Calgary Pride: Police can participate in parade, but not in uniform
CALGARY — Uniformed police officers will not be marching in Calgary’s annual Pride parade in September.
Calgary Pride said Wednesday that it encourages police to take part, as long as it’s without uniforms, firearms, vehicles or institutional representation, such as floats.
“We acknowledge the historical oppression and institutionalized racism faced by queer/trans people of colour and Indigenous persons, and the potentially negative association with weapons, uniforms, and other symbols of law enforcement,” the group said in a news release.
“We also recognize the oppression of the gender and sexually diverse community at large, the discrimination faced by members of law enforcement who identify as part of the (gender and sexually diverse) community and the challenges they may have encountered as a self-identified (gender and sexually diverse) community member in the workplace.”