Particle.news
Download on the App Store
6 ARTICLES
·
yesterday

NYC Pride Maintains Ban on Armed LGBTQ Officers Despite City Pushback

Heritage of Pride holds that barring weapons is vital for community safety; the NYPD and city officials say the measure excludes gay officers from the procession they protect.

Gay and Lesbian Police Officers march during the Gay Pride Parade on June 30, 2019 in New York City.
NYPD officers patrol before the Pride Parade in New York City on June 30, 2019. (Photo by Kena Betancur/Getty Images)
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch speaks at a press conference at the NYPD's 115th Precinct station house in Queens, New York City on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (Gardiner Anderson / New York Daily News)

Overview

  • The Pride March begins today under an unchanged no-weapons policy that bars armed, uniformed officers from participating.
  • Commissioner Tisch sent a June 28 letter labeling the ban a “PR stunt” and formally demanded that Heritage of Pride reverse the rule.
  • Heritage of Pride says its policy, approved in a 2025 membership vote, addresses safety and community trauma stemming from historical mistrust of law enforcement.
  • Gay Officers Action League president Brian Downey says the ban renders LGBTQ officers invisible even as the NYPD relies on them for parade security.
  • The NYPD has deployed extra officers, drones, helicopters and sanitation trucks along Fifth Avenue for the march despite reporting no credible threats.