White House postpones Pride celebration over air quality concerns

The White House on Thursday delayed a Pride Month event on the South Lawn over concerns regarding the air quality in Washington, D.C., as smoke from Canadian wildfires engulfs much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.

The White House rescheduled the LGBT+ celebration for Saturday, The Hill reported, as many other events in the region are being canceled.

The D.C. Energy and Environment Department issued a "Code Purple" air quality alert for the city Thursday morning. A Code Purple means the air quality is "very unhealthy" and residents are advised to wear a high-quality mask outside and stay inside as much as possible. The district also canceled all youth park programs and all outdoor public school activities.

In addition, the Washington Nationals delayed a home baseball game and the National Zoo closed Thursday.

Madeleine Hubbard is an international correspondent for Just the News. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram.