The relationship between police and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community continues to be tempestuous, and reconciliation efforts remain essential.
As we celebrate Pride Month, all of us at the Delta Police Department acknowledge this as an opportunity to reflect on our shared past, present and future with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Many of our officers proudly and simultaneously wear the badge and the flag, and we are committed to further bridging the gap between these communities.
Earlier this year, some of our officers, who are members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, created and delivered training to all DPD officers to share their personal experience and to help ensure that officers are equipped to respectfully and professionally interact with members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
This training dove into Canada’s dark history, including criminalization, protests, parades, and legislative amendments. It is vital for our officers to understand how this shared past is not so historical – for example, it wasn’t until 1992 that the Federal Court lifted the ban barring queer people from the military. Same-sex marriage wasn’t legalized until 2005, and the Canadian Human Rights Act didn’t recognize gender identity until 2017.
While efforts are made around the world to be more accepting, many are still directed at furthering hate. The 2SLGBTQIA+ community continues to face discrimination, criminalization, harassment, violence, and ostracization globally – including in Canada – purely for their identity. We don’t have to look far to see these struggles, demonstrated by recent acts of vandalism to Pride flags throughout Delta.
To help mend and kindle this relationship, the DPD Proud Initiative (a peer-led internal support network) was established to provide an inclusive environment that strengthens the department’s connection with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and to tackle existing barriers for queer individuals to join policing and proudly embrace both identities.
We also want 2SLGBTQIA+ employees already among our ranks to feel safe and supported.
There is still so much work to be done – but we are proud of how far we have come.
We are proud to serve our community, who have supported and accepted our efforts at reconciliation. We do not take our invitation to participate in these discussions and events for granted; we understand the complex relationship between police and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Change takes time, and we are committed to the long run.
-Meah Peers (she/her), Policy Analyst, Delta Police Department
