Pride politics part of building inclusivity

Re To deny Pride’s politics is to deny history, May 20 While I agree with Shawn Micallef’s headline, I believe that Black Lives Matter Toronto attempting to ban police, whether in uniform or not, from future Pride parades was a truly regressive move.

As Shawn pointed out, there has been a long, hard-won battle to make the parade totally inclusive, and I believe that it has helped ameliorate the negative views many people once held.

Moreover, I totally disagree with Ward 4 councillor John Campbell that the city’s $260,000 grant to Pride be cancelled. There is no question that progress has been made in many ways and we must keep up the momentum. Shirley Bush, Toronto

If the Toronto police are not allowed to have a float in the annual gay pride parade, then neither should Black Lives Matter (BLM). The police are trying to build bridges in the LGBTQ community and BLM is running around with kerosine trying to burn those bridges.

BLM started this controversy with their childish demonstration at last year’s parade and rewarding them with a float is totally wrong. Gary Slippoy, Toronto

Shawn Micallef is right to say that Pride has been, and should be, political. And BLMTO has some legitimate political grievances that they have the absolute right to express.

But that does not mean the rest of us in the LGBTQ community must “bend to them, listen and respond” unconditionally, by acquiescing to their demands that the Toronto police be allowed to participate in the parade, but only if they sit at the back of the bus.

How much more thoughtful and strategic it would have been to help BLMTO achieve their goals through our hardwon relationship with the police, rather than by destroying it. John Russell, Toronto