A new American study has found that LGBTQ people in the United States remain deeply divided over whether police should participate in Pride events, reflecting the movement’s complex relationship with law enforcement more than half a century after the Stonewall uprising.
The research, published by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, found that 48% of LGBTQ adults support police participation in Pride events, while 19% oppose it. A further 33% neither support nor oppose police involvement, highlighting widespread ambivalence rather than a clear consensus.
The findings come as debates over police participation continue to resurface at Pride events across North America and elsewhere, with organisers weighing historical concerns against contemporary security needs amid rising anti-LGBTQ hostility.
Pride’s complicated relationship with police
The report argues that today’s discussions cannot be separated from Pride’s origins. Modern Pride events trace their roots to the 1969 Stonewall uprising, itself a response to repeated police raids on LGBTQ venues. For decades, LGBTQ identities and relationships were criminalised in much of the United States, leaving many community members with a lasting distrust of law enforcement.
Today, however, police often attend Pride events in a very different capacity. Many organisers invite officers to march in parades or provide security against anti-LGBTQ demonstrations and violence. Supporters see this as evidence of improved relations between police and LGBTQ communities and an important contribution to public safety. Critics argue that police participation risks pinkwashing institutions that continue to disproportionately harm LGBTQ people, particularly transgender people and LGBTQ people of colour.
The study notes that previous research has consistently shown LGBTQ people are less likely than the general population to trust police, report crimes, or seek help from law enforcement, particularly after experiencing discrimination or bias.
Sharp differences within the LGBTQ community
Rather than revealing a simple divide between supporters and opponents, the survey shows attitudes vary considerably across different parts of the LGBTQ community.
The strongest support came from respondents identifying as lesbian or gay, 60% of whom backed police participation at Pride events. Support fell to 42% among bisexual respondents and 44% among people identifying as queer. At the same time, one-third (33%) of queer respondents opposed police participation, compared with just 14% of lesbian and gay respondents.
The most striking differences emerged around gender identity. While around half of cisgender respondents supported police participation, only 37% of transgender and nonbinary respondents did so. Meanwhile, 43% of transgender and nonbinary respondents opposed police participation: roughly three times the opposition recorded among cisgender men and women.
Researchers suggest these differences reflect previous findings that transgender and nonbinary people experience disproportionately negative interactions with law enforcement.
Age is one of the biggest dividing lines
Generational differences proved even more pronounced.
Only 33% of LGBTQ people aged 18 to 29 supported police participation at Pride events, compared with between 53% and 64% among older age groups. Young adults were also far more likely to oppose police participation, with 32% expressing opposition, compared with only 11% to 14% among respondents aged 30 and older.
Socioeconomic status also influenced opinions. LGBTQ people with higher socioeconomic status were the most supportive of police participation (60%) and the least likely to oppose it (14%). Support was lower among respondents with low or middle socioeconomic status.
By contrast, the researchers found no statistically significant differences based on race or ethnicity, with support and opposition remaining relatively consistent across racial groups.
No single LGBTQ view
The report concludes that public debates often overlook the diversity of opinion within LGBTQ communities themselves.
Rather than producing a clear majority either for or against police participation, the survey suggests that many LGBTQ people simultaneously recognise the need for security at Pride events while remaining sceptical of policing because of historical and contemporary experiences.
The authors argue that the findings demonstrate LGBTQ communities are “not monolithic” in their views of law enforcement. Those groups most likely to have experienced negative interactions with police—including transgender, nonbinary, queer, and younger LGBTQ people—were also the groups expressing the strongest opposition to police participation at Pride events. They conclude that further dialogue and research will be needed as organisers continue to balance safety, representation, and Pride’s origins as a protest movement.
The findings are based on the ‘Policing the Rainbow‘ study, a nationally representative survey conducted in 2022 among 798 LGBTQ adults in the United States using NORC’s AmeriSpeak probability panel.
Respondents were asked whether they agreed that police should participate in LGBTQ Pride events to show their support. The authors note that the survey did not distinguish between officers marching in parades and officers providing security, meaning participants may have interpreted “participation” differently.
