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The New York City Police Department — NYPD — 43 years after raiding a Mafia-owned gay bar in Greenwich Village, sparking the Stonewall riots, have just released a video for LGBTQ youth, saying, “It Gets Better.”
“Members of the NYPD share their experiences and encourage victims of bullying to seek support,” the NYPD writes. “Messages from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, LGBT liaison Detective Tim Duffy, President of the Gay Officers Action League Detective Carl Locke and others.”
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly opens the video, touting NYC’s “respect for the rights of all people.”
It’s impossible to ignore the irony here — the NYPD was rightly vilified in the liberal press for its, many say, unconstitutional attacks on the Occupy Wall Street protestors, and the journalists who tried to document violent police activity.
The NYPD’s focus on older gay men, which some called entrapment, has been widely criticized as well.
And the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices, which target mostly Black, and a high proportion of LGBT people, and are excruciatingly troubling — we’re hopeful they are waning.
It’s commendable that the NYPD are wanting to support LGBTQ youth and teens. But it’s impossible to separate their poor record in some important cases from this good deed.
Related:
Occupy Wall Street: NYPD Chains Transgender Man To Jail Restroom For 8 Hours
4 In 10 Americans Have Been Arrested By Age 23? Time To Question Authority, Not Kids.
Occupy Wall Street: Shocking Video Of NYPD Prohibiting NY Times From Taking Photos
NYC Mayor Bloomberg: NYPD Is My Own Army
NYPD Police Chief’s Son Is Fox’s On-Air Anti-Occupy Wall Street Activist
Shocking Video – Occupy Wall Street: NYPD Drag Girl By Hair, Handcuff, Arrest Her
Breaking: NYPD Raid And Barricade Occupy Wall Street Protestors In Zucotti Park
Occupy Wall Street: NYPD Military Assault, Raid, Evict Zucotti Protestors
Occupy Times Square: Over 10,000 Peaceful Protestors, So NYPD Arrests Dozens
Occupy Wall Street: NYPD Police Officer Punches Protestor (Video)
Occupy Wall Street: NYPD Motorcycles Run Over Protestors (Videos)