The US is still far from a safe haven for LGBT communities, as hate crimes like the Orlando shooting and a chilling attempted attack on this year’s parade in Los Angeles make painfully clear.
Istanbul’s parade, which began in 2003 and was once attended by hundreds of thousands, was banned for the first time last year. The city government had banned the solidarity event due to security concerns, and at least 19 Pride participants were detained for taking to the street, reports the Associated Press. The same day in Istanbul, police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon at the several hundred people gathered in Taksim Square. In New York on Sunday, June 26, some 20,000 people took to the streets under the protection of a record police presence, after a horrific shooting at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, earlier this month. Thousands of uniformed or plain clothes officers and counterterrorism units patrolled the streets, and city mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to protect LGBT communities from copycat attacks.
