To Pride in London 14th June 2022
BY EMAIL
NO PRIDE IN COPS/ NO COPS AT PRIDE
Within the last year, the Metropolitan Police has officially and repeatedly denied that it has a problem with institutional homophobia. We all know it does, however, not least the failure of the force to properly investigate serial killer Stephen Port – inaction that led to the deaths of young gay men.
This is not an isolated incident and is reflected in widespread distrust of policing among the LGBTQIA+/Queer community, not just in London but elsewhere. It is especially true for people of colour and queer migrants. The police and the prison industrial complex - including the system of border controls - are well documented to be institutionally racist and perpetuate harm towards these communities. Their concerns are not listened to and they do not feel safe around the police.
Due to our deep-rooted concerns with policing - and the history of Pride itself as resistance against police violence - it is time to end the practice of police participation in Pride each year. It is time to end the presence of police banners.
Their presence not only offends by being undeserving, it deters others from celebrating with their community. While individual officers may or may not be queer, the organised presence of police at Pride en masse provides a platform to an institution that represses us. Having a police presence at Pride as well as patrolling Pride, makes Pride unsafe for our community.
Moreover, there is international precedent for ending police presence at Pride: following the murder of George Floyd and the spread of the second wave of Black Lives Matter actions in summer 2020, New York City’s Pride, Vancouver Pride, and Toronto Pride ended police presence at the 2021 parade. The same is also true for Trans Pride here in London itself. We urge London Pride to follow similar principled steps.
Our demands around ending police presence at Pride extends to other agents of the security state that oppress our communities, and other communities that suffer from discrimination alongside us, such as migrants and travellers who are under attack from new government legislation and the ongoing Hostile Environment. We demand then that the ban on serving police officers is extended to other groups such as Home Office employees marching under a Home Office banner or individuals who work to uphold the Hostile Environment.
We demand the ban of the enablers of the Hostile Environment such as security corporations, guards and airlines that assist in the deporting of migrants – including queer migrants to countries that are unsafe for them. Their corporate banners, their celebratory floats, are in poor taste and are not welcome. This brings the Hostile Environment directly into the street space occupied by Pride and is antithetical to the mission of queer liberation.
Moreover, the ban of those who enable the climate crisis – the fossil fuel companies, the banks that fund them, the corporations who profit from climate extraction - is critical to stay true to queer liberation and the rights of all to live on a safe and healthy planet. Wars are being fought over fuel and water. These corporations are creating a planet-wide unsafe space.
Inclusivity and diversity, the ability of all sections of our community to participate safely and happily in Pride comes before the presence of the state and corporations. We note too that it is the many corporate floats that have turned a protest into a parade and incurred huge costs from the council to police and manage the influx of corporate paraders.
Instead of investing this money into a one-off event that marginalises many members of our community and provides a celebration for those who already hold the most privilege within the LGBTQ+ community, we have high hopes for what a Pride march and activities for queer liberation would include. We hope to collaborate with London Pride’s organisers to move closer to what a shared vision of pride and queer liberation would look like.
For the 2022 Pride parade, our full list of demands is:
No police presence at Pride
No Home Office presence at Pride
No participation from corporations who facilitate the policing and deportation state and who fuel the climate crisis
No participation of groups who discriminate against particular marginalised members of the queer community, including trans communities and queer Muslims
No costs associated for grassroots groups and community members to participate in Pride, and no minimum size for queer groups who participate in Pride.
Transparency around who is marching in the Pride parade / march, shared prior to the day of the march.
Further revamping of the vision of Pride to bring this event back in accordance with broader visions for queer liberation.
We look forward to discussing these urgent demands ahead of this year’s event. You can reply to us at LGSMigrant@gmail.com. Should we not find a response forthcoming, we will continue our efforts to centre queer liberation - during Pride and elsewhere - in other ways.
Beyond these immediate demands, to us, queer liberation means:
The eventual abolition of the police in total, and a divestment of funds from the police towards community support mechanisms such as welfare, schooling, job training, mental health and more.
An end to the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and the upcoming Public Order Bill.
No Nationality and Borders Bill
No outsourcing of migrants to Rwanda
Justice for queer migrants
An immediate end to all deportations and the policies that make up the Hostile Environment, making the UK a hostile place to queer migrants and all migrants seeking refuge in the UK
The end to transphobic politics in LGBTQ space and the full support of all queer members for trans liberation
Moving corporate funding and support from a one-day Pride march to supppry for queer liberation efforts year-round, including funding and support for queer-led community groups
Yours with pride,
Lesbians & Gays Support the Migrants
Gay Liberation Front
ACT UP London
African Rainbow Family
Channel Rescue
Queer Newham
BARAC UK
Migrants Rights Network
Netpol
Migrants in Culture
Bender Defenders
Friends of the Joiners Arms
Queer Strike
To add your name to the letter, email LGSMigrants@gmail.com