NYPD Criticizes Ban on LGBT Officers Participating in Pride March in Uniform

The NYPD’s top official condemned the exclusion of LGBT officers from marching in uniform during the upcoming city Pride March, despite police playing a key role in ensuring security at the event.

During a recent press briefing, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the restriction as “deeply offensive” and hypocritical, pointing out that while officers are needed on the parade route for safety, they are barred from marching in their own uniforms under their banners.

The ban has been in place for five years, initially implemented in 2021 amid widespread anti-police sentiment linked to the death of George Floyd. It was intended as a temporary measure, with a reconsideration scheduled after four years.

Det. Brian Downey, president of the Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), argued that the policy effectively erases queer officers from visibility, even as they are asked to help maintain the parade’s safety. “It’s not about safety, but about exclusion,” he stated.

NYPD officer at the NYC Pride March — The ban was initially supposed to last four years before reconsideration. Getty Images

The controversy was fueled when Heritage of Pride, the event organizer, explained that GOAL was excluded because its members requested to march with their firearms concealed, which the organization opposed in its policies.

Downey countered, stating that police officers are mandated to carry concealed weapons in full uniform and that the decision was about optics rather than safety, aiming to make LGBT officers invisible.

Jessica Tisch shared that she had constructive discussions with the organizers but was informed just two weeks prior that officers could not march in uniform, a decision she described as a shock and unprovoked.

Mayor Eric Adams expressed confusion over the reasoning, emphasizing that there are no credible threats to warrant such restrictions. He affirmed that law enforcement resources, including armed officers, will be present during the parade.

Jessica Tisch conveyed her support for GOAL’s advocacy efforts, stating, “The organizers made this decision, not the members of the LGBTQ+ community or the city.”