Australia: LGBTQ Parade Allows Police to March out of Uniform
The Facts
After the alleged murder of a gay couple in New South Wales (NSW), Australia by a police officer and ex-boyfriend of one of the victims, organizers of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade agreed to allow police to march conditional on the officers not wearing uniforms.
Days after the couple's disappearance, police constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon turned himself in at a Sydney police station on Friday and appeared in court later that day in connection with the crimes.
The Spin
Narrative A
Mardi Gras's decision to reinvite the police was the right one. Banning officers — many whom are members of the LGBTQ community — would not only hurt the relationship between police and the community but add more unnecessary division to the world. Police need to remain close to the people they're hired to protect, so this moment should be used to strengthen that bond at a time of sadness and grief.
Narrative B
While the Mardi Gras board has now reversed its decision, the public should understand why it made the original decision in the first place. Australian police have failed to protect LGBTQ people for decades, even throughout the years it was participating in the parade. With police ignoring gay hate crimes for so long, the community was bound to take a stand at some point.
