Edmonton police to march out of uniform in Pride parade

Edmonton police and RCMP officers will not wear their uniforms in the 2018 Edmonton Pride Parade, in what they say is a concerted effort to improve their relationship with members of the LGBTQ community.

Some LGBTQ people, such as refugees or other marginalized groups, are uncomfortable with the police uniform because it represents oppression, said Clayton Hitchcock, the community engagement committee chair for the Edmonton Pride Festival Society.

• 'You're not doing stuff alone': Edmonton Pride parade brings together LGBTQ community, allies

"It takes away the barrier of the fear some people have when they see a uniform," Hitchcock told CBC News in an interview.

"It allows the people that they need to be talking to to feel safer and more comfortable to approach them."

'They represent the ones who want to make it better'

6 years ago

Duration 0:38

EPS and RCMP members have chosen not to wear their uniforms in favor of more casual clothing in this years upcoming Pride parade.

The police forces madethe decision to avoid the controversy surrounding uniforms and Pride events that have come up in other North American cities, including Toronto.

• Pride Toronto asks police to withdraw application to march in Pride Parade
• Police uniforms barred from 2018 Vancouver Pride parade

"We chose to do it because we wanted to change the conversation," said Supt. Brad Doucette, who sits on the police liaison committee with the LGBTQ community.

"It's not about the uniform, it's about respecting the community and building relationships," Doucette told CBCNews."It's a great opportunity for the community to see the police as people first, individuals rather than an institution."

If we wanted to wear the uniforms, we're making it about us, and it's not about us.- Supt. Brad Doucette

Once EPS had made the decision, Pride organizers approached the RCMP to ask if they wanted to follow suit.

"The RCMP thought this would be a great opportunity to show those individuals who do feel marginalized that their voices are being heard," said Staff Sgt.Jeremie Landry with the RCMP's K Division.

Edmonton's police and LGBTQ community have a good relationship compared to many other cities, said Hitchcock, but that wasn't always the case.

While Toronto police conducted bathhouse raids against gay people in the early 1980s, Edmonton police were conducting similar operations.

• Toronto bathhouse raids: How the arrests galvanized the gay community
• Stonewall Inn, site of famous gay rights riot, given landmark status

"We had our own targeting towardthe community by the police," said Hitchcock. "When the gay rights movement was getting started, that was a very contentious relationship."

Hitchcock said both sides have tried to mend that relationship over the years, and that's why it's important to have the police participate in the Pride parade.

Officers will volunteer to march in the parade.

"Those are the allies within EPS and the RCMP," Hitchcock said. "While the institution has some way to go in being better, these are the people who are going to be doing that work."

Both EPS and the RCMP hope their presence will motivate LGBTQ people to join their ranks.

The Edmonton Pride Festival runs from June 8 to June 17, with the Pride parade scheduled for June 9.