Toronto police officers will not be allowed to wear uniforms at unofficial Pride event

Toronto’s LGBTQ police officers will not be allowed to participate in uniform at an alternative pride event scheduled the same day as the Pride Parade.

First Responders Unity Festival organizer Bryn Hendricks told AM640 that Chief Mark Saunders notified them in a letter that the Toronto Police Service (TPS) “will not be participating” in the event and that officers who wish to attend may do so “in civilian attire.”

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The move has organizers perplexed considering that the TPS has OK’d uniformed LGBTQ officers to cross the border and participate in New York City’s Pride parade on Sunday.

READ MORE: Toronto police dropping out of this year’s Pride Parade

“The question is why are they not able to participate in their own city in an event for them?” Hendricks told AM640’s Tasha Kheiriddin Show. “It’s really unfathomable to me.”

The idea for the Unity Festival came about in January according to Hendricks, and is a not-for-profit entity created to offer a pride option for police, paramedics, firefighters, transit workers, military and other organizations and individuals.

“In the absence of uniformed officers being allowed to participate in the parade, we had to decide what to do,” said Hendricks. “We created this festival to give people as an opportunity to engage with first-responders.”

WATCH: Chief Mark Saunders announces Toronto Police won’t participate in 2017 Pride parade. Mark Carcasole reports. (Feb. 10)

1:15 Toronto Police Service pulls out of this year’s Pride Parade

PC Leader Patrick Brown, Mayor John Tory, and a number of performers are expected to make appearances at the unofficial event, which is not affiliated with Pride Toronto.

READ MORE: Toronto police invited to march in uniform in NYC pride parade

“We didn’t want to be in conflict with Pride, we wanted to create something that was celebratory in close proximity,” said Hendricks, “It was really important to find that happy medium, and we thought we had found that.”

Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack generally supports the chief’s decision and believes the Unity event falls “a little bit out of the scope” of a recognized event for the TPS.

“I don’t want to see other events,”  McCormack told AM640’s Kelly Cutrara Show. “I don’t want to see a substitute, I think we should be included in the (Pride) Parade.”

McCormick confirmed to AM640 that he and about 100 TPS officers will be attending the New York parade on the weekend.

“We’re going there to represent policing in a police capacity,” said McCormack. “This is a lesson for Pride Toronto to have a real understanding about what it is about inclusiveness. What it is to have struggles and to overcome these struggle to build relationships.”

READ MORE: Toronto police LGBTQ officers asking city to nix $260,000 Pride parade grant

When asked what might happen to an officer if he or she decided to attend an unrecognized event, McCormack said they could be charged under the police act.

“They could find themselves in a tribunal, if they do that.”