Gay Pride Parade Wants No Parts of The Po-Po, Bans NYPD For At Least Four Years

The New York Police Department is not welcome at this year’s Gay Pride event and some gay officers find the decision disheartening. Officers were told by organizers to not to march, not participant, and not provide protection. It will be at least 2025 before the organization reevaluates the decision, WNBC reported.

“NYPD is not required to lead first response and security at NYC Pride events,” the group said, USA Today reported. “All aspects of first response and security that can be reallocated to trained private security, community leaders and volunteers will be reviewed.”

“This is not an end of the relationship but a start of a new conversation,” Andre Thomas, co-chair of New York City Pride told WNBC. “Our movement was a reaction to police brutality, so that’s the core of what our mission have been.”

The Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), said it has been a valued partner of NYC Pride, saying, the abrupt about-face in order to placate some of the activists in our community is shameful.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information John Miller called the shift “hurtful,” The New York Post reported.

On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he thinks the decision is a mistake, The Post reported.

“Look, I fully appreciate the extraordinary history of Pride in this city and I honor what Pride has achieved over the years, I think that decision’s a mistake,” de Blasio said. “I believe in inclusion,” he added. “And we’re talking about one of the issues is officers who are members of the LGBT community, wanting to march and express their pride and their solidarity with the community and their desire to keep changing the NYPD and changing the city.”

This turn of event comes as multiple groups and organizations across the nation decry state-sanctioned violence, cop killings and for state governments to defund the police.