Denver PrideFest 2022: Allows Police Officers to March After Last Year’s Ban

Back in person after a two-year hiatus due to coronavirus, Denver’s 2022 PrideFest has welcomed back all of the LGBTQ community, including those in law enforcement.

A new group called “Pride on Duty Colorado,” consisting of LGBTQ police officers and first responders, marched in this year’s parade. Last year, law enforcement agencies were banned from participating in PrideFest. Representatives from the Center on Colfax, the organization behind PrideFest, said the ban was to stand in solidarity against “police violence aimed at the Black community.”

The Center CEO, Rex Fuller, told OFM in 2021 that it was a challenging decision to make, though they ultimately looked at the events surrounding the death of Elijah McClain and subsequent investigations of local police departments in making the decision.

“Looking at the history of the Pride movement, which started with protests against law enforcement harassment of the community, and looking at the history of The Center, which very much has its roots in objecting to police harassment of a community—That tipped the scales and made the decision, especially this year,” Fuller said.

After last year’s ban, The Center received mixed reactions: While some praised the decision, others, including LGBTQ police officers, felt blocked out of their own community. At the time, an Aurora police sergeant wrote an open letter asking the organizers of Denver PrideFest to reconsider the decision to exclude law enforcement. 

Fuller says he acknowledges everyone will not be pleased with The Center’s new course. Despite differing opinions, Fuller says he hopes community members can rally around the inclusion of everyone in the LGBTQ community.

In an email to OFM, Fuller says that The Center has worked to facilitate community conversations around law enforcement involvement over the past year. Community members shared their experiences of fear and distrust with the police. Fuller recognizes the pattern of racially biased policing state Attorney General Phil Weiser found in Aurora, as well as the Denver Office of Independent Monitor’s investigation into DPD and the George Floyd protests. 

“We have to acknowledge the real pain that people have experienced,” Fuller says.

He also acknowledges the officers who “endured great personal risk” to be out and open because they believe they could help make the community better.

“One officer told me that they felt as if they had to come out twice; once as a member of the LGBTQ community, but then also having to come out as a member of law enforcement to their own community—and they experienced rejection in both work and community,” Fuller says.

Beyond queer law enforcement participation, permit requirement to close streets on the parade route necessitates The Center to involve police officers.

“We have done our best to listen to concerns of the community and to try to create a safe space that acknowledges the pain experienced by some in our community and recognizes our history, but also try to be as inclusive as we can,” Fuller concludes. 

Gun Violence in America: A Continuous Concern

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been a total of 240 mass shootings this year as of June 5. The GVA also reports that the number of children and teens (ages 0-17) killed by gun violence has reached nearly 400 in 2020; that number reached over 5,000 deaths in people under 18 years old, and so far, we’re on track to continue to see those startling numbers.

The last two weeks of May proved to be some of the deadliest, with 19 mass shooting and 40 deaths due to gun violence. The two deadliest shootings were the mass shooting in Buffalo, New York on May 14, where a gunman shot and killed 10 people at a supermarket, as well as the Uvalde school shooting in Texas on May 24, which saw 21 dead and seven wounded.

In the wake of all this bloodshed, some conservative self-described “gun enthusiasts” have decided that gun control should finally become a bipartisan issue. More than 250 major republican donors, including some who have contributed to Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s campaigns, have signed an open letter supporting congressional action to increase gun restrictions.

The letter endorses the creation of red flag laws, expanding background checks, and raising the age to purchase a gun to 21. It also voices support for Texas senior senator John Cornyn who was tapped to lead bipartisan negotiations in Congress over possible gun reform measures.

“Most law enforcement experts believe these measures would make a difference, and recent polls of fellow conservatives suggest that there is strong support for such gun-safety measures,” the letter reads. 

In Washington, House democrats hope to pass several gun control bills such as the Rase the Age Act, which would raise the age of legally purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21, as well as the Keep Americans Safe Act, which would ban large capacity magazines. 

The gun control package contains a list of bills that would introduce regulation on the sale or use of firearms and associated equipment. The list of bills the House Judiciary Committee will consider under the broader “Protecting Our Kids Act” include:

• The Raise the Age Act
• Prevent Gun Trafficking Act
• The Untraceable Firearms Act
• Ethan’s Law
• The Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act
• The Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safety Storage Act
• Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act
• The Keep Americans Safe Act

Experts expect the package to be blocked by republican opposition in the Senate; however, democrats have acknowledged glimmer of hope for bipartisan talks among senators, which could lead to the passing of a slimmer bill with support from both parties.