Madison’s upcoming LGBTQ pride celebration on Sunday, Aug. 18—the OutReach Magic Festival—culminates a week of LGBTQ pride events and parties. But, unlike in years past, there’ll be no pride parade. Organizers cited insurmountable logistics and increased security costs for its cancellation. It may also have to do with the repercussions of banning a Madison Police Department contingent from last year’s parade.
Madison’s situation reflects a greater ongoing debate over police inclusion at LGBTQ pride events. Both sides have legitimate concerns. On the one hand, the LGBTQ liberation movement has always sought solidarity with those marginalized communities suffering disproportionately from police maltreatment. There is overlap into our community with queers of color—especially transgender women—who are more likely to experience abuse.
On the other hand, in many cities, significant improvement has been achieved in the relationship between the police and the LGBTQ population, and while some argue for a ban citing the Stonewall Riots as a precedent for fighting police oppression, the reconciliation in many cities between the LGBTQs and law enforcement is an undeniably positive impact of that historic event. Madison, Wis., for example, has an internal pride organization made up of officers and allies.
Milwaukee, too, has had a positive evolution of police relations with its LGBTQ population. After Milwaukee Police Chief Harold Brier’s 20-year reign of terror finally ended in 1984, during which gays were systematically targeted and harassed, there was a significant change for the better under subsequent MPD leadership. In 1992, predicated by police failures in the Jeffrey Dahmer case, MPD and the LGBTQ community created a policing action council to address the state of their relationship.
Activist Stephanie Hume was one of several representatives who served on the council as a liaison, doing so for a decade. “Dahmer was the catalyst for a confrontation,” Hume said, “that resulted in a hearing with the Fire and Police Commission. That meeting made clear the need for a liaison. Later, the LGBT Community Center, Diverse & Resilient and FORGE would continue the task.”
Treating ‘All Persons With Courtesy and Dignity’
The result has been a vast improvement in MPD’s behavior toward the LGBTQ community. In June 2018, then-Chief Alfonso Morales signed a new MPD operating procedures and standards of care protocol for interactions involving members of the transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming communities. That policy explicitly states its purpose is “to treat all persons with the courtesy and dignity that is inherently due to every person as a human being. Members shall not exhibit any bias, prejudice or discriminate against any individual or group based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender or gender identity-expression.” (Madison’s Police Department did so a month later.)
Hume admits there is still much work to be done but sees MPD’s efforts to become culturally competent as exemplary. Training in that fine art is actually being conducted by LGBTQ police members as facilitators. “Cops talking to cops maintains a greater credibility level,” Hume said. “Besides,” she continued, “policing is a different kind of job, and that needs to be part of the consideration. But we have the ability to approach MPD. We have a relationship, and there’s no comparison of 2019 to 1969.”
Meanwhile, Milwaukee’s annual LGBTQ pride parade welcomes local law enforcement’s participation, and that’s the way it should be.
