David Vance SubstackRead More
I was pleased to see that Police Scotland have decided to bar uniformed officers from participating in Glasgow’s Pride march today. This is a long-overdue acknowledgment that any such involvement undermines the core principles of law enforcement.
This latest decision was influenced by a High Court ruling a few days ago that deemed Northumbria Police’s uniformed march at Newcastle Pride a breach of impartiality. Scottish Police have finally prioritised neutrality over performative activism. And THAT is how it should be!
It also highlights fundamental reasons why no police in uniform should ever join gay Pride events. First and foremost, uniforms symbolise state authority and impartial service to all citizens. Scottish Police Federation General Secretary David Kennedy warned that participating in any such march while on duty “can give rise to questions around neutrality and may impact perceptions of police objectivity.”
When officers march in uniform, they really do risk endorsing controversial ideologies, eroding public trust—especially among those who view such events as politicised.
Back in 2022 and 2023, police officers signed Pride flags, an act Kath Murray of think-tank Murray Blackburn Mackenzie labeled “institutional capture” It really was! Unbelievably, last year, dozens of officers were paid to march!!
Reasonable people will realise that this ban isn’t anti-LGBT; officers can still attend off-duty. But uniformed participation blurs the line between policing and politics and must now end. Other forces must now follow and all in all, this is a good move.
It’s time to take policing out of Pride!
