The well-known LGBTQ+ group known as NYC Pride has announced they will ban police officers from their events until at least 2025. In years past, both gay and straight police officers would march with the crowd at events like the Pride Day Parade in New York City. Photos always popped up online of police cruisers decked out with LGBTQ+ colors and symbols. That will no longer be the case, at least for now.
Co-chair of NYC Pride, Andre Thomas, spoke to New York local media about the decision to bar police from their events. He gave a reminder that their “movement” started off as a protest against police brutality during the Civil Rights era of the ’60s. Thomas may have been referring to a specific incident at the Stonewall Inn, which police have recently formally apologized for. Obviously, the apology and support for Pride NYC from NYPD are not enough, since they have been banned from their events for at least the next four years. Several gay NYPD officers are “disheartened” by the news.
While Andre Thomas did not directly speak about the recent “defund the police” movement, that obviously plays a part in this. There is a common bond between Pride and groups like Black Lives Matter, and also (to a certain extent), ANTIFA. Many of the “racial justice” groups like the aforementioned have had recent clashes with NYPD. One of the recent clashes also involved Pride and/or members of Pride. So the next logical step would be for Pride to pick a side. Either they are going to continue to embrace the divisive racial groups like BLM or they will continue to support the police. Clearly, they picked the former over the latter.
NYC Pride will not allow police officers to march at their events and private security will be used instead of NYPD to ensure the safety of partygoers. This is at least until 2025, at which point they will “revaluate” their relationship with NYPD. Although the move is most likely simply virtue signaling, it is also very dangerous. Finding private security that is as good or better than the highly-trained NYPD is next to impossible. And every year, there are reported crimes that happen at large-scale marches like NYC Pride. One may only hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
SOURCE:
Police Officers’ Groups Banned From NYC Pride Parade Through 2025 – NBC New York
NYC Pride bans police from events until 2025 in effort to ‘create safer spaces’ – TheBlaze
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