The announcement came shortly after several gay Aurora police officers spoke out against the decision in Denver. “In the spirit of being in community together, Aurora Pride will not exclude any person or organization from any of its LGBTQ+ events.” “We understand and support (people of color) members of our community advocating for police reform, and that experiences of harm from police violence have led them to advocate for police not being at Pride,” officials said in a statement released Wednesday night. The announcement follows a similar edict issued by organizers of New York City’s massive Pride parade last week also barring police participation.īut organizers of Aurora’s Pride celebrations, first launched in 2017, took a different tack late Wednesday, saying that no specific group will be prevented from attending planned events in August. ” … We wouldn’t have any way to know if officers out of uniform were participating.”
“This decision is also intended for institutional law enforcement participation, not individuals,” Fuller wrote. Off-duty officers not in uniform will still be able to participate in Pride events, Fuller said. We have decided to not allow police participation in the 2021 virtual pride parade or to allow law enforcement agencies to participate as exhibitors.” ” … While we value our relationships with law enforcement and want to continue to build a safer community for all Coloradans, we feel we must take a stand.
“We cannot in good conscience, as an organization that speaks up for justice, look the other way when it comes to police violence aimed at the Black community,” Rex Fuller, CEO of The Center, wrote in the emailed statement. Officials connected with The Center, a longstanding LGBTQ advocacy group that organizes Denver’s Pride celebrations, recently announced the group would prevent local police agencies from participating in a virtual Pride parade or recruiting at in-person events in 2021 in solidarity with the Black community, according to a statement issued May 19. AURORA | Hours after organizers of Denver Pride, the largest annual celebration of LGBTQ rights in the state, announced that police personnel will be barred from participating in this year’s festivities, officials tied to Aurora’s Pride celebration announced they will not preclude any one group, including police, from participating in Pride events this summer.