Though the Toronto Police Service is barred from marching in uniform at this year’s Pride parade, they may be marching alongside NYPD officers at the New York parade next month.

The invitation came from the Gay Officers Action League (GOAL) of New York, a civil rights organization dedicated to addressing the concerns of gay and lesbian law enforcement personnel.

Mike McCormack, the Toronto Police Association president, lauded the invitation to the New York Pride parade, which is on the same day as Toronto’s, June 25.

“I think, isn’t it a mature way to look at things when you’re talking about an inclusive parade, when you’re talking about an inclusive event,” said McCormack. “I think it’s sad Toronto couldn’t be that progressive and that inclusive.”

William Shepard, the executive director of GOAL, sent a letter to Toronto police on May 19, requesting permission for officers to march in uniform along with members of the NYPD and the NYPD marching band and colour guard.

Shepard said they’d been monitoring the situation in Toronto since last year’s Pride parade.

Being able to march in uniform is important to the NYPD, he said, because until 1997, officers were unable to do so.

“We actually had to sue in the United States federal court in 1997 for the right to march in the NYPD uniforms in New York City Pride,” he said.

“Even though we’re 35 years old, we’ve only been able to march in uniform since 1997, so that’s why it was important for us to reach out and try to invite them down here.”

Earlier this month, Pride Toronto’s organizing committee said in a statement that “LGBTQ+ police officers and their allies can march in the Parade with community groups, with the City of Toronto, or even create their own group,” but, it added, it requests that officers not include uniforms, weapons or vehicles in their parade participation.

The controversy began at last year’s Pride parade after Black Lives Matter (BLM) called upon Pride to answer for its “anti-blackness” and demanded Pride organizers sign a list of demands, which included removing police floats from future parades.

Responses to BLM’s requests were mixed.

Bryn Hendricks, a community activist who helped organize an online petition with 10,000 signatures asking for police to be allowed to march in uniform in the Pride parade, said he’s “saddened” that a police organization in another country had to extend an invitation to the TPS because they’re not welcome here.

“I support BLM in all of their anti-oppression initiatives that they speak about in the eight demands,” Hendricks said, but, he added, “On this matter, it really boils down to that inclusion cannot and should not be born out of exclusion and divisive tactics.”

McCormack said it was important to have uniformed police officers march in the parade.

“It not only demonstrates to the public that uniformed police officers are part of the community, but also for other police officers, it encourages them to come out and be confident in who they are,” he said.

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McCormack said he’s been in touch with the LGBTQ Internal Service Network and will be asking permission from the police chief to have some officers attend the New York Pride Parade.

“I think it’s the right way to do things, he said, adding, “It’s sad that Toronto can’t be that progressive and New York has to show us the way again.”