Unity in Uniform: New Pride party supports police wearing 'personal uniforms'

A new event is looking to show unity between the LGBTcommunity and the Calgary Police Service after a decision by Calgary Pride to ban uniformed police officers from marching in the parade.

It's called Unity in Uniform, and event organizerGreg John said theparty is designed to let people express their sense of community by wearing their "personal uniform"a uniform that embodies "a visual representation" ofidentity.

"We've actually heard that some police officers that are on duty have asked their supervisors whether they can show up and support in their uniforms as well,"John told the CalgaryEyeopener."We encourage whatever makes anybody proud, for them to wear it as a representation of themselves."

• Why banning uniformed police at Pride will actually make the event more inclusive

The idea for Unity in Uniformcameafter a decision by Calgary Pride in July that uniformed officersor "any forms of institutional representation, such as floats" would not be allowed in the 2017 parade.

"What we needed to do was take the word uniform and turn it into something positive and turn it into something that was positive for everyone," John said.

"My own personal uniform"

John said guests at the party are invited to wear or create their personal uniform that represents their own personal "pride story" and can incorporate anything that helps form your identity.

"So I'm a member of the Mtis community as well as the LGBTQ+ community here in Calgary, so my personal uniform is a mixture of both of those elements," John said."I would wear myMtissash and possibly carry myLGBT rainbow flag, and a Canadian flag. And that's a visual representation of my pride in my own story."

John said he understands the motivation behindCalgary Pride's decision, addingthe ban onuniformed officershas led to a"constructive conversation" between theLGBTQcommunityand CPS.

"I think we cannot discount some of the stories that are coming forward in terms of you know people having negative experience with the police so let's find a way to move forward that acknowledges some of the traumatic experiences that have happened to people at the hands of police and find a way to move forward," John said.

Banning the blue

The decision to remove uniformed officers from the Calgary Pride paradefollows similar moves taken this year inTorontoandVancouver,where LGBT activists requested that officers participate in plain clothes.

• Toronto police not at Pride parade for 1st time since 2000

The Calgary Police Service will still provide security at the event andwill provide an opportunity for officers to marchin the parade out of uniform.

"We are obviously disappointed with the decision that police will not be allowed to march in uniform, but we are not going to allow it to undo decades of progress between law enforcement and the LGBTQcommunity in Calgary," saidChiefRoger Chaffin.

John said he hopes the Unity in Uniform event will offerthe LGBTQcommunity a chance to connect with police officersand show support forservice men and women who also identify asLGBTQ.

"It's an opportunity for us to say thank you to them as well and they've really taken a look at this event as an opportunity for them to be, you know, in both communities some LGBT officers that have really been grateful for this," John said.

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