From Sovo.com
Officer Dani Lee Harris, LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Deparment and one of the grand marshals for the Atlanta Pride Parade, said today she will not wear her uniform during the parade due to backlash from the Sept. 10 police raid on the Atlanta Eagle, a gay bar.
Harris said her 10-year-old son, who will ride in the parade with her, was concerned about her safety.
“My biggest concern is the safety of my son and out of respect for him I will swallow my pride,” she said.
Harris intended to wear her uniform in the parade despite outcry from some who were angered by her selection as a grand marshal. The Atlanta Pride Committee selected Harris before the raid but announced the selection afterward.
“I’m flabbergasted,” she said today. “Why people can’t realize this is about 21 officers out of 1,700 officers, and [the raid] is still under investigation. But I will come out of uniform.
“They got this one,” she said of those angered by her being a grand marshal. More in Sovo.com
One thing…the sovo article rather surprised me. I expected Pride to have a conciliatory tone, extending an olive branch and yet there was nothing silence (though to be fair, it’s late breaking news and maybe they couldn’t be reached). And Harris seemed positively ANGRY about the whole thing. Couldn’t she just have said, “While I don’t agree with the protesters I understand their point and out of respect for them and a desire to bring the community together I’ve decided not to wear my uniform.”
?????
But let’s not quibble on the how when we got the what. And the what is a compromise that takes into account the understandable feelings of the men who were victimized by the police at The Eagle.
agreed.. she should at least say “out of protest for the community i represet, i will not wear my uniform, i’m on your side”
October 27th, 2009 at 7:39 pmOfc. Harris was deservedly angry. A small subset of people have been constantly badgering our community’s link to the internals of the APD, detracting from the real issues.
Congratulations on tearing down one of our own. That’s how a community is built, right?
October 27th, 2009 at 8:08 pmThe Eagle owners, staff and patrons have been voicing concern about Officer harris being in uniform since her announcement as Grand Marshal was made. They had every right to ask that she lead the parade in civilian clothes. That uniform represents the entire APD, not just Officer Harris.
There is no movement against Dani that I’m aware of, it’s not personal, it’s about symbolism of the APD.
October 28th, 2009 at 9:43 am“There is no movement against Dani that I’m aware of, it’s not personal, it’s about symbolism of the APD.”
Revisionist history? Just yesterday:
http://www.mikealvear.com/2009/10/26/atlanta-pride-committee-throws-eagle-raid-victims-under-the-bus/
That’s not about symbolism; that’s attacking one specific person. I don’t see anything in that article about telling all the *other* APD officers who will likely be in the parade to piss off.
October 29th, 2009 at 9:22 amwho gives a shit? this is the dumbest waste of online content I’ve ever seen. Are gays even capable of understanding the concept of symbolism? Ridiculous.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:10 am