Heritage of Pride’s (HoP) membership has voted again regarding the participation of GOAL, the Gay Officers Action League, at our Pride March. All Pride March participants must agree to our rules and guidelines, in place to ensure the safety of our marchers, spectators, and community. GOAL once again requested an exception to the policy prohibiting weapons, as they were unwilling to March if not in their full dress uniforms — which includes carrying their service weapon. In a democratic vote, HoP members decided by a sizable margin not to grant GOAL an exception this year.
As always, GOAL members remain welcome to participate in the Pride March, in compliance with our safety rules and guidelines, just like every other March participant. We continue to engage in dialogue with GOAL and its membership and encourage them to seek avenues of compromise.
Our membership’s intent behind this decision has always been to create safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community. We acknowledge that GOAL marchers and other LGBTQIA+ officers have a desire to march openly and celebrate their dual identities, but our membership has spoken clearly multiple times now: they must find a way to do so without their weapons. We respect the dedication and celebrate the identity of LGBTQIA+ individuals within law enforcement, and we welcome GOAL members to march alongside us as civilians and as members of our community.
We continue to work closely with the NYPD and other government agencies to ensure safety, and we’re grateful for their collaboration as we march at this pivotal moment for the Pride movement, honoring the legacy of our elders who stood against NYPD police brutality at Stonewall.
As we enter the peak of preparations for this year’s events, we will maintain our focus on creating safe spaces for the entire LGBTQIA+ community, with a focus on uplifting and centering the most vulnerable in our community. In that spirit, we will have no additional comment regarding GOAL’s participation in the March at this time.
