There will be no marked cop cars and fewer uniformed police officers marching in the Pride Parade this summer, a compromise reached after months of discussion initiated by activists with Black Lives Matter.
After 10 months consulting with roughly 300 people and stakeholder organizations, the Vancouver Pride Society announced today it committed to a middle ground where it hopes “both marginalized members of our community and members of police” can “walk side by side in the Pride Parade.”
“These issues have been raised not just in Vancouver, but also in cities across Canada. We are grateful for the work Black Lives Matter has done to bring these issues to the forefront,” the society wrote in a statement released with its annual report.
Officers of the Vancouver Police Department and regional RCMP will join municipal parade entries, including the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Fire and Rescue, rather than have their own floats with cops wearing full regalia and carrying weapons. Instead, the majority of officers will wear t-shirts. One in five officers will wear their uniforms, including those “who are visible in the community,” according to the VPD.
The pride society, which is led by a volunteer board, acknowledged not all people feel safe or secure around police. The society recognised a uniformed officer symbolically stands for systems of racial and colonial oppression, a point repeatedly made by Black Lives Matter.
“We heard from some queer Indigenous people, queer black folks, members of the trans community and LGBTQ2+ people of colour that they do not always feel safe around police, and that policing organizations --- like other public institutions, businesses and community organizations --- still have work to do when it comes to being more inclusive and building trust with marginalized communities,” said the society’s statement.
Many in the community applauded the work of the Vancouver Police Department and its ongoing effort to build respectful, trustworthy connections, the statement continued. “We also heard support for the police to participate and appreciation for the work they have done to date to engage with community and break down barriers."
The Vancouver police issued a response and championed the fact they will be part of the Pride Parade for a 21st year.
“Our members and volunteers look forward to participating in the Pride Parade each year, and we’re pleased that we can keep that tradition going,” said spokesman Randy Fincham in a news release.
“Supporting Vancouver’s LGBTQ2S+ community goes beyond just the parade. We will continue to enhance our existing outreach, education, and awareness efforts year-round to help the community thrive and feel safe.”
The Vancouver chapter of Black Lives Matter has not yet commented, but they had been asking for police to voluntarily withdraw their participation in the parade.
Their petition opposed to uniformed officers in the parade garnered 995 signatures. A responding petition to keep police in the parade had 2,870 signatures.
They submitted a letter to Mayor Gregor Robertson on May 11, stating, “We believe that police involvement in the Vancouver Pride parade has created significant division both within the community and between the community and law enforcement. This division has increased and highlighted the anti-black racism that exists towards the black queer members of our community. It is time to step back.”
The VPD and the RCMP have agreed to the following for the 2017 Pride Parade:
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Vancouver police officers and volunteers who walk in the Pride Parade will do so as part of the City of Vancouver entry, which also includes staff and officials from the City, Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Park Board, VFRS and BCEHS. All of these departments will walk in the Parade mixed together, rather than in specific groups or blocks in the entry
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The vast majority of police representatives will walk in t-shirts, while a small portion --- about 20 per cent of the contingent, including those officers who are visible in the community --- will walk in uniform. All other uniformed City staff walking in the Parade will follow the same guidelines as police
- By request, no sirens be used in the Parade by any participating organizations, including but not limited to police organizations, Vancouver Fire & Rescue, BC Ambulance Service, and Corrections Canada
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There will be no marked police or law enforcement vehicles in the 2017 Pride Parade. The RCMP will have their Diversity Bus, VPD will have an unmarked vehicle, and Correctional Services of Canada will have a white van with a logo on the door
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Both organizations have agreed to participate in a series of listening circles --- organized and facilitated by the Vancouver Pride Society --- both before and after Pride, where community members can share their stories with police in a supportive and accessible space, so that we might learn more about each other and find a path to breaking down barriers to trust.
