From Sovo.com
Officer Dani Lee Harris, LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Deparment and one of the grand marshals for the Atlanta Pride Parade, said today she will not wear her uniform during the parade due to backlash from the Sept. 10 police raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar.
Harris said her 10-year-old son, who will ride in the parade with her, was concerned about her safety.
“My biggest concern is the safety of my son and out of respect for him I will swallow my pride,” she said.
Harris intended to wear her uniform in the parade despite outcry from some who were angered by her selection as a grand marshal. The Atlanta Pride Committee selected Harris before the raid but announced the selection afterward.
“I’m flabbergasted,” she said today. “Why people can’t realize this is about 21 officers out of 1,700 officers, and [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][the raid] is still under investigation. But I will come out of uniform.
“They got this one,” she said of those angered by her being a grand marshal. More in Sovo.com
One thing…the sovo article rather surprised me. I expected Pride to have a conciliatory tone, extending an olive branch and yet there was nothing silence (though to be fair, it’s late breaking news and maybe they couldn’t be reached). And Harris seemed positively ANGRY about the whole thing. Couldn’t she just have said, “While I don’t agree with the protesters I understand their point and out of respect for them and a desire to bring the community together I’ve decided not to wear my uniform.”
?????
But let’s not quibble on the how when we got the what. And the what is a compromise that takes into account the understandable feelings of the men who were victimized by the police at The Eagle.
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