STAYING HOME

Seattle Police Officers Won’t March in City’s Pride Parade Because They Can’t March in Uniform, Chief Says

Parade board rule cited community’s historic unease with the city’s police.

After the Seattle Pride Parade board banned the city’s police officers from marching in uniform, their chief announced in an open letter that cops will not march in Sunday’s event at all. Chief Adrian Diaz noted that people from other city departments are allowed to march in uniform and wrote, “This is an especially crucial time for all of Seattle to see SPD officers who are out and proud LGBTQIA+ members because the department would like to hire hundreds of officers in the next few years.” The Seattle Pride board linked its decision to the LGBT+ community’s historic discomfort with and distrust of law enforcement, as well as a 2020 survey that it says demonstrated that most preferred police to not march in uniform. Under the parade’s rules, officers are not allowed to wear any department logos or related clothing.