Assiatn of Openly Gay and Lbian Police Officers Into the Law Enforcement Culture | Office of Jtice Programs

Contents:

• THE COPS STANDG WH, AND FOR, THE GAY COMMUNI THEY SERVE
• ASSIATN OF OPENLY GAY AND LBIAN POLICE OFFICERS INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CULTURE
• “A GAY OFFICER CGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS”
• COMG OUT AT WORK: WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY P NEW JERSEY

THE COPS STANDG WH, AND FOR, THE GAY COMMUNI THEY SERVE

But as the print of the force’s only LGBTQ aternal anizatn — the Gay Officers Actn League, or GOAL — his other role is to serve and support his brothers and sisters drsed blue … and rabows.

ASSIATN OF OPENLY GAY AND LBIAN POLICE OFFICERS INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CULTURE

Gay police officers straddle two worlds: Outsi the force, they are sometim viewed wh spicn by their own kd. As part of the force, they’re navigatg the very stutn largely rponsible for the vlence that led to the morn gay rights movement. In fact, the gay rights movement was born out of a rt agast the police.

“A GAY OFFICER CGHT BETWEEN TWO WORLDS”

In 1969, New York Cy officers raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay club Greenwich Village, sparkg vlent protts and clash that lasted six days.

And back then, as now, the stggle between beg both a p and a gay activist wasn’t easily renciled.

COMG OUT AT WORK: WHAT 'S LIKE TO BE A GAY P NEW JERSEY

“I’m very proud of beg a New York Cy policeman, and I’m equally proud of beg gay, ” he said to a stunned dience. “It’s an ongog procs, y, but ’s important for the [gay muny] — which has this mentaly based on history that you n’t be both gay and a police officer — to see that there are gay ps out there. Before he joed the force 17 years ago, Locke was a social worker and director at the Gay and Lbian Anti-Vlence Project, where he vtigated s of police vlence agast the gay muny.

On June 12, a few weeks before this year’s Pri Para, Downey stood at the ont of an dorium New York’s police headquarters for an annual event to honor the cy’s gay officers.