"We think it's a mature and inclusive position to take." The union, McCormack said, is "delighted" by the invitation from New York. LGBT police officer 'disheartened' by Pride Toronto decision to ban police.Pride Toronto apologizes for 'deepening the divisions' in LGBT community."It's taking away from what we believe Pride and inclusivity is," he said.
![nyc gay pride 2016 nyc gay pride 2016](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/gay-pride-parade-nyc-18.jpg)
Mike McCormack, president of the Toronto Police Association, called the conversation about police participating in Pride a "total waste of time." Pride Toronto later apologized for "a history of anti-blackness" and for "deepening the divisions" in the LGBT disagrees with banning uniformed #LGBT members of to March and welcome you in #NYCpride /元6Ai5z1XI- Toronto Police Association 'delighted' by invitation Pride Toronto voted to remove uniformed officers and police floats from future parades during its annual general meeting in January following a request made by Black Lives Matter Toronto, which brought the 2016 Pride parade to a brief halt until top Pride executives agreed to a list of demands. "The invitation was extended because we felt they were being excluded from the Pride festivities in Toronto, and we fought very hard over a very long period of time here in New York City to have the right to march in uniform," said Brian Downey, president of the Gay Officers Action League. Councillor tells Pride Toronto to 'come to their senses' on police in parade.Toronto police won't participate in Pride parade, chief says.The Gay Officers Action League, based in New York, sent a letter to the Toronto police on Friday, inviting officers to attend the New York City Pride March on June 25 - the same day as Toronto's Pride Parade. But the contrasting images below offer a striking reminder of how differently local governments react to threats to their LGBT communities-and what it looks like when the solution is to shut Pride down, instead of joining in.While Toronto police officers won't be attending this year's Pride parade in uniform, they're invited to march south of the border instead.
![nyc gay pride 2016 nyc gay pride 2016](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/NYPDpride2.jpg)
The US is still far from a safe haven for LGBT communities, as hate crimes like the Orlando shooting and a chilling attempted attack on this year’s parade in Los Angeles make painfully clear. Istanbul’s parade, which began in 2003 and was once attended by hundreds of thousands, was banned for the first time last year. The city government had banned the solidarity event due to security concerns, and at least 19 Pride participants were detained for taking to the street, reports the Associated Press. The same day in Istanbul, police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon at the several hundred people gathered in Taksim Square.
![nyc gay pride 2016 nyc gay pride 2016](https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/AP_gay_pride_new_york_7_jt_160626_16x9_992.jpg)
In New York on Sunday, June 26, some 20,000 people took to the streets under the protection of a record police presence, after a horrific shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month. Thousands of uniformed or plain clothes officers and counterterrorism units patrolled the streets, and city mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to protect LGBT communities from copycat attacks.