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Gay Pride NYC: NYPD Gives Cop Car A Rainbow Makeover In Solidarity With Orlando Victims

Published on: June 24, 2016 at 6:03 AM
By Anne Sewell

One week after the brutal mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, the Gay Pride event hits the streets of New York City Sunday. In solidarity with the LGBT community, the victims of the Orlando shooting, and their families and friends, the NYPD has given one of its patrol cars a rainbow makeover.

The NYPD took one of its 2016 Ford Explorer SUV’s and gave it the perfect makeover, with rainbow NYPD badges on the hood and front guards, a multi-colored light bar, and rainbow striping on the roof, wheels, and side panels.

As reported by CarsGuide , where it normally reads, “Courtesy, Professionalism, Respect” on the sides of the NYPD’s patrol cars, the rainbow car has the message, “ Pride, Equality, Peace .” On the back windows are the moving words, “Our love goes out to Orlando.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at a press conference on Thursday, saying the new rainbow patrol car is a symbol of the NYPD’s solidarity and deep connection with the LGBT community.

“When we celebrate pride we do it with particular passion and this year we have an obligation to our nation in the wake of Orlando to show what pride and inclusion looks like and the whole city will be celebrating and standing up for and with our LGBT community,” he said.

De Blasio went on to say that, while there were no specific threats directed at the parade in New York City on Sunday, this won’t stop the NYPD from being extra vigilant and using all of its resources.

On its Facebook page, the NYPD posted an image of the rainbow car (pictured top) with a note reading, “One of our newest trucks in the fleet ready for this Sunday’s Heritage of Pride March. NYPD cops won’t just be marching in the parade, they’ll be protecting it.”

A week after 49 people were killed and dozens more injured at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, rainbow flags have sprouted up everywhere. People on Facebook have replaced their profile photos with the multi-colored flags, and even some churches are displaying the rainbow emblem.

However, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times , not everyone is happy to see the LGBT rainbow flags displayed so prominently. Closer to home, around 80 miles from Orlando, County Commissioner Stacy White was dismayed to see a rainbow flag flying at the Hillsborough County Center in Tampa.

According to White, he received an anonymous call from a county employee, who said, “it will be nearly unbearable for her pass the ‘pride’ flag each morning” due to her strong Christian beliefs.

According to the Tampa Bay Times , White wrote, “I wish to state for the record that, even if there is deemed to be zero liability from an HR perspective, it is still — in my view — unconscionable that the county administrator didn’t express to the board that this divisive symbol might create an uncomfortable workplace environment for many of his employees.”

However, as reported, the positive response to the multicolored flags in support of the Orlando victims far outweighs the negative all over the U.S.A. and, in fact, the world.

[Photo via NYPD Facebook ]

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