Khalid delivered one of the most emotional performances of his career at WorldPride DC 2025’s Free Street Festival and Closing Concert.
The Grammy-nominated R&B singer took the Capitol Concert Stage with warmth, gratitude, and vulnerability, bringing fans to their feet with hits like “Location” and “Better.” But it was the final moments that left the deepest impact. As the 26-year-old wrapped his set, he broke into tears, overwhelmed by the weight of the moment—his first Pride performance since coming out.
The artist, born Khalid Donnel Robinson, stood visibly moved as the crowd chanted his name. “These are happy tears,” he said, his voice cracking through the emotion. “This is my first time performing at Pride. My first time being at Pride. Y’all got me choked up, oh my god.”
He wiped his face and smiled, basking in the love of a crowd that had waited years to witness this version of him—open, unguarded, and home.
“Thank you so much for accepting me and supporting me,” Khalid continued. “It means the world to me. I feel like I’m home here on this stage.”
That moment, captured across social media platforms, sent a wave of love from fans, peers, and LGBTQ supporters worldwide. It wasn’t just a performance; it was a celebration of identity, healing, and communal pride.
Khalid’s journey to that stage, however, came with challenges. In November 2024, he was outed by internet personality Hugo D Almonte, who posted a personal photo with inflammatory captions.
Rather than retreat, Khalid addressed it head-on. “!!! there yall go. next topic please lol,” he posted on X. Later, he clarified, “I got outted and the world still continues to turn… I am not ashamed of my sexuality! It ain’t nobody’s business! But I am okay with it. love y’all.”
His honesty, tinged with humor and resilience, drew widespread praise. Artists like MNEK and Amorphous condemned the outing, reinforcing the importance of letting people share their truth on their own terms.
Fans pointed out the clues had always been there, including his 2022 single “Satellite,” embraced as an LGBTQ anthem. One user wrote, “The closet was glass.”
Khalid replied, “I wasn’t hiding anything. It’s just not your business.”
WorldPride’s theme, “The Fabric of Freedom,” found no better embodiment than Khalid’s performance. His tears weren’t signs of weakness—they were proof of strength, of joy, of belonging.
This moment marked not just a public milestone but a deeply personal one, as Khalid reclaimed his narrative on his own terms, in front of a sea of love.
His latest single, “All I Know” featuring Rudimental, echoes this new chapter—bold, vulnerable, and unapologetically himself. Khalid’s WorldPride debut will be remembered not just for the music, but for the courage it took to stand tall, and to feel seen.
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