“Organizers initially made the decision to disinvite police officers from participating in the parade to avoid striking fear into citizens at the sight of a uniform.”
Tensions between the “activist” group Black Lives Matter and law enforcement have found their way into the LGBTQ community. Organizers of the Minneapolis Pride Parade had initially announced that the annual celebration would exclude police officers this year out of “respect” for those who are currently triggered by law enforcement. The decision came in the wake of the acquittal in the shooting of Philando Castile. Apparently, vilifying all police officers somehow adds to a celebration of diversity and inclusiveness.
Faced with backlash, organizers had a change of heart and decided to go forward with including police officers in the parade. Traditionally, police lead the parade in vehicles with flashing lights—which also serves as a safety precaution in addition to announcing the start of the parade.
Organizers initially made the decision to disinvite police officers from participating in the parade to avoid striking fear into citizens at the sight of a uniform. It remains a mystery how those individuals make it through everyday life, with the intense fear they face of being hunted down by the police force. Insert eye roll.
As the Pride Parade marched on in Minneapolis, Black Lives Matter protestors blocked intersections, successfully holding up the parade for up to an hour. They demanded that police officers be removed from the parade—even though officers were placed in the middle of the parade as opposed to their traditional position at the front.
Protestors also laid in the middle of the street in what has been called a “die-in” style of protesting. Although organizers expressed understanding and solidarity with the protestors, the fact remains that they effectively hijacked a celebration that wasn’t theirs to halt. It’s one thing to stand on the sidelines and shout corny chants to spread hatred toward an entire group of American citizens, but it’s quite another to forcefully halt a celebration to demand removal of police officers.
I won’t pretend that I don’t recognize instances of lethal force that weren’t necessary in my own opinion. I also won’t condone the exclusion or vilification of police officers. Exercising constitutional rights to freedom of speech does not justify excluding American citizens from participating in public events based on their profession alone.
There are several members of the LGBTQ community who are employed as police officers. Telling them they aren’t welcome to march in a Pride Parade is especially disgusting given the stigma some police officers feel exists among their own ranks. Just as protestors want all people to be angry at police officers, others want to foster an environment that promotes healing and togetherness.
Some activists in the United States are traveling down a slippery slope, from publicly excluding white people to raising hell over the inclusion of police officers. I can’t take any cause seriously that doesn’t make a logical argument without judging an entire group based on the actions of very few. I also believe that rallies need to occur within minority communities to address the issues that contribute to poor community/police interaction.
