The move is self-defeating. There is no progress without people willing to do the work inside of organizations whose cultural inertia makes them resistant to change. Those people, in turn, need the support of the larger LGBTQIA+ community. I know such support exists more broadly. For several years, I’ve marched with GOAL for Pride alongside uniformed and civilian professionals representing a number of domestic and international law enforcement agencies. Each time our presence on the route has been met with deafening cheers, high-fives, and sincere embraces from the community. Given that support, the ban is a bewildering move by Heritage of Pride to drive apart natural partners in change. In an age of meme-derived capital valued in likes, shares and views, the decision is yet another example in which performative politics is mistaken for thoughtful deliberation and real effort.
