Do the Police Belong at Pride? Marches Face a Difficult Question

Can you imagine the uproar if police departments refused to allow gay police to march, or to march in uniform? Or if police officers refused to protect marchers against attacks from anti-gay activists? Since the protestors cite decades old grievances as justification, how about if Pride organizers refused to allow gays to march if they had opposed the steps taken which helped reduce the HIV epidemic, which a great many did? Given that the report says 79% of gays support police participation vs, only 8% opposing it, why do the 8% think they should control the parade? And why is the Times granting them the megaphone of such coverage?

I am always thrilled to see uniformed NYPD officers and FDNY firefighters marching in the Pride Parade. It's wonderful to see gay officers and gay firefighters and their supporters marching side by side, proud as everybody else to live in this wonderful city. I've also always remarked by how friendly and happy all the police officers who keep the rest of us safe during Pride are as they patrol the streets, control the crowds, prevent terrorism, and divert traffic for us. To every NYPD officer, I say: Happy Pride! I hope to see you marching proudly, as always, in the parade with the rest of us. You are welcome there.

Ultimately the question is: what is the goal for pride march organizers? If it's a purity test of how outraged you are about something a cop did three years ago in Minnesota, or 50 years ago in Manhattan, or something something structural bias, then ban the police. If it's to promote inclusivity, then don't ban anyone.

If you’re LGBT friendly you should be welcome, period. We are suppose to be an inclusive community where it doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. If people have an issue with cops marching in a Pride Parade then don’t go. That is your right. It is not your right to exclude them. By excluding them we are no better than the Conservative Christians who want us out of view. You can’t have it both ways children

This isn't years ago when there wasn't a gay police organization by banning police these activists are calling these same cops traitors and they can't represent the progress made in a parade meant to celebrate the gay community as a whole

No cops at pride! Just spiderman!!

Everyone is welcome at Pride, forever.

I’m sure the police will be quite happy to find something else to do.

Oh why would you want to try to ENCOURAGE understanding and empathy among the police, for the LGBT community? That's silly. Much better that they just continue to think of us as "weird" or "sick", right? Yeah, right.

The L.G.B.T. community does not want police to interfere with its disruptive propaganda, but at lease the absence of the police will save taxpayer money.

Anyone who has been in the vicinity of the NYC Pride parade and has even an inkling of what makes for a good target for terrorism, or a potentially dangerous situation vis a vis getting trampled can see that the Pride parade would be dangerous beyond words without the NYPD. Manhattan is densely populated at baseline. This weekend, the island will be "home" to roughly another 3 million people. Let's all celebrate safely and also acknowledge that the NYPD is not the enemy of the LGBT community, and that we've all come a long way in the past half century.

Imagine if the Stonewall Rebellion - in other words, physical resistance to police violence and bigotry - were to occur today. You'd have militarized SWAT teams (part of "the world's seventh largest army" as Michael Bloomberg liked to boast) descending on the community like a ton of bricks, and you wouldn't have banks and corporations "sponsoring" it. As a straight, native New Yorker who witnessed the original Stonewall rebellion as a twelve year-old, kudos and solidarity to the organizers and participants of the alternative marches, whom I hope to join. Stonewall and its aftermath were a breaking out and festival of human freedom: corporations and cops in uniform have no place there.

It is a big mistake to not welcome police to "participate" in Pride Parade activities in 2019. Yes, many police departments behaved horribly to the Gay community in the past. But those who want to participate to make up for their own failings or the misdeeds of their predecessors should be welcomed to do so. The police in all cities should be the protectors of the LGBT community and marching in the parades allows them to support those who most need their support.

No one wins when others are excluded. I understand that the some police have been guilty of discrimination and worse against the LGBTQ community but not all of them. I doubt that those people would be marching. What about those officers that may be LGBTQ? The benefit of having police march in solidarity shows how far the movement has come. It might even make those unenlightened people question their beliefs. If you want acceptance than you need to give it.

The only police presence should be to protect the handful of anti-gay protesters that willingly exercise their rights to free speech. Otherwise, I have found the NYPD to be a menacing, intimidating presence that unnecessarily closes off entrances to sidewalks, which results in dangerous crowding, and ruins the experience for people.

They are there to 1) Protect us , 2) Keep things moving, 3) help, if needed, in celebration that might unintentionally become something that could harm someone 4). Be a representative of the conflicts from the past and when given this opportunity, show the example of peaceful coexistence and respect toward those different than themselves.

While I understand mistrust of the police by various communities, I find this particular statement against the police misguided & naive. Where I live, a contingent of first responders marches in the Pride parade. The crowd cheers for them. Don’t we WANT visible representation of all minorities in as many places as we can get it? I also worry that true enemies of this community will look upon an unsecured parade/large public gathering as the perfect target for mayhem. I would not attend an event like this if first responders were kept out. I’d fear for my safety in the event of a crime or disaster, and rightly so. There’s a balance between aggressive overpolicing, and a police presence to provide appropriate deterrence. It seems to me that we’ve struck that balance at Pride parades for many years.

I hope the cities are not providing free police services to the sanctioned marches. Any other event is required to pay for security services. The organizers cannot have it both ways.

the police were banned in TO this yr. partially for their slow response on listening to the LGBTQ community regarding the horrific multiple murders carried out by one man. the last time they did participate it was about 15 cop cars in a row blaring their sirens. shows of authority and uniforms. no music or signs of 'disarming'. i guess i am a minority, as a simple apology does not remove 50+ yrs of repression, beatings, incarceration, and more. i say welcome, but no cars, guns, or full uniforms.

Makes me want to vote Republican!

Any event drawing tens of thousands of people into the streets needs to have a police presence in the interest of public safety - including the safety of the event's participants. Anybody with a triple digit IQ understands that. To bar police and have no means of reacting to a possibly catastrophic emergency for the purpose of making a political statement is utterly idiotic. Period.

Police officers have a right an a duty to be anywhere there is a public gathering. Get used to it.

Police officers enforce existing laws, they do not create them; if there's any body culpable, it's the governments who neglected their responsibility to represent all of their constituents ... stop deflecting.

There’s much more to barring uniformed police at Toronto Pride. Seven gay men were murdered over the last years. The LGBTQ community pleaded with the police to consider the possibility of a serial killer. They were denying that possibility up until a month before they arrested one man for all the deaths. They ignored us for years. We were not told the truth, leaving LGBTQ lives vulnerable. The failure was systematic and personal. The desire for uniformed police to walk in the Pride parade felt like a rebranding exercise before there was little progress in healing.

Nothing says “pride” like more intolerance and divisiveness.

Why bury the lede? "Among nonwhite LGBT people, 77 percent said they supported including police officers in Pride events, compared with 8 percent who opposed doing so and 15 percent who said they did not have strong feelings on the matter." It's unclear to me why an activist wing that constitutes, at best, 10% of the community should dictate terms on behalf of the rest of us.

Yes, but it's not 1969 anymore. Gays have come a long way in this city so have the police. Everyone has evolved. Things are not perfect, to be sure, but clearly we are moving forward. Stop the maddness!

Apparently police should not be allowed. Their presence makes attacks on marchers less likely.

Some people will never be happy. Ignore them.

Of course they should be included. Gay police officers have experienced more prejudice than can be imagined, especially in the early years of the gay rights movement. Why would we exclude gay officers and gay allied officers from the march? They are not the INDIVIDUALS who are causing parts of the gay community difficulties. They are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Yet another instance of today's sad spectacle, from social matters to politics, the petty, selfish loud mouths insistent that only their view of the world and history is valid (more politely referred to as "activists") one again want to make things their way only. They supposedly decry bigotry yet engage in the same tactics themselves, cloning to 50-year old bad past practices as justification. Apparently the views of the majority of the LGBTQ community, including gay and lesbian police officers themselves, matter naught.

Various St. Patrick Day parades have come under fire for excluding gay marcher - for decades. The organizers have finally grown past old feelings and decided to include those with whom they may have differences in order to celebrate something important. It says a lot about who is really tolerant and willing to expand their mindset.

Its complicated. First, yes, law enforcement in 2019, in general, continues to be more on the side of part of the problem than part of progress and valuing LGBTQI identified people and communities. And yes, corrections is actually not the same as law enforcement, but the connection, symbolically and practically, tends to, understandably, be seen as one problematic entity: Dominated by White male straight cisgendered. This “entity” historically and today routinely remains one of the biggest offenders in terms of racism, sexism, homophobia, both internally and regarding those they serve in the form of citizens and communities. Obviously, some locals more than others, but even the best efforts of the most visible, biggest, “progressive” police departments seem only to have been made because of political and social pressure and many would rightfully describe these department’s efforts, internally and externally, as less than, “a full court press.” That said, to allow LGBTQI their full agency, there are LGBTQI identified individuals that engage in criminal activity. Cops with all their equipment, including their guns, need to be there for this reason. Cops also need to be there in case the bad guys show up - those who want, promote and engage in behavior that is racist, sexist, homophobic, criminal such as assault. If a mass gunman shows up, police need guns to defend the event participants. Thus, its complicated.

Uniformed police in a pride parade, imagine that decades ago! If this wasn’t the point of the fight for acceptance, what was? It sounds like some in the lgbt community want to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

We should welcome those that are our allies or members of the LGBTQ community. Let's build bridges not put up our own walls. The sins of the father.... let's break the cycle and move forward in a healthy way that encourages dialogue and inclusiveness. The stats here matter, more are for inclusion than exclusion.

I am a lesbian and welcome police officers or anyone else who wants to celebrate pride to the parades. I have met gay and lesbian police officers, how do you think they would feel about having their profession shunned? I understand the horrific history that law enforcement has had with the LGBTQ community. On the other hand, there are still malicious people out there and I trust that police officers would provide protection to parade goers if needed. I would hope that these two once feuding sides would be able to make amends and celebrate the idea of peace together.

I see this debate having many elements - are the police at an event for solidarity or to keep the peace. A third element is the lingering mistrust of police and dirty deeds, past and present. Police in America have a "credibility" issue thats ingrained in American society. In many areas America's police have lost the hearts and minds of every day citizens. I personally do not respect the police in America, I fear them. It appears my beliefs are shared by many, as mentioned in this article. To be included in a Pride event the police have to address the root cause(s) of why people fear them. They have to win over the hearts and minds of people. They have to regain respect. I attended the Paris (France) Pride Parade in 2017. The police in Paris were treated as members of the community, not a group that perpetrates wrongs against the community.

I have grown up with the modern gay rights movement, the whole point of which I had thought was social acceptance and integration, developments my own life bears out. Excluding uniformed police is a step backward, not forward. When we give fellow human beings great power and weaponry, then by all means let's have a process to hold them accountable, but a broad condemnation of law enforcement isn't smart.

As a 69 year old who was a 19 gay man and living in Greenwich Village at the time of Stonewall, to see the then oppressor come a and show that they now accept the changes of these 50 years and give honor to the rights of us all makes me emotional with a sense of joy and a sense of happiness that the young will not live though the same oppression, not only in New York City but in so much of the world. No need to hide, no need to feel that there is something wrong with them, no self hate. I want to see the police there and I will cry for my past, and for the people whom I have lost who never lived to see this day. I also will feel so much joy for those who have come behind me.

Question: Do the officers who march in the parade in uniform also carry weapons? If so, is it possible to leave the weapons elsewhere? If they don't carry weapons when they march they are not creating a threat to anyone, but rather are peacefully expressing their desire for our communities to move forward in this ongoing conversation for change.

One hopes that police would be welcomed and embraced if they have evolved over the past 50 years. At the 1996 Democratic convention in Chicago, I personally witnessed a marvelous moment when Tom Hayden and a 1968-era Chicago cop who was still on the force greeted each other warmly outside the Hilton hotel, where the mood had been very different in '68. One imagines that similar reconciliations are possible among people from both sides of what happened at Stonewall.

Being inclusive and welcoming of all members of the community, including police, who want to participate and support the LGBT Pride festivals should be encourage. It seems that a small sliver of the LGBT community is intent on creating and sowing unnecessary decisiveness. Hopefully, the majority will prevail.

Yes, the police should be invited and be able to march in Pride parades. Prior incidents and history - however hurtful or possibly illegal - should not preclude us from bringing people together. Otherwise, how can we move on?

Last Saturday was Pride Day in Wilton Manors Florida. I live in the neighboring city of Oakland Park. But even though I was in New York 50 years ago during the start of it all and soon became swept up in the protest that broiled in the city, I didn't go to our local Pride festival. Wilton Manors had decided to demand a $5 entrance fee, explaining that it was for "safety" Pulse took place in Orlando just a few years back and that is very close to home, too. So maybe those $5 really are for safety. But not safety from tainted water or petty theft. Obviously those $5 were really a gun tax on non-gun owners. Wilton Manors should have first turned to the NRA for safety. As ludicrous as that sounds, when a city addresses the NRA about the true, then that is news worth reporting. Instead, the "Island City" (Wilton Manors' moniker) turned to the possible victims for the money. This may be a new trend. I don't know. But if it is, then where will the end be? Movie theaters? Concerts? Churches, mosques, synagogues, Buddhist temples....? All street fairs for every interest and ethnic group? Political rallies? Why shouldn't the gun purchasers be charged an enormous safety tax, since they are whom we fear? Or gun owners should be registered and tax on an annual basis, maybe. Some politicians need to address this issue. Until then, I will stay at home.

The exclusion of uniformed police officers of good will and intentions (gay or straight) from the Pride festivities is bigotry, plain and simple. As the polling statistics cited in this piece show, these self-appointed LGBT activists do not speak for the significant majority of the community they claim to represent (of which I am a member).