Manchester Pride – the changing face of the community we police- by PCC Tony Lloyd

Manchester Pride – now one of the cornerstones of the region’s identity.  An annual event that has evolved into the biggest celebration of the LGBT community since it began – so it’s thought - as a jumble sale outside a Canal Street pub in the late 80s/early 90s. And this year I was privileged and proud to walk in the parade with many of you - rank and file officers - and police staff.

It was a colourful journey of celebration from Liverpool Road to Whitworth Street – a celebration of the journey society and the LGBT community has been on. And what a long and sometimes painful journey it’s been, not least for the police.

This year’s theme was Acceptable in the 80s. Today, the views that were acceptable in the 80s are a thing of the past, though we continue to learn from them. The culture shift has been immense and the LGBT community is an accepted part of this nation’s identity. Legislation allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt, and same sex marriage are all examples of how equality is now engrained in our society.

Today, police officers no longer feel they have to hide their sexuality to get ahead in the force. Today, more police officers and staff march in the Manchester Pride parade than any other Pride event in the world. And this year GMP won the special award – the Edna Marsland Award for Best Overall Entry - for its parade entry.

We’ve come so far in this country in how gay, lesbian, and transgender people are treated but the sad fact remains that the LGBT community still suffers from abuse and prejudice and police have a responsibility to get the response right.

I think we’ve come a long way and police relations with the LGBT community have dramatically improved. A Pride Fringe event I held at Manchester Town Hall was a chance to debate this very issue. The consensus was that neighbourhood policing has had a positive impact on community relations, but there needs to be consensus across GMP to give all LGBT people the confidence to come forward if they have been a victim of hate crime. 

So yes, GMP still faces challenges - self-evident when you look at the diversity of the workforce, which isn’t totally reflective of the communities we serve.  But the GMP of today is a lot different – to be openly gay is ‘normal’ and the role of women in the force has completely transformed. I’m proud to be part of it.

I’m not saying we’ve solved all the problems, and everybody in GMP works together in harmony – we’re far from there. Some of your colleagues, or maybe one of you reading this column, will be racist or homophobic or sexist. But I can say confidently that you are in the minority, and as the rest of us continue to stand together against the bigots, there will be no place for you or your values in our police force and in our communities.

Fifty years ago Martin Luther King spoke of equality, and that can be applied across all sections of society, across the world. His dream may not be completely realised, but we’ve shown we are capable of change – Manchester Pride is a symbol of that.