Toronto Pride Politely Pushes Police Away!
Does This Work Well For Anyone?
#HMM. Alright, I'll preface this next story by telling you I am not Canadian, so I can't fully understand their LGBTQ culture. From what I've witnessed, solely through social media, the only argument I can actually make is I find their men loads sexier than the dudes in the United States. I'm a big fan of my country, current politic madness aside, but if I'm going anywhere with a passport, it's guaranteed to be Canada. Anyway, for the country's Pride 2018 season, pride planners politely requested the police to withdraw their application to march in the parade. Get ready for a South Park reference: Are the police not a buddy or guy of Canada's gay citizens?!
According to CBC, the LGBTQ Canadians wish the police would focus more on their communication, protection, and trust within their community. In a public tweet, Pride Toronto states they are more concerned with the deaths of members of their community that have been unsolved.
Related Article: Another Death Linked to Alleged Toronto Gay Village Serial Killer Bruce McArthur
Pride Toronto claims to have tried to address the disappearances or deaths of its community members, but the police won't seem to listen to them. The LGBTQ community has gone so far as to ban police floats from the parade for a second year in a row. They're pissed and they certainly have a reason.
Check out the tweet from Pride Toronto below:
After reading the tweet and aforementioned article, I felt pretty passionate about my distaste for the Toronto Pride being way too salty to their police. Yes, I can empathize with their frustrations of not feeling heard. However, I cannot begin to understand why those with powerful voices within the LGBTQ community would flat out separate themselves from the police in general. Is this tactic at all useful for the community trying to unite themselves? By seemingly protesting them? There has to be a handful of LGBTQ Police Officers in the Toronto … so, are these people worthless? None of this makes sense whatsoever. If anything, I would feel even less protected with police not around me. I proudly stand with the men and women in blue all around my own country. I cannot fathom the entire community is fine with this decision. Fortunately, I'm not the only person who feels this way. An incredibly written opt-ed from the Toronto Sun blasts Toronto Pride's hypocrites as their slogan is inclusion.
Pride Toronto lists “inclusivity” on its website as the first of the organization’s four core values.
“We welcome everyone and want everyone to be welcomed,” Pride declares. “We are accessible to everyone as we create a sense of belonging and shared purpose.”
How then, to reconcile Pride’s message to Toronto Police that for a second year in a row, they are not welcome to march in the city’s annual Pride parade?
Inclusion isn’t a principle of convenience.
Applying it selectively is divisive and hypocritical. – Toronto Sun
How do you feel about Toronto Pride removing Police from their Pride lineup yet again?
This post is the opinion of this contributing writer to Instinct Magazine. Opinion pieces do not always reflect the stance of the magazine or the other contributing writers.
the toronto police have an
the toronto police have an ongoing problem with unnecessarily escalating minor problems when black men, sex workers, and the lgbt community are involved – not to mention their poor handling & victim blaming in the recently apprehended serial killer targeting gay men.
i find it disingenuous for them to claim they are an ally to the marginalized, and their inclusion in the pride parade would send a message of tacit approval – most LGBT canadians are not cool with how they are currently policing their own actions.