If sexual activity between same-gender people became illegal, the police would be the ones enforcing those laws.
That’s why police are not welcome at Pride. Pride is for unconditional supporters, not for those who would become enemies as soon as they’re ordered to.
I feel it’s important to amend this with “if sexual activity between same-gender people became illegal AGAIN, the police would be the ones enforcing those laws AGAIN.”
They did it before and they’ll do it again. Gay sex was only made legal in Texas in 2003. I was at a sleepover at my best friend’s house when it happened. We could hear the celebrations from the bar district down the block. We were 14 and both knew we were queer.
So yes, they’re not welcome at pride because they’ll turn on us in an instant. But also because cops who have been cops for a while full-on were against us only NINETEEN years ago.
And yes I know that’s just in Texas and other states have different histories but I’m not even that old and I remember when being gay was illegal. When any relationship I dreamed of having was illegal. And THAT is my bigger reason that cops aren’t welcome at pride. Yes they will turn on us, but they already were against us and not-so-secretly still are.
A lot of those cops are still probably on the force and now brag about how long they’ve been there.
But it isn’t like they’ve been spending all that time learning queer theory and trying to be less homophobic either.
Those same exact people will go right back to arresting us the moment that they are able to.
Cops are not and have never been our allies, they never will be.
Cops are not and have
never been our allies,
they never will be.
Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.