Organizers of New York City's Pride march have announced that police officers will be banned from marching in the event for four years.
The decision was made public in a statement shared by NYC Pride officials on Twitter, on Saturday, May 15.
A spokesperson for the event said that all members of law enforcement will be barred from participating and that on-duty officers must stay at least a block away from the parade route.
A representative from Pride New York's Community Relations and Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion committee confirmed that the ban would be upheld until 2025.
The Pride organizers will be providing community-based security and first responders in lieu of police officers.
In an official press statement, a spokesperson for the organization wrote:
"The sense of safety that law enforcement is meant to provide can instead be threatening, and at times dangerous, to those in our community who are most often targeted with excessive force and/or without reason.
"NYC Pride is unwilling to contribute in any way to creating an atmosphere of fear or harm for members of the community."
However, this decision has proven to be controversial, both among members of law enforcement, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Responding to the issue in an official statement, President of the Gay Officers Action League Brian Downey wrote: "Heritage of Pride is well aware that the city would not allow a large-scale event to occur without police presence.
"So their response to activist pressure is to take the low road by preventing their fellow community members from celebrating their identities and honoring the shared legacy of the Stonewall Riots."
Downey continued: "It is demoralizing that Heritage of Pride didn’t have the courage to refer to GOAL by name in its announcement, referring to us only as 'Law Enforcement Exhibitors'. The label is not only offensive but dehumanizing for our members."
The parade is currently set to take place in June after the Covid-19 pandemic forced many Pride events around the world to be canceled in the course of 2020.
Last year, New York City's Pride march was replaced by a virtual event in front of masked participants, honoring front-line workers and medical staff.