Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Parade ban on police uniforms a ‘disaster’
OPINION: Are you clueless to think how we can have an inclusive Auckland Pride parade and not include the police uniform?
I remember the day I passed my recruit course in the Royal New Zealand Navy, we were dressed in our finest uniform that we personally had pressed, delinted, polished, and admired for days prior.
It was considered a privilege to don our uniforms and one that was not taken lightly. For me it represented belonging to something greater. Not only did it fill me with pride but I also recall the look in my parents teary eyes to see me for the first time in service uniform.
I will never forget my time in service and how accomplished I felt every time I put my uniform on to represent Queen and country.
I also remember the day I told my fellow service brothers and sisters that I was gay.
Never in my life have I felt an overwhelming amount of support and love from what most people would consider to be a ‘closed’ environment. It was far from that.
Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not like there was a platter of people going through the ‘coming out’ journey like me or even enough LGBTQI others available to create a ‘group’ but in a way it wasn’t needed.
You live, work and play in such a close environment that regardless of whether you were gay or straight it was ingrained in you, in service life, to support each other no matter what!
To my shock, I also will equally remember the recent day I found out that the New Zealand Police had withdrawn from participating in the Auckland Pride Parade due to not being permitted to wear the uniform.
My response: are you serious? To me the police represent members of the community willing to throw themselves in harm’s way to make the community safer for all of us. Have we forgotten that they are our people too?
As an ex-serviceman, and for those currently serving in the military and police force, it’s a way of life. Not a job. But a way of living, breathing and representing a particular standard of personal and community pride.
The uniform also represents ‘brotherhood’ and respect both for the people you serve and for yourself.
To be told that you can participate but not in uniform seems ridiculous and to me, is like telling BNZ you can only participate if you wear ASB T-shirt’s. Unrecognisable. I have the utmost respect for the many police servicemen (not just LGBTQI but friends and family of our small community).
I equally admire the Auckland Pride Parade Board for organising what wouldn’t be a simple task of running the parade. However, have we lost sight that the parade and pride week should be about celebrating who we are and be inclusive for all to enjoy. But that is just it, ‘‘for all to enjoy’’.
A parade without our services represented would be complete disaster for the Auckland Pride Parade and New Zealand.
For so long we have talked about inclusion, diversity, and community that now it seems as if we cut off our nose in spite of our face. We’ve excluded many very important faces in our community.
If we work on the basis that 10 per cent of the population is LGBTQI then that accounts for 10 per cent of our police force also who are proud to belong in the service, and also deserve the right to march (in uniform).
Obviously there are historical reasons behind Auckland Pride Parade excluding the uniform. However, in all history not everything has been perfect or ideal.
I do hope that in the future homophobic attacks and discrimination ceases to exist but know realistically it will take time for the world to adapt. By including the uniform it says to our people and to the world that our forces are working towards supporting and changing their relationship with the rainbow community. Until then let’s not live in the past or use negativity dictate the way forward.
I am not one to regurgitate figures and facts because in this situation I don’t think it is relevant. Instead we should look forward and say what would we like the future to look like, and start creating ways that we can make it happen.
My husband and I have many supportive friends that do work for the New Zealand police force and know first hand they have been working hard on better understanding and engaging with our rainbow community.
This just seems like a slap in the face for working toward creating a safe environment for all.
It is in my opinion the police must participate in our parade in uniform as we recognise them and as we respect them. We must welcome everyone to participate celebrating pride alongside us as family regardless of what uniform (or costume) they wear.
* Marlborough’s Ricky Devine White is Mr Gay New Zealand 2018