Victoria Police Chief Del Manak says he has no issue with a request from Pride Parade organizers for officers taking part not to wear uniforms, and plans to participate in civilian attire.
“We see ourselves as invited guests to the Victoria Pride Society’s parade,” he said. “So when you’re invited as a guest, you have to honour and respect decisions made by those who are inviting you and we certainly want to do that.”
Manak said the Greater Victoria Police Diversity Advisory Committee has heard concerns from members of marginalized groups about police in uniform being in the parade. “I think the Victoria Pride Society is really trying to find a compromise and a balance of supporting our local police agencies, but yet also ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and that everyone’s voice is important,” Manak said.
The issue of police participating in Pride parades has been controversial across the country. Officers have been banned from participating in events in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. Edmonton’s pride festival was cancelled this year after demonstrators stopped last year’s parade and called for police to be excluded.
Police representatives have been participating in Victoria’s parade for more than a decade. There were no restrictions on police uniforms two years ago, while at last year’s parade, department chiefs and LGBTQ officers were permitted to wear their uniforms if they chose to.
About half the up to 20 officers who marched last year wore uniforms, a police diversity committee representative said, while the number of police cars in the parade was reduced from five or six in previous years to just one vintage car.
Manak said he will proudly be there in civilian attire with other officers. “To us, it means more to march, uniform or no uniform, than it does to try to exclude and to try to take a position and to put the Victoria Pride Society in a position where they feel that they’ve made the wrong decision,” he said. “We’re got a really good working relationship with the Victoria Pride Society.”
Manak said the region’s other police chiefs also support the Pride Society’s decision. “We want to be inclusive,” he said. “We feel that there’s tremendous benefit in marching in the parade, even under the conditions that we’re not to wear our police uniforms.”
The Pride Parade starts at 11 a.m. Sunday on Government Street at Pandora Avenue and goes to MacDonald Park in James Bay. The Victoria Pride Festival is at the park following the parade.
