Canberra SpringOUT Withdraws Police From Pride Fair Day
Image: Queensland Police Force officers marching in Brisbane Pride 2016. Image: Facebook.
Following recent community feedback the Canberra SpringOUT committee has announced they will not allow a police presence at the 2024 Pride Fair Day.
The committee have issued a statement addressing the issue, announcing further plans for consultation in preparation for 2025.
The decision follows heated community discussions about the issue in recent weeks.
Canberra SpringOUT responds to community concerns about police
Organisers for the Canberra SpringOUT festival have responded to concerns from community members in recent weeks.
Much like many other pride organisations including Mardi Gras, Midsumma and Brisbane Pride, community members have expressed concern over police involvement.
With the celebrations set to kick off this November the committee have been forced to take action over the growing issue as community members have expressed differing perspectives on police presence at Pride Fair Day.
“Over the course of the past week, SpringOUT has been listening to the community views expressed about police attendance at Fair Day on 2 November, and as part of the festival more broadly. Some called for there to be no police presence in any capacity at the festival, and others have called for the police to be present with a stall at Fair Day and in other capacities” they said in a statement this week.
Following this feedback the committee held an urgent meeting to discuss the issue and those impacted and concerned in the local community.
“Like the community, the SpringOUT Committee holds different views about this issue” they stated.
Following the meeting the committee conceded they could not commit to allow a police presence in the 2024 Fair Day celebrations, instead committing to an ongoing consultation process.
“What the Committee unilaterally agreed, was that now was not the time to make a decision in favour of police presence at Fair Day, when it was clear time needs to be spent consulting the community and considering those views.”
Recently the committee had conducted a poll to gauge public feedback on the issue, however they announced that this was not the most effective means of consultation moving forward.
“It was incorrect for SpringOUT to suggest this as a quick solution to a complex issue, and for that we apologise. What we have observed in relation to an online poll in recent days has shown that it is not the best approach to ensure that people feel safe to express their views, nor does it reach members of our community who are not on social media” they stated.
Instead the SpringOUT committee have committed to ongoing consultation with the community ahead of the 2025 event.
“The Committee also agreed that, from early 2025, it would develop a comprehensive consultation plan to consult with the community about police presence at future festivals, well ahead of the 2025 festival. This consultation will consider all views, noting that the voices within our community that are more impacted by this decision will be amplified. This includes our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, People of Colour, trans people, people with disability, and migrant and refugee LGBTIQA+ people, to name a few.”
SpringOUT have confirmed they are “in discussions with ACT Policing about alternative options to be part of the Festival to introduce the LGBTIQA+ Liaison Officer at a separate event for this purpose.”
“The Committee recognises that not everybody supports this decision, either in full or in part. We ask that, while you may have strong views, respectful conversations are possible, and we look forward to having those discussions with the community in the future.”
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