Fayetteville to bolster Pride Parade security

FAYETTEVILLE -- Fayetteville is one of many cities across the country that are beefing up their police presence at gay pride events this weekend after 49 people were killed in an attack at a gay nightclub in Florida on Sunday.

More officers than usual will guide participants and monitor side streets around Dickson Street during the 10th annual Northwest Arkansas Pride Parade on Saturday and a pub crawl tonight, Fayetteville Police Sgt. Craig Stout said. He declined to say how many officers would be present.

George's Majestic Lounge security personnel and University of Arkansas police officers also will help during the weekend, said Chaz Allen, president of the NWA Center for Equality, the events' organizer.

Pride parades and other events have been held for decades to gather lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their supporters and to affirm their existence and identity. Many of those events take place in June, which is celebrated as Pride Month.

Several cities across the U.S. are increasing security measures for such events after Sunday's attack at the Orlando nightclub Pulse and after a man was arrested Sunday in Los Angeles with several rifles and explosive chemicals and told police that he was on his way to that city's pride parade.

In Chicago, where nearly 1 million people have attended its pride parade in previous years, better security -- including 200 additional uniformed and plainclothes officers -- will be assigned to this weekend's PrideFest and next weekend's parade out of "an abundance of caution," Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said Thursday.

Chicago parade organizers also are providing additional security at the city's request -- hiring 160 off-duty police officers and other security professionals, 70 more than worked the parade last year.

The FBI also said it would take an active role, gathering intelligence on any possible threats and sharing that information with Chicago police.

Houston police also are increasing security for the city's pride parade June 25. Acting Police Chief Martha Montalvo said the department is investigating a threat that was made on Twitter this week that indicated there would be a "massive shooting" at the event.

"We take all threats seriously, and we are investigating it, and we have notified and are working in conjunction with the FBI," she said.

The police presence also is being heightened for this weekend's pride events in Denver and in New Orleans, where many gay bars and nightclubs on Bourbon Street said they had already increased their security.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said New Orleans "stands in solidarity" with Orlando because the city experienced a similar tragedy when the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in the French Quarter, was set on fire June 24, 1973, killing 32 people.

It's unknown how last weekend's rampage will affect attendance at pride events, but in Chicago, pride-parade coordinator Richard Pfeiffer said attendance may increase.

"Our history shows that we beat back hate like this by coming out and coming together and being in public," he said.

In Fayetteville, organizers said last year a record of 2,000 people turned out for the parade a day after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled same-sex couples had the right to marry anywhere in the country. Stout said he expects another large crowd after Sunday's attack.

"We figure a lot of people will be showing up just as a show of support," Stout said. "Obviously what happened in Orlando has heightened some awareness."

Justine Turnage, a member of Fayetteville's Transgender Equality Network, a support and advocacy group, said she still plans to go to the parade Saturday, despite the recent scares in other cities.

"It is definitely something we have to watch out for, something we have to be aware of, because copycats come in all shapes and sizes," she said. "But at the same time, Fayetteville is much lower key. It definitely feels safer here."

Hostility and violence toward the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are nothing new. The FBI reported more than 1,100 crimes motivated by bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the U.S. in 2014, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Stout and Allen said no such crimes tied to past Fayetteville pride events have been reported.

Allen said the Orlando attack highlights the importance of pride and being visible as an LGBT individual.

"We're going to have a really fun and great pride [event]," Allen added. "This pride [event] will have special importance."

Information for this article was contributed by Dan Holtmeyer of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and by Don Babwin of The Associated Press.

Metro on 06/17/2016