreal it was—equal parts drag fantasy, glittered gospel, and internet meme made flesh.
A Pop Culture Icon Steps Into the Queer Spotlight
Paytas, 37, has been an omnipresent figure in online pop culture for over a decade, bouncing between viral memes, YouTube vlogs, podcast appearances, and TikTok transformations. But her appearance at WorldPride DC 2025 marks something different: a real-world affirmation of her place in LGBTQ+ culture—not as an outsider peering in, but as someone celebrated by the community she’s long adored.
“I’ve always felt chosen by the queer community,” she shared. “You can’t just call yourself a gay icon—they choose you. And I’ve always felt that love, even when the rest of the world didn’t get me.”
Pride, Identity, and Becoming “Just Me”
While Paytas has weathered criticism and confusion over the years for her fluid approach to identity and expression, her evolving relationship with herself has resonated with many LGBTQ+ fans. “Pride means being your authentic self—even if you don’t fully know what that is yet,” she said. “I used to feel like I was cosplaying life, doing what I thought I was supposed to do. Now, I just try to live authentically and stay open.”
Paytas, who identifies as sexually fluid and continues to explore her gender identity, emphasized how important it is to offer space for questioning and growth. “Whether you’re confident, questioning, or struggling—Pride is for you,” she said. “It’s about being accepted exactly where you are.”
The WorldPride Set: Glitter, Gyrations, and Gospel
Paytas’ performance was tailor-made for the queer community—deliberately over-the-top, deeply camp, and full of heart. Her set was a 15-minute mega-mix of her cult hits like “I Love You Jesus,”“Freaky,” and new unreleased material, backed by six professional dancers who’ve graced the stages with Beyoncé and Britney Spears.
“You’re not going to need poppers,” she joked. “There’s going to be so much stimulation—you’ll be gagged and gorged and widened by the visuals alone.”
Wearing three separate costumes in just 15 minutes—including pink sequins and retro diva wigs—Paytas embodied a queer fantasia built for the TikTok generation. From belly jiggling to full-on sex kitten choreography, she gave it her all.
“This show is for the gays. No filter. No holding back,” she said. “I went full pop star fantasy for the crowd that gets me the most.”
A Community That Reflects Her
Despite the glitz and spectacle, the emotional core of Paytas’ relationship with the LGBTQ+ community remains earnest. “They were the first to accept me when no one else did,” she said. “The memes, the videos, the edits—those weren’t just jokes, they were love letters. And they helped me love myself too.”
From iconic kitchen-floor breakdowns to viral audio clips like “Huh? What?” and “No no no thank you,” Paytas has unintentionally supplied the queer community with a decade’s worth of shareable, relatable content. And she sees it all. “How they find some of this stuff—I don’t even know where it came from,” she laughed. “But the captions? The remixing? Genius. It’s like performance art at this point.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 03: Trisha Paytas lights the Empire State Building in partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund in celebration of Trisha Paytas’ Broadway debut at The Empire State Building on February 03, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
From YouTube Chaos to Safe Space Celebration
For Paytas, Pride is about joy, acceptance, and creating spaces where everyone feels seen—something she strives for not just in her online presence, but in her live shows as well. “My concerts are safe spaces. They’re full of laughter, camp, body positivity, weirdness, whatever you’re into,” she explained. “It’s like a Pink Pony Club—but for everyone.”
Her message to fans is simple: “Just be yourself in whatever stage of the journey you’re on. That’s enough.”
The Legacy of Love
While Paytas admits she doesn’t know what the future holds for her identity—or even her career—she’s clear about one thing: this moment at WorldPride is among the most meaningful of her life.
“It hasn’t even sunk in yet,” she said, glowing with excitement. “My mom, my sister—they can’t believe it. I was always told I couldn’t sing or dance, and now I’m on the main stage of WorldPride. It’s everything.”
And even though she’s currently pregnant and couldn’t bring her husband or child to the show due to limited passes, she smiled while saying, “Technically, my baby is coming with me.”
Whether it’s through laughs, live performances, or late-night meme material, Trisha Paytas has carved a unique—and cherished—place within queer culture. And now, with WorldPride behind her and a baby on the way, she’s redefining what it means to be a pop icon: unapologetically chaotic, endlessly expressive, and, most of all, deeply loved by the LGBTQ+ community.
“I’m honored to be part of this,” she said. “And I hope I make the gays proud.”
