NYPD, GOAL Unveil Internal Focus on LGBTQ Issues
Police Department to boost queer staff, ramp up inclusivity training
BY TAT BELLAMY-WALKER
NYPD Police Commissioner
Dermot Shea, Gay
Offi cer Action League
(GOAL) president Brian
Downey, and other high-ranking
LGBTQ offi cials unveiled a new effort
on June 24 that they say will
make the NYPD more inclusive of
the LGBTQ community.
During the press conference
at One Police Plaza, officials
announced the department’s
plans to update NYPD personnel
systems for officers who
want to voluntarily self-report
their gender identity and sexual
orientation and laid out
plans to hire additional LGBTQ
police staff in the Hate Crime
Task Force and the Community
Affairs LGBTQIA Outreach
Unit. The department is also
planning to broaden LGBTQspecific
training for officers,
which includes a guide on using
affirming language for LGBTQ
New Yorkers.
The NYPD also announced the
department’s LGBTQ liaison, Carl
Locke, will soon retire. Sergeant
Ana Arboleda, a lesbian Latina
woman, will take over as the next
LGBTQ liaison within the department.
Locke said he wants the department
to explore updating documents
to be more inclusive of nonbinary
and gender-non-conforming
people.
“I came in to make a difference,
and here now in my retirement…I
feel like I did it,” said Locke, who
has served two decades in the department.
“There are challenges
in this department, and there are
things the department will have to
do to push itself.”
The NYPD’s Offi ce of Equity
and Inclusion is hosting monthly
meetings with representatives
from multiple bureaus across
the department to discuss issues
pertaining to LGBTQ employees.
GOAL also meets quarterly with
the police commissioner, the Offi
ce of Equity and Inclusion, and
the NYPD’s employee relations
POLICE
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Dermot Shea has announced several efforts to make the department more inclusive of LGBTQ New Yorkers.
team, according to the police department.
As offi cers highlighted changes
to the department, Heritage of
Pride’s (HOP) controversial decision
to ban uniformed offi cers from
Pride events also garnered attention.
Shea and Downey denounced
the ban.
“I personally don’t agree with it,
and I’m disappointed,” said Shea,
who added that NYPD offi cers are
still required to patrol the area.
“But, I know we will rally and come
together.”
Downey echoed a similar message
and stated that the group has
not had “direct contact” with HOP
regarding the march.
The NYPD said they discussed
internal ways to mitigate interactions
with protesters. Last
year, Reclaim Pride Coalition’s
Queer Liberation March erupted
into chaos as NYPD offi cers allegedly
roughed up and peppersprayed
protesters at the conclusion
of the march. On June
27, police arrested several individuals
who were in and near
Washington Square Park following
this year’s Queer Liberation
March.
REUTERS/LUCAS JACKSON
Largest Free trans/Non-Binary
Conference in the world
Register for the first virtual conference today:
www.transphl.org
Sponsors PTWC is hosted by
GayCityNews.com | July 1 - July 14, 2021 17
/www.transphl.org
/www.transphl.org
/GayCityNews.com
