NYC Pride Board Maintains Ban on Uniformed Cops
Board steps in to overrule members following vote on police at Pride
BY MATT TRACY
Less than a week after Heritage of Pride
(HOP), or NYC Pride, announced a ban
on police contingents through 2025,
the organization’s members voted on
May 20 to allow the Gay Offi cers Action League
(GOAL) to march armed and in uniform — but
HOP’s executive board subsequently stepped in
and set their own policy.
In the end, HOP’s executive board voted to
maintain the ban on GOAL members marching
armed and in uniform, though the organization
is “willing to discuss the possibility of GOAL as
a contingent marching out of uniform.”
In a letter to membership following the meeting,
HOP’s executive board set the policy “in an
effort to be mindful and focus on our mission of
creating safe space for marginalized communities.”
“It fell under our purview to do so, as elected
representatives of this organization, and we
fi rmly believe that this decision is in the best
interest of our community,” HOP’s executive
board wrote.
During an emotional meeting with general
membership, co-chair André Thomas told
members that his resignation letter would be
in their inboxes on Friday, according to a HOP
spokesperson. But no written follow-through
came and he remains co-chair of the organization
as of June.
In the May 20 letter to members, HOP also
said “The NYPD, and policing across America,
is fundamentally fl awed. These are institutions
that started as slave patrols, and continue to
oppress Black, Brown, Indigenous, POC, LGBTQ
individuals, and individuals who stand at
the intersections of these identities.”
When reached by phone on May 21, GOAL
president Brian Downey applauded the rankand
fi le members of HOP who backed GOAL at
the meeting.
“We are very grateful to the membership of
Heritage of Pride for their vote in supporting us
in doing the right thing,” Downey said. “We are
still disappointed with the executive leadership
of Heritage of Pride and their stance on our participation.”
Downey said on May 21 that members had
Uniformed police offi cers will remain banned from Heritage of Pride events.
not yet had an opportunity to discuss the question
of whether GOAL would be willing to participate
in Pride without uniforms.
The developments follow HOP’s explosive announcement
on May 15 when the organization
unveiled a ban on correction and police offi cers
from participating in NYC Pride events through
2025. HOP’s annual march is going virtual
again this year, but there will be some limited
in-person festivities.
In addition to GOAL’s participation at HOP
events, the other issue at hand is the role of
police offi cers working at Pride. In HOP’s initial
announcement on May 15, the organization
announced that it would “take steps” to
keep police offi cers at least one city block away
from events “where possible” and described
plans to use private security and safety volunteers
trained in de-escalation. That same day,
the NYPD said “we’ll still be there to ensure
traffi c safety and good order during this huge,
PRIDE
REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID
complex event.”
On May 19, HOP’s co-chairs and NYPD Chief of
Department Rodney Harrison met “to open a dialogue”
about HOP’s policy pertaining to police.
Following that meeting, HOP tweeted, “Our
conversation was productive, though not conclusive,
but opens the door toward greater
reform. The safety of event attendees is paramount,
and the NYPD will continue to provide
the services they have in past years, but with
increased emphasis on community affairs personnel.
The NYPD will work on continuing to
reduce visibility at NYC Pride events… NYPD
leadership is committed to reeform and dialogue
with the community about making changes.
Additional details of reform will continue to be
a part of further discussion.”
That issue was not mentioned in HOP’s letter
to members following the May 20 meeting, but
further meetings are planned to discuss the organization’s
policy.
➤ BRIGHTON BEACH PRIDE, from p.4
that RUSA LGBT has helped raise
money for people in need. That kind
of assistance, Goltsman said, is critical
for immigrants who arrive to the
United States without the resources
they need.
“We, as a group, came together
and within days distributed
$17,000 to 200 people,” Goltsman
said. “We are a grassroots organization…
It was an amazing outpouring
of support, and I want to
say that’s how people survive.”
Following the rally, folks turned
on some music and mingled on the
boardwalk across from Tatiana’s
Restaurant. It was not a large crowd
and the weather was not ideal, but
those who did attend demonstrated
that there is an appetite for an annual
Pride event in the neighborhood.
“It’s a great turnout and it doesn’t
even matter how many,” Gorshkov
said. “It’s not the quantity. It’s the
quality.”
GayCityNews.com | JUNE 3 - JUNE 16, 2021 5
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