LGBT Activists: Victorian Police Should Not Attend Pride March
open letter that Victoria Police should not attend the Midsumma Pride March next month in Melbourne’s St Kilda.The open letter, which was published online on Tuesday, has attracted signatures from over 100 activists, academics, writers and performers. A post shared by Joshua Badge (@joshua_badge)According to Pedestrian.TV, Victoria Police “confirmed in December it would attend” the February 6 event.Badge and Gafa wrote, “while some people can safely interact with police, their presence makes many more people in our communities unsafe.”This comes after a recent finding from the Victorian Pride Lobby revealed that four in five LGBTQI people do not trust Victoria Police.Badge told Pedestrian.TV that Pride March needs to be one where “all LGBTQIA+ people feel safe and are able to attend and participate.”They said Victoria Police “have ignored issues on this concern,” and they hope the open letter “encourages them to listen to community.”Gafa also told the news outlet Victoria Police is an “organisation in need of some good press” and “participating at Pride is a way of making the organisation seem progressive and LGBTQ-friendly when it isn’t in practice.”Badge and Gafa also highlighted in the letter that “police violence are everyday experiences for many people.”They reassure everyone is “welcome” but are calling for the “decentring of police.”“We want to see Pride exist in solidarity with communities worldwide and follow the example of Auckland, Brisbane, NYC, and Toronto Pride,” they wrote.“Pride March should be led by and for LGBTIQA+ communities.