‘Slap in the face’: Move to ban police from Mardi Gras attacked as hypocritical

Premier Chris Minns has urged members of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras not to exclude NSW Police from next year’s parade, saying it would be a “slap in the face” and hypocritical to disinvite officers while relying on them to keep attendees safe.

Two resolutions about barring police – one from the event’s board and another by activist group Pride in Protest – will be among 12 motions voted on at the organisation’s annual general meeting on Saturday. Other motions include telling federal MPs they will not be welcome until religious exemptions to discriminations were curtailed and the entire LGBTQ community was included in the census.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb (centre) marches with colleagues in the 2023 Mardi Gras parade.Credit: AP

The critical AGM comes less than a year after NSW Police were initially barred by the event’s board following the alleged double murder of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird in Paddington by an officer using a service weapon. The officer, Beau Lamarre-Condon, had an “on-and-off-again relationship” with Baird. The alleged incident is being treated as case of domestic violence.

An eleventh-hour scramble this year ensured NSW Police could march in the parade without uniforms.

But the issue has continued to percolate. After consulting Mardi Gras members, including a survey that found 54 per cent in favour of denying police entry, the board decided to put the resolution to the organisation’s 3500 members at Saturday’s AGM.

Minns said one of the special aspects of Mardi Gras was its ability to bring Sydney together, and the decision to exclude police would undermine that.

“I hope they don’t. The NSW Police Force has radically changed in the last decades. There’s many, many gay and lesbian members of NSW Police that serve with distinction and regard themselves as members of the LGBTQ community,” he said.

“I think it would be a slap in the face for them if the organisers disinvite them … It’s a bit hypocritical to ban them from marching if you’re going to rely on them, as everybody does for major events, for security.”

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said officers had been marching in the parade for more than 20 years and the force was deeply committed to strengthening its relationship with the LGBTQ community.

“Denying this would not only be devastating for these officers, but in my view it would divide rather than unite the community – the opposite of what Mardi Gras is about,” she said.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb attends the 2024 Mardi Gras parade.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich described the move as “mean-spirited and anti-worker”, saying the call to bar LGBTQ police officers who were working to support their community was nonsensical.

“The people being threatened with a ban are LGBTQ people who are working hard within the police to support our community, improve our safety, and are implementing the recommendations of the hate crimes inquiry. This makes no sense,” he said.

The first resolution, from the board, recommends police be barred until “such time as they demonstrate a commitment to improving relationships with LGBTQIA+ communities”. The Pride in Protest motion would ban police and leave officers with little prospect of returning to the parade. A third motion would continue the compromise reached last year of allowing police to march but not in uniform.

Pride in Protest has put forward other resolutions for Mardi Gras members to consider on Saturday. One takes aim at the federal Labor Party, saying its commitment to ending religious discrimination had been breached since taking government in 2022, while also accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of having “flirted with transphobia” in media interviews.

If successful, the motion would inform federal MPs they are not invited to Mardi Gras events until their conditions were met, while state MPs who opposed the passing of the NSW equality bill in full would also be unwelcome.

Another motion calls for the board to seek from sponsors, procurement partners and other partnerships “clarification for their position on boycott, divestment and actions of Israel”. It also advocates for “ethical compliance” with principles of boycotts, divestment and sanctions.

A statement from NSW Police said the force looked forward to continuing to work with Mardi Gras organisers to “ensure the safety and success of its events”.

“The NSW Police Force is dedicated to supporting LGBTQIA+ communities and takes pride in its role as a community leader for inclusion and diversity,” a spokesman said.

Greens health spokesperson Amanda Cohn said Mardi Gras had done the right thing by consulting the community about the inclusion of police, adding NSW Police needed to “build relationships and trust” if they wanted to be welcomed.

“The way that Mardi Gras is celebrated today should recognise the harm that police have caused LGBTQIA+ communities and the ongoing mistrust of the NSW Police Force,” she said.

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