SPOG’s Response to the Pride Parade’s Ban of Uniformed Officers

The Seattle Police Officers Guild strongly disagrees with the decision to ban uniformed Seattle Police officers from marching in today’s Pride Parade.  In response SPOG President Mike Solan said, “SPOG members took an oath to serve our entire community equally and without discrimination.  It’s a shame to see that the commitment to equality and inclusion doesn’t flow in both directions.”

Solan added the following on the banishment of uniformed Seattle Officers from Pride events, “Banning uniformed Seattle Police officers from Pride events is disgusting, bigoted, discriminatory and contradicts our community’s beautiful inclusive LGBTQ message. Our LGBTQ members serve our community with distinction and pride. They value inclusiveness and demand respect not only for proudly being LGBTQ but for serving our community as police officers. Anyone that believes in their banishment has no place in Seattle and does not believe in the inclusive LGBTQ message. To date, close to 500 police officers have left our agency. The bigoted decisions banning uniformed officers from Pride events do not aid in stopping this mass exodus of cops. All we ask as SPOG members is some reasonable messaging of support from our elected officials and people in positions of power/influence. Police are fantastic human beings especially SPOG members.”

The Seattle Police Officers’ Guild is the largest police labor group on the Pacific Northwest. We represent line officers and sergeants.

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