Euro LGBT police coming to Pride out of uniform

The European LGBT Police Association, which met in Athens on Wednesday, announced that European LGBT police officers will participate in Athens Pride on Saturday, without wearing their uniforms out of respect for the decision by the organizers.

Pride Organizers said that given the LGBT+ community’s difficult relations with the police, but also the recent developments in the case of activist Zak Kostopoulos’ murder, identifying as police in any way has no place in the Athens Pride Festival.

Meanwhile, the European LGBT Police Association will start a conference on Thursday in Athens titled “Building Bridges,” between the police and the LGBT+ community. 

However, the decision for officers not to be in uniform at Athens Pride was bemoaned by Michalis Lolis, himself a gay police officer and the president of Police Action. “Neither the police nor Pride want us. We are out of everywhere,” he said.