Pride Toronto has announced that Toronto police officers will be permitted to march in the parade in uniform next summer after visible police presence was banned from the 2018 and 2017 festivities. The organization, which runs the annual summer parade and events to celebrate the LGBTQ2S community, put out a written statement Tuesday clarifying that if Toronto police apply to be a part of the 2019 parade, they will be reviewed the same as any other organization and allowed item. This is a change from the past two years, when uniformed officers were banned from marching in the parade due to tensions between the queer community and the police force.“2017’s Pride Parade was the first year since 2000 that the Toronto Police had not marched in uniform,” Pride Toronto’s statement reads. “It was a complex decision that sparked an even more complex conversation about inclusion, representation, race, social justice, and safety.”In April 2018, Pride Toronto specifically asked Toronto police to withdraw their application to march that year, citing the queer community’s trauma and pain from the police’s handling of the Bruce McArthur investigation as the reason for the request. In this new statement, the organization says the decision to allow Toronto police to apply in 2019 with no obstructions is because they feel the two-year absence of police has allowed for “critical conversations.” However, they acknowledge that the decision may not be welcomed by all. “For many members of our communities, this decision will feel premature; we may not all see the same signs of a mending relationship. Indeed, some of the change is subtle and some just getting underway. We are heartened that the seeds are being planted, but we acknowledge and respect those who will find this decision a difficult one.”The police were first banned from the 2017 festivities after a dramatic shutdown of the 2016 parade by Black Lives Mat ...
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