New York City Pride marches and events will no longer welcome police officers according to media outlets.  Organizers have announced it and claiming police officers’ presence can be ‘threatening’ to participants.

Over the weekend, the organization announced in a statement that, “The sense of safety that law enforcement is meant to provide can instead be threatening, and at times dangerous, to those in our community who are most frequently targeted with excessive force and/or without reason.”  Heritage of Pride in NY City, which is meant to represent LGBT individuals, is an annual event that attracts millions to the city. 

NYC Pride Co-Chair Andre Thomas informed, “Months of conversation and discussion with key stakeholders in the community has led to the new decision, which is already ruffling feathers among police officers.”

President of the NYPD’s Gay Officers Action League (GOAL), Detective Brian Downey told that hundreds of officers have been marching in the event for decades. “GOAL was embraced by the community because it was viewed as agents of change. This was progress, it wasn’t contention,” he told, adding that his organization has the goal of “building bridges.” 

The bans are going to stay until a minimum of 2025. The organizers say they will review their decision. They do, however, appear to still want the protection of the police in extreme circumstances, saying in their statement that NYPD will “provide first response and security only when absolutely necessary as mandated by city officials.”