Toronto Pride went ahead this weekend with the exception of one long-running supporter in the parade, the police force.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans police officers in Toronto did not take part in this year’s event after Black Lives Matter protestors disrupted last year’s parade and demanded that they be excluded from the parade along with other requests, which the organisers signed on the spot – without consultation.
Black Lives Matter said it had launched its objection to hold Pride answerable for its “anti-blackness”.
Instead of taking part in a parade which was on their home turf, 100 TPA officers and civilians marched in the New York City parade.
The Pride organisers were keen to clarify that the force was not “banned” saying that LGBT officers were welcome to take part with “select conditions”. They were asked not to include “uniforms, weapons, and vehicles”.
They said,
“We welcome and encourage their participation to add to Pride this year as members of our community. LGBTQ+ police officers and their allies can march in the parade with community groups, with the City of Toronto, or even create their own group.
“We are simply requesting that their participation not include the following elements: uniform, weapons, and vehicles.
“The Toronto Police Service has been involved and supportive to us throughout our festival planning. They will provide all the necessary services to ensure that the festival weekend and parade are secure and successful.
What Were The Black Lives Matter demands?
- Continued space, including stage and tents, funding and logistical support for Black Queer Youth.
- Self-determination for all community spaces at Pride, allowing community groups full control over hiring, content and structure of their stages.
- Full and adquate funding for community stages, including logistical, technical and personnel support.
- Doubling of funding for Blockorama to $13,000.
- Reinstatement of the South Asian stage.
- Prioritising of the hiring of Black transwomen, Indigenous people and others from vulnerable communities at Pride Toronto.
- More Black deaf and hearing sign language interpreters for the festival.
- Removal of police floats in the Pride marches and parades.
- A town hall organised in conjunction with groups from marginalised communities, including but not limited to Black Lives Matter – Toronto, Blackness Yes and Black Queer Youth, in six months, where Pride Toronto will present an update and action plan on BLM-TO’s demands
Black Lives Matter did not take part in this year’s parade saying they wanted to ensure their “presence is felt through the parade” through other organisations.
And then black lives matter didn’t even join the parade? Selfish idiots, ban them instead!
That’s how we build bridges in communities.
Exclude people
Black Lives Matter Toronto are nothing more than terrorists. “Bend to my will or I will disrupt your parade” Okay so let’s flip that coin around shall we… instead of saying, if you are a cop you cannot join how about if you are black you cannot join…. or how about taking a look through the eyes of Sharia Law: if you are female you cannot join…. Hitler: if you are infirm, gay or Jewish you cannot join. Pride is about inclusion, PERIOD. if you exclude anyone for any reason you might as well just pack up and go home because you have missed the point of Pride completely.
We have seen a lot of press coming out of the US where officers of the law are caught on camera beating the crap out of some poor black person only because of the color of their skin. So Black Lives Matter is an important force against injustice. That kind of behaviour does not happen here and I mean the entire country of Canada and especially Toronto. We have the finest cops. IF (and that is a very big IF) things like that do happen, they are isolated incidents and not chronic behaviour. So, Black Lives Matter Toronto in using the same tactics as our cousins in the US in an environment devoid of injustice, it is they who become the unjust.
My handicapped son protested the Pride Parade today. He took his wheelchair and positioned it right in the path of the parade blocking their path. A Police Officer and a Pride organizer went there to talk to him and after a few minutes he gave up his quest thinking that an injustice had been corrected. After reading this article I am sad to say I do not believe this was the case. Police officers were not banned from the parade, they also were not welcome. Let’s learn from the past people. This banning of this and that is a very slippery slope and we should not at all be peering over it’s edge. Let’s just ban the banners. He among you who bans the first ban, shall be banned.