Days before the third annual Pride Parade in Aurora, Illinois, was set to kick off, organizers of the event announced that the event’s permit has been revoked. The official reason for the failed permit is a lack of security, according to Aurora Police. Organizers say the reversal comes on the heels of controversy surrounding a request for police officers and security staff to respect the organization’s rules. Aurora is the second-largest city in the state.
According to WGN-TV, organizers of Aurora’s Pride Parade issued a statement Wednesday that said the series of events associated with the parade would not begin as planned Sunday, as the city lacked security to allow them to do so. They noted that the police department said they did not have enough officers to work overtime at the event.
The announcement followed a statement from Aurora Police, claiming the department was unable to meet the event's staffing needs, and organizers would need to secure about 20 additional officers before noon Wednesday to "fully staff the event.”
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The statement read:
“[T]he Aurora Police Department has said it cannot supply enough sworn officers to provide Parade security, and has tasked us with finding officers from other jurisdictions to close the gap. We were notified that we had until 12PM today to do so, or our Special Events permit would be revoked at that time. We have not been able to close the gap, despite the tireless efforts of our Safety team lead and many supporters offering their assistance. As a result, our permit is now revoked.”
Despite this negative news, the organizers said they are not giving up. “Our position has been misrepresented, and we’re making every effort to keep the parade as scheduled.”Parade organizers announced their decision to appeal and will have a hearing for said appeal on Thursday, WGN-TV reported. According to the local news outlet, the dispute isn’t just a staffing issue.
Controversy and issues between Aurora Police Department and Pride Parade organizers began in May, when organizers told the police department they wanted them to "participate without service weapons (our rules forbid all weapons), out of uniform, and without the presence of any official vehicles.”
According to a letter sent to the police, organizers made the requests because they wanted to make the parade "the most welcoming environment possible," and said that “trust between police and LGBTQ people and people of color” is extremely low.
"Many members of the community feel uneasy in the presence of official law enforcement vehicles, as well as uniformed officers, due to negative experiences they themselves or someone they know have had," the letter said.
As an alternative, they suggested officers wear “soft uniforms,” such as polo T-shirts with Aurora police patches or logos. This of course did not fly with some officials, especially Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, a Republican running for Illinois governor.
“One of the basic principles of community policing is to have the police who serve in uniform represent the communities they serve,” Irvin said. “Our LGBTQ officers, like most officers, do just that while regularly interacting with residents in their identifiable standard uniforms, not someone else’s narrowed view and censored definition of a ‘soft uniform.’” He also noted that he would not walk in the parade, and canceled the planned appearance of the city’s float at the events. His decision was announced moments before the city pulled the event’s permit.
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This isn’t the first time American law enforcement officials have refused to participate in Pride due to organizers requesting alternate attire. Across the country in San Francisco, police officials said they will not march in this year’s Pride parade after organizers requested officers to not wear their uniforms during the event. According to the Los Angeles Times, the issue stems from 2019, when anticorporate protesters blocked the parade route and were arrested and allegedly assaulted by police. Many noted they felt unsafe around those dressed in uniforms during the parade, prompting the request to have officers not wear uniforms in order to create a more safe space.
However, law enforcement instead felt as though they were not welcome or accepted in the space they allegedly supported.
“I’ve made this very hard decision in order to support those members of the LGBTQ community who serve in uniform, in our Police Department and Sheriff’s Department, who have been told they cannot march in uniform and in support of the members of the Fire Department who are refusing to march out of solidarity with their public safety partners,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed, announcing that she too would be skipping this year’s Pride parade due to the uniform policy.
