Memphis Police Department Visits LGBT Community Leaders During Pride Parade

The Memphis Police Department (MPD) shared a post on its Facebook Page celebrating its involvement with LGBT organizers during “pride month.”

“The Memphis Police Department joined community leaders, visitors, and participants for the 2023 Mid-South Pride Parade on Beale Street,” MPD said on Facebook. “Officers ensured the safety of everyone and provided traffic control around today’s events. The weather was perfect, and the food was excellent.”

Meanwhile, crime is skyrocketing in Memphis.

“Major property crimes, including burglaries and vehicle and property thefts, shot up 43% in Memphis and 42% in Shelby County in the first three months of 2023, compared to the same period a year earlier,” according to an April report. “That was driven by a 155% increase in vehicle thefts… Overall major property crimes were up 72% since hitting a low point in 2016.”

“Violent crimes overall were up 7.7% in Memphis and 5.4% countywide. Reports of rapes were up 41%,” the report continued.

In the first three months of 2023 alone, Memphis has recorded 81 murders.

On June 1, the first day of “pride month,” the city itself shared a post from Memphis Travel directing residents to check out “details on upcoming events and year-round resources” for LGBT people.

Happy #PRIDE from #Memphis! 🏳️‍🌈〽️🏳️‍⚧️ Check out details on upcoming events and year-round resources with our LGBTQ+ Guide –> https://t.co/gjggO2w3qk#MustMemphis #MemphisPride #Midsouthpride #TriStateBlackPride

— Memphis (@MemphisTravel) June 1, 2023

That group promoted the event celebrated by MPD, which was called the “Mid-South Pride Festival.”

The festival is just one feature of the four-day Memphis Pride Fest Weekend, the largest gathering of its kind in the region, and the “most colorful weekend of the year.” Kick off the weekend with Drag N Drive (June 1), a showing of Legally Blond accompanied by a drag show at Memphis’ classic Summer Drive-In. Friday, June 2, get down at the Big Gay Dance Party at New Daisy Theatre on iconic Beale Street. Then, get ready for Saturday’s Pride Fest & Parade, with two stages of music, a marketplace with hundreds of vendors, a car show, VIP lounge, kids area and more just off the parade route in Robert Church Park (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $1 entry). The parade, featuring more than 100 displays and thousands of participants, rolls out at 1 p.m. on June 3 from Beale Street and South 4th Street for a colorful procession through the Beale Street Entertainment District. Then, celebrate at the Memphis Pride Fest after party that night at New Daisy Theatre.

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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Memphis Police Department Pride” by Memphis Police Department.