Following the tragic passing of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies, organisers of Sydney’s Mardi Gras have updated their earlier stance and will now permit police officers to participate in the forthcoming parade, albeit without their uniforms.
This decision was announced by Commissioner Karen Webb, who expressed her contentment over the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ officers and supportive colleagues in the event. The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, she noted, is a significant occasion for New South Wales Police, underlining her dedication to fostering a closer bond with the LGBTQIA+ community.
The initial exclusion of officers was a response to the arrest of a police member charged with the murders of television figure Baird and Qantas employee Davies, which led to calls for the community to have time to mourn.
Despite the reversal, the board emphasised that LGBTQ+ liaison officers could now join in a thoughtful and respectful manner. This change comes amidst ongoing discussions about the police’s commitment to engaging with an external LGBTQ+ advisory panel following recommendations from an inquiry into hate crimes targeting the community.
The complicated relationship between police and LGBTQ+ individuals was highlighted in a recent report critiquing the police’s handling of LGBTQ+ victims and their relatives, which found the officers’ attitudes ranged from indifferent to hostile. The report proposed 19 recommendations, including the re-examination of several deaths of LGBTQ+ men.
Commissioner Webb issued an apology to the LGBTQ+ community affected by the police’s historical negligence in investigating the deaths of queer men over four decades since 1970. She acknowledged the lost opportunities to pursue leads or apply new forensic methods, which exacerbated the suffering of victims and their families, especially in cases driven by bias against the LGBTQ+ community.
