Granted, excluding G.O.A.L. from Pride is not as cut and dried as excluding the NYPD in uniform at large. Actually, I would support G.O.A.L. marching in mufti as they used to do. I understand this was offered some time ago in compromise. I don’t know for sure what happened with the proposal, though I’ve heard G.O.A.L. rejected it. (important: I do not know this for a fact.) In any case, their marching in uniform tends to send a very pink-washing message about the department as a whole that runs contrary to the aims of the march. People see them and form the conclusion that NYPD cops are cool with queer people. If that were true, it would be a great message. The trouble is it isn’t true.