New York City’s Pride parade organizers announced they are excluding police officers’ participation in their inclusion event at the end of June.
“Effective immediately, NYC Pride will ban corrections and law enforcement exhibitors at NYC Pride events until 2025,” according to a statement.
The organizers are going to ask New York City police details to remain “at least one city block away from event perimeter areas where possible” and will enforce laws “only when absolutely necessary as mandated by city officials,” it added.
“NYC Pride seeks to create safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities at a time when violence against marginalized groups, specifically BIPOC and trans communities, has continued to escalate,” the statement read.
“The sense of safety that law enforcement is meant to provide can instead be threatening, and at times dangerous, to those in our community who are most often targeted with excessive force and/or without reason. NYC Pride is unwilling to contribute in any way to creating an atmosphere of fear or harm for members of the community.”
The move was panned by the Gay Officers Action League, which said it was “disheartened” by the anti-police activism in an event about supporting members of the LGBTQ community.
“Heritage of Pride (NYC Pride) has long been a valued partner of our organization and its abrupt about-face in order to placate some of the activists in our community is shameful,” the group wrote in a statement on its website.
“We are doing the work that leads to progress.”
The NYPD also blasted the exclusionary move for the June 27 parade, according to The Hill.
“Our annual work to ensure a safe, enjoyable Pride season has been increasingly embraced by its participants,” a spokesperson told The Hill. “The idea of officers being excluded is disheartening and runs counter to our shared values of inclusion and tolerance.
“That said, we’ll still be there to ensure traffic safety and good order during this huge, complex event.”
Source: Newmax
