The role police officers should play in the annual parade has been debated for years, but it took on new heat amid a national reckoning around police brutality. It’s somewhat of a moot point this year with pandemic limitations still in play until only recently, the New York City Pride event planned for Sunday organized by Heritage of Pride is largely a virtual one.īut the ban will be in effect next year until at least 2025, the organizers said. “Why should I have to take off (the uniform) as if I’m ashamed?” “Why should I have to hide a part of me,” asked Ana Arboleda, a sergeant with the NYPD who has marched in the parade several times and is the vice-president of the Gay Officers Action League. of course you should be able to celebrate and express your pride, but you don’t need to do it in a uniform that has perpetuated violence against many of the people who are trying to celebrate their pride that day.”įor others, presence of LGBTQ police marchers is an expression of hard-fought diversity and inclusion that should be celebrated, a hallmark of how integral LGBTQ people are in the fabric of American life.
“Folks still have challenging and traumatic and many times horrific relationships with law enforcement,” said John Blasco, a parade regular.