The decision by North Yorkshire Police to ban uniformed officers from taking part in the York Pride parade has caused ‘distress to many,’ the organisation said.
As YorkMix reported yesterday, the North Yorkshire Chief Constable has ruled that on-duty officers cannot take part in Pride events, or alter their uniforms to show support.
It follows a High Court ruling that found Northumbria Police behaved unlawfully by allowing its officers to take part in a Pride event last year.
In response, York Pride issued a statement to YorkMix saying it was “deeply disappointed” with Mr Forber’s decision.
The team said: “For many years, uniformed participation by police officers at Pride has served as an important and symbolic gesture of solidarity with the LGBT+ community – a community that, historically, has been subjected to discrimination, criminalisation, and mistrust by policing institutions.
“That uniformed officers have been welcomed at York Pride in recent years has been a visible and powerful signal of progress, reconciliation, and the ongoing work to rebuild that relationship.”
York Pride said the Chief Constable was wrong to characterise the event a “cause” over which the force must remain impartial.
“Pride is, and always has been, both a celebration and a protest – a space where LGBT+ people assert their rights, visibility, and dignity.
“It brings together communities to stand against discrimination, while also recognising the ongoing struggles for equality and justice.
“To suggest that uniformed support for these fundamental values undermines impartiality is not only disheartening – it is regressive.”
York Pride added that police participation wasn’t just about supporting the public – “it’s about supporting their own.
“Many LGBT+ officers and staff within North Yorkshire Police have found Pride to be a moment of affirmation and visibility, where they can be proud of who they are and the work they do.
“Moreover, when young LGBT+ people see police officers marching openly and proudly, it sends a powerful message: that the police service can be a welcoming, inclusive and rewarding career for them too.”
They said they were disappointed that the decision was made and published “without meaningful consultation with York Pride or any of the regional LGBT+ organisations that have long worked in partnership with the police to foster trust and representation”.
The statement said: “This sudden change of stance, despite years of positive engagement, has caused distress to many in our community.
“We acknowledge the pressures placed on police forces to act in line with legal rulings, but we must not lose sight of the broader context. Pride events were born out of a history of police violence and injustice toward LGBT+ people.
“The presence of supportive, visible officers at Pride today has helped begin to repair that painful legacy. Rolling that back – especially without dialogue – risks setting us back.”
York Pride invited North Yorkshire Police to meet with them to discuss “how we can move forward constructively”.