LGBT Activists: Victorian Police Should Not Attend Pride March
Image: Pride March 2021
LGBTQI activists Joshua Badge and Frank Gafa have stated in an open letter that Victoria Police should not attend the Midsumma Pride March next week in Melbourne’s St Kilda.
The open letter, which was published online on Tuesday, has attracted signatures from over 100 activists, academics, writers and performers.
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According to Pedestrian.TV, Victoria Police “confirmed in December it would attend” the February 6 event.
Police ‘Presence Makes Many More People in Our Communities Unsafe’
Badge and Gafa wrote, “while some people can safely interact with police, their presence makes many more people in our communities unsafe.”
This comes after a recent finding from the Victorian Pride Lobby revealed that four in five LGBTQI people do not trust Victoria Police.
Badge told Pedestrian.TV that Pride March needs to be one where “all LGBTQIA+ people feel safe and are able to attend and participate.”
They said Victoria Police “have ignored issues on this concern,” and they hope the open letter “encourages them to listen to community.”
Gafa also told the news outlet Victoria Police is an “organisation in need of some good press” and “participating at Pride is a way of making the organisation seem progressive and LGBTQ-friendly when it isn’t in practice.”
‘Police Violence are Everyday Experiences for Many People’
Badge and Gafa also highlighted in the letter that “police violence are everyday experiences for many people.”
They reassure everyone is “welcome” but are calling for the “decentring of police.”
“We want to see Pride exist in solidarity with communities worldwide and follow the example of Auckland, Brisbane, NYC, and Toronto Pride,” they wrote.
“Pride March should be led by and for LGBTIQA+ communities. We do not believe that police serve our interests by participating against community wishes.”
State’s Police Force Hopes to Meet LGBTQI Peoples’ ‘Needs Into the Future’
Neil Paterson, Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner, told Pedestrian.TV, the state’s police force hoped to “engage directly with Victoria’s LGBTIQ community” and “listen to their issues and concerns.”
He also said it was about ensuring the police deliver a service that meets LGBTQI peoples’ “needs into the future.”
Liam Elphick, lecturer and law researcher at Monash University, tweeted: “Being an advocate means listening to and representing your community. Our @VicPrideLobby report found that 3 in 4 queer people do not want police marching in uniform at Pride. I’m proud to have signed this letter, and grateful to @joshuabadge and @FrankGafa for their advocacy.”
Being an advocate means listening to and representing your community. Our @VicPrideLobby report found that 3 in 4 queer people do not want police marching in uniform at Pride. I’m proud to have signed this letter, and grateful to @joshuabadge & @FrankGafa for their advocacy 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ https://t.co/tE65kSgYFG
— Liam Elphick (@LiamElphick_) January 25, 2022
Another example of a fringe minority trying to dictate to the majority.
I remember the jubilation when police first marched in uniform. These millennials have no idea what a significant moment in LGBT history that was.
Quite frankly I’m sick of their “me me me” attitude and “I’m offended therefore I’m right” way of looking at the world. It’s time for those of us who have been around longer and remember how things used to be, to speak up against the idiocy of the woke left extremists, because they are undoing all our work.
Apart from the Police marchers last year, there was a heavy ‘working’ police presence on Fitzroy Street last year, too. Quite a few of them near us were making inappropriate imitations of some of the Pride March participants, which I thought undid any PR the police were hoping to gain by marching.
Whether the police march or not is one thing but I do think the Vic Police LGBTIQ+ Liaison Officers should have a word with the police on traffic or covid-mask duty to be a bit less bogan and disparaging.
Here, here GM.
We as gays allways wanted to be inclusive & here some of are wanting to not include Police, that were in the dark past only abiding by the law…..time for ALL of us to be together.Let everyone who wants to march be there.
Here,here GM.
We as gays allways wanted to be inclusive & here some of are wanting to not include Police, that were in the dark past only abiding by the law…..time for ALL of us to be together.Let everyone who wants to march be there, ALL inclusive.
3 in 4 queer people – so that’s the colonising entitled straight kids identifying as TQ+ plus taken care of. Now what about the lesbian, gay and bisexual people? What do they think?