MELVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — Police who have been banned from marching in New York City’s Pride parade are instead planning to take part in festivities in the suburbs of Long Island. It’s a twist from a previous era when they felt more comfortable marching in the city rather than closer to home, where acceptance of gay officers lagged. While Pride organizers in New York City recently banned law enforcement groups from marching until at least 2025, organizers on Long Island are inviting cops to participate and even donating a table for Nassau County police to recruit. The celebrations in the city and suburbs on June 27 won’t be full-scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo: FILE – In this Sunday, June 29, 2014 file photo, NYPD police officers march along Fifth Avenue during the gay pride parade in New York. Organizers of New York City’s Pride events said Saturday, May 15, 2021 they are banning police and other law enforcement from marching in their huge annual parade until at least 2025 and will also seek to keep on-duty officers a block away from the celebration of LGBTQ people and history. (AP Photo/Julia Weeks, File)
