She added, “At some point, hopefully, they’ll try to step in my shoes, and maybe they can see the other side.”
As members argued about the ban, Mr. Thomas angrily accused some of dismissing the negative experiences so many African Americans had with police. In the past week, he told them, he had received online messages of hate consistently from white gay men, to the extent that his family feared for his safety. “This organization will no longer get any more of my Black life, my Black labor and my Black body,” he told them, according to his own account. “You’ll receive my resignation tomorrow.”
After members voted to rescind the ban, the meeting broke up, with hard feelings all around. “Everyone was frustrated, on principle and on process,” said Hannah Simpson, an associate member who opposed the ban.
The 13-member board then met — without Mr. Thomas, who did not attend — and overruled the vote, sending notice to members just before midnight. “My jaw hit the floor,” said Ms. Fisher, who had called for the vote of no confidence.
Brian Downey, president of the gay officers group, said he felt “betrayed” by the ban, especially because the officers “put so much of themselves on the chopping block” by working to change practices and attitudes within their departments.
“I understand that there’s community sensitivities towards law enforcement, and justified,” Mr. Downey said. “We’re working to change the system from within, which we have for 40 years. I don’t know how this got here in the flick of a light switch.”
In the meantime, Pride month approaches.
Heritage of Pride is planning a mostly virtual slate of events, creating a vacuum for other marches to fill. Dan Dimant, the organization’s media director, said no sponsors had withdrawn their support after the ban on police officers. VIP ticket packages run to $475 for full access, which includes ingredients for a virtual cooking lesson.
