Stormont minister ‘concerned’ at PSNI Pride stance

Andrew Muir, who is gay, was speaking as part of a BBC Spotlight programme into the murder of a police officer. He said not allowing officers to take part in the 2023 Belfast Pride parade in uniform was #34;concerning. The PSNI said the decision was taken to comply with its obligations on impartiality. The PSNI said it would continue to attend and support Pride events, but officers were not permitted to take part in the parade in uniform.

It said officers could still attend in a private capacity, whilst off duty, but they could not make reference to their role as a police officer. The BBC has released a new documentary on the death of Darren Bradshaw. He was killed by the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) in 1997. In a statement, the RUC said it had failed to do enough to protect Bradshaw’s family.

The RUC added that it had made mistakes in the past, but was trying to do better. The documentary looks into the origins of the historic LGBT space in the city. Mr Bradshaw had been socialising in Belfast#39;s first openly gay venue, the Parliament. He was suspended from the RUC at the time of the attack, after allegations were made that he had attended a party where drugs had been used.

Special Branch were aware that a terrorist organisation was showing interest in Darren, says former RUC officer. Darren Bradshaw was being told that paramilitaries were after him. Former Parliament performers and regulars told Spotlight that Mr Bradshaw#39;s killing had a #34;devastating effect on the gay scene at the time. He says it took a long time for people to feel safe to go out again.

He says: “You#39;ve lost a connection with people. That#34;s hard to find” Blood on the Dance Floor is on BBC One Northern Ireland at 22:40 on Tuesday 19 March.