Jesse Baird and Luke Davies: Sydney Mardi Gras board asks police not to join parade

Organisers of Sydney’s Mardi Gras parade have asked police not to march in the event on Saturday after New South Wales constable Beaumont Lamarre-Condon was charged with murdering a gay couple in the city, the New South Wales force have said.

A NSW police spokesperson confirmed the decision by the board of Australia’s premier LGBTQI event on Monday night.

“The NSW police force has been advised that the board of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has decided to withdraw the invitation to NSW police to participate in this year’s event,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“While disappointed with this outcome, NSW police will continue to work closely with the LGBTIQA+ community and remain committed to working with organisers to provide a safe environment for all those participating in and supporting this Saturday’s parade.”

The move came as an advocacy group said the debate about the police presence should be kept separate from the alleged murder.

Debate over police participation in the parade was ignited after Lamarre-Condon allegedly shot his ex-boyfriend and his new partner with his service gun.

The 28-year-old is being held without bail after being charged with murdering his former partner, ex-Ten reporter Jesse Baird, 26, and the man’s new boyfriend Luke Davies, 29, in Sydney on 19 February.

Investigators allege Lamarre-Condon’s crimes followed a months-long campaign of “predatory behaviour”, culminating in the fatal double shooting.

The senior constable previously marched in the parade with the NSW police contingent.

But the LGBTQ Domestic Violence Awareness Foundation said conversations about police participation in Mardi Gras should be kept separate from the issue of the alleged murders.

“This, as has been alleged by NSW police, is a domestic and family violence crime and we must all acknowledge that this issue occurs at a disproportionately higher rate in LGBTQ+ communities,” it said.

“Greater attention and focus needs to be on awareness, recognition and responses to domestic and family violence by our community, first responders, service providers and government.”

NSW police commissioner, Karen Webb, said excluding officers from the parade on Saturday would set the organisation’s relationship with the gay and lesbian community backwards.

“We have been participating in Mardi Gras for the last 20 years and haven’t missed a year … it would be a real travesty for this organisation to be excluded (this year),” she told reporters on Monday.

The state’s premier Chris Minns backed police marching, saying not doing so would be a step backwards.

“There are many LGBTQI members of the NSW police force who would have battled prejudice within the workforce,” he said. “I think that NSW police marching in the Mardi Gras parade is an important part of bringing the communities together.”

Independent Sydney MP Alex Greenwich, who is gay, said there was a trust deficit between the state’s LGBTQI community and police, resulting in many crimes going unreported.

While there was a lot of work to be done to build the relationship, Mr Greenwich did not believe officers should be excluded from the march.

“I want the NSW police force to stand with the LGBTQI community every day of the year and that includes during the Mardi Gras parade,” he told ABC Radio.

“I want to see them march and I want to see them work with us … they understand the task ahead, they understand the hurt and the pain in the community and they are wanting to take steps to address that.”