By Artemis Moshtaghian, Eric Levenson and Elizabeth Hartfield
CNN
May 17, 2021
(CNN)Organizers of New York City Pride banned the New York Police Department from participating in the annual June parade and related events and moved to reduce their presence on scene, saying their appearance threatened members of the community.
“NYC Pride seeks to create safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities at a time when violence against marginalized groups, specifically BIPOC and trans communities, has continued to escalate,” Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit that plans NYC Pride events, said in a statement on Saturday.
“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.”