The Youth Pride Alliance is proud to announce that openly gay former National Football League player Wade Davis will speak at the 18th annual Youth Pride Day celebration, which will be held from noon-5 p.m. April 27 at Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.

Davis was signed as a free agent for the Tennessee Titans and played preseason games for the Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks. He also played for NFL Europe, where his team won an NFL Europe Championship. Davis, 35, is currently the assistant director of job readiness for the Hetrick-Martin Institute in New York City, and helps LGBT youth acquire life skills.

Youth Pride Day is the largest event for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally (LGBTQQA) youth. Since the first Youth Pride Day in 1997, thousands of young people have attended the annual event and, this year, organizers anticipate a turnout of more than 500.

Also participating will be representatives from some 40 organizations that support and advocate for LGBTQQA youth.

“I’m really excited to welcome Wade Davis to the 18th annual Youth Pride Day,” said YPA president Nikisha Carpenter. “As a former NFL player who is now out and empowering LGBTQ youth to succeed, Wade is an excellent role model for today’s youth. I’m also grateful for our sponsors who make this event happen every year, including longtime sponsors D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education, Human Rights Campaign and the DC Center for the LGBT Community and new sponsors Generational Alliance, Latin American History Project, National Black Justice Coalition and the Peace Corps.”

Invited speakers for this year’s Youth Pride Day include U.S. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton; Sterling Washington, director of District of Columbia Office of GLBT Affairs; Gustavo F. Velasquez, director of District of Columbia Office of Human Rights; and Elliott Kennedy, government affairs counsel for The Trevor Project.

The event will also feature youth testimonies, musicians, singers, video screenings, and dance and drag performances.

Previous Youth Pride Day sponsors and vendors include The DC Center, the Office of Human Rights, the Office of GLBT Affairs, Whitman-Walker Clinic, La Clinica del Pueblo, The Trevor Project, Human Rights Campaign and Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.

For more information, visit www.youthpridealliance.org.

Youth Pride Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally youth empowerment to encourage positive self-development and expression, as well as leadership, while bridging diverse communities and individuals to address issues of visibility, equality and social justice. Youth Pride Alliance is dedicated to celebrating the dignity and courage of all young people.