Jessica Berget
Staff Writer

 

he debate about whether police

should march in subsequent
pride marches came to a head on
June 25, when the Black Lives Matter
Vancouver movement organized their
own alternative pride parade through
the streets of downtown Vancouver.

The event was organized to protest
against police presence in past marches
and also against the corporatization of
the pride parade and movement. Many
minority groups felt unsafe because of
the violence and prejudice trans and
people of colour face at the hands of the
police. The march was intended to end
the accompaniment of uniformed police
in marches so marginalized communities
can feel safer celebrating their identities.

“As a Black, queer person in
Vancouver, I have never felt that there
was an event that felt good or safe for
me to go to,” said Daniella Barreto, a
Black Lives Matter organizer, to CBC.

The Black Lives Matter movement
has been fighting for the end of police
presence in pride celebrations on

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the basis that many marginalized
communities have had bad experiences
with them. The alternative event was
organized to give them a space to
address and bring light to this issue.

“We want to centre the people
who are very traditionally marginalized
within our communities, so black trans
people, Indigenous trans and two-spirit
folks, other people of colour, trans
women and so on. And we feel like other
mainstream pride organizations don't
necessarily honour those things, because
not only are they corporate sponsored,
they also include police,” stated Cicely-
Belle Blain, Black Lives Matter co-
organizer, in a video by Daily Xtra.

The march ended on Davie Street,

where they staged a “die-in” at the
rainbow crosswalk as a reminder of the
violence that affects the communities
of trans folk and people of colour.
“We want to bring back to
people’s attention that queer and
trans people of colour and especially
black and indigenous people are the
victims of a lot of violence and that
happens right here in our city and
in our communities,” said Blain.
Organizers also pointed out that
Pride was originally fighting against
the brutality of police. Originated
from the Stonewall riots in New York
City, Pride began as a protest against
police raids of gay clubs and bars.
Transgender women of colour led the

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demonstration, most famously Marsha
P. Johnson, a black trans woman.

The Vancouver Pride Society
and police have agreed to let officers
participate in the parade as part of
the City of Vancouver, rather than on
their own float as they have in the past.
Police vehicles and sirens will also not
be allowed; however, 20 per cent of
police will still be allowed to wear their
uniforms. Black Lives Matter supporters
and activists say this compromise
does not fully meet their needs.

“As queer and trans people of
colour, we don't feel safe in a parade
that celebrates a violent institution that
consistently contributes to violence
against black, Indigenous, and people
of colour,” Barreto said to CBC.

Controversy over this issue has
resulted in a number of racist comments
and violent threats directed at the group’s
organizers via their Facebook page.

“We have lots of security
today because we don’t know what
people's reactions will be and we
feel a little bit unsafe,” Blain said
to CBC. “If they see us in the street
they will say it to our face as well.”