Ah, well that question has been answered by others and myself elsewhere in this thread. Sorry for assuming that you might have checked to see if your question was already answered before asking it.
But hey, just for you, I’ll repost what I’ve already said:
Because the police enforce the laws of the state, often with violence. If the law dictates that a person being open about their identity is illegal regardless of the fact their identity harms no one, and everyone involved in their actions consents, than it is the responsibility of the cops to oppress them. One year the cops might march alongside people at pride, and then the laws might change and they’ll be there to bust heads of anyone who shows up the next year.
And yeah, there no doubt exist LGBTQ+ cops, or cops whose friends and/or family whom they love are LGBTQ+, but so long as they wear the uniform they represent an organization used to oppress marginalized and minority communities.
Fundamentally, pride is not just a party, it is a protest.
That utterly misses the point of Pride. It’s not about revenge, it’s about reconciliation. It’s not about hatred, it’s about love. It’s not about divisiveness, it’s about coming together. It’s a good thing that police, etc. want to be in our parades. Excluding them actively harms the progress LGBT+ people have made since Stonewall.
Ah, well that question has been answered by others and myself elsewhere in this thread. Sorry for assuming that you might have checked to see if your question was already answered before asking it.
But hey, just for you, I’ll repost what I’ve already said:
That utterly misses the point of Pride. It’s not about revenge, it’s about reconciliation. It’s not about hatred, it’s about love. It’s not about divisiveness, it’s about coming together. It’s a good thing that police, etc. want to be in our parades. Excluding them actively harms the progress LGBT+ people have made since Stonewall.
Who said anything about revenge?
Oh, FFS. Never mind.
Queer folk don’t owe their oppressors space, especially, whilst their oppressors are still actively targeting them.
Excluding police from pride events ensures the safety of citizens participating in these events.