Why the PSNI has never participated in Foyle Pride

Foyle Pride Chair Jim Doherty explains why the PSNI has never participated in the local parade following the PSNI’s announcement uniformed officers will no longer be authorised to show support for LGBTQ+ events. 

The PSNI's announcement to cut ties with Pride events has been met with a big reaction in Belfast. Alliance MLA Nuala McAllister called it a 'backward step' after five years of participating in Pride events.

The Rainbow Project also criticised the move saying the move will 'undermine' relations with LGBTQIA+ people while recorded crime against them ‘is at its highest ever level'.

However, there are many who support the decision and PSNI has never been permitted to take part in the Foyle Pride event.

Jim Doherty said the Foyle Pride committee has not discussed the announcement yet but he believes Pride should remain a 'protest' and not involve uniformed police or corporate sponsorship.

“My view is that we are part of an international organisation against persecution of LGBTQ+ people, and elsewhere a lot of that is at the hands of the police,” he said.

“We are a very political Pride. We see it as a protest we're very much influenced by what happened in Stonewall, which was a rebellion against the Police and that was just a couple of months before a similar rebellion against police in our own town.

“Stonewall itself, in June 1969, was after a year of pent up frustration against the behaviour of the police in the city of New York. It's the police who go out to enforce what passes for law, even if it's discriminatory, which it was.

“We see those connections as being very strong, and part of the same struggle. There's no doubt that the police are making attempts to reform but there are still issues with policing even in Derry.”

Mr Doherty said members of the PSNI are welcome ‘on the same basis as everybody else’ but ‘not in uniform’.

Foyle Pride also makes an effort to avoid overly commercialising the event. This stands in contrast to many other major Pride parades, some of which even allow companies that fund homophobic politicians to advertise at their events.

“We don't have any private sponsorship in Derry. We won't accept it. Derry has become quite well known on the Island for having that position.”

Many Pride events are looking to return to those protest roots with the Reclaim Pride Movement gaining traction in major cities.

“If you look at some of the bigger pride movements all over the world there are Reclaim Pride movements there. It started in New York but is now popping up in London and mainland Europe.”

A PSNI statement explained its decision to stop participating in the events.

“Police Service Policy on ‘Off Duty Standards’ and our Code of Ethics, both drawn from our statutory obligations, create clear expectations for all officers and staff in terms of our impartiality and prohibit officers from wearing their uniform or being identifiable as police when engaging in ‘cause issues’,” the statement said.

“Existing Service Policy does however state that officers and staff can participate in such events provided they do so in a personal capacity and do not identify as members of the Police Service.”