Police officers will not be allowed to participate in the 2021 Denver PrideFest this summer as patrols or attendees, organizers said Tuesday.

This decision adds Denver to a short list of cities that banned police from LGBTQ Pride festivities this year, including New York City — the location of the largest Pride Parade in the country — which has banned police from the parade until 2025.

The Center on Colfax, the host of Denver PrideFest, said the decision was made as a way to disavow police violence towards Black people, a conversation that has gained momentum nationally in recent years through the Black Lives Matter movement.

“We cannot in good conscience, as an organization that speaks up for justice, look the other way when it comes to police violence aimed at the Black community,” the statement said.

“While we value our relationships with law enforcement and want to continue to build a safer community for all Coloradans, we feel we must take a stand.”

The LGBTQ civil rights movement is rooted in opposition to police violence against marginalized communities, epitomized in the famous Stonewall Riots of June 1969 which are the reason Pride Month is celebrated in June.

The Center itself was founded in direct response to police in Denver brutalizing and harassing members of the LGBTQ community 45 years ago, organizers said.

“We hope to facilitate future conversations about how we can reform policing in our community that will involve all members of our community and support new and just ways of keeping our communities safe,” The Center’s statement said.

The Center said police officers will not be permitted to participate in any of the in-person or virtual PrideFest events, taking place on June 26 and 27. This year’s celebrations include a virtual parade and marketplace, and an in-person 5K race and mini celebrations across the city in designated Pride Hubs.

The Center said it hired private security for the 5K and the Denver Police Department will not provide security at the Pride Hub at The Center, but will follow security requirements under city permit guidelines.

In a statement Wednesday, DPD said it respects The Center’s decision and hopes to be able to participate in future years.

“The Denver Police Department considers the LGBTQ community valued partners in safety,” the statement said. “(We) look forward to building upon our relationships with The Center and LGBTQ community moving forward.”

DPD has participated in all Denver PrideFests in recent years and even launched the “Proud in Denver” campaign in 2017 to promote safe places for the LGBTQ community in local businesses.

Other law enforcement agencies in the Denver metro area have also historically participated in Denver PrideFest, including the Aurora Police Department.

In a statement posted to social media, APD Officer Christopher Amsler said he was “disheartened” by The Center’s decision, saying that he was one of the driving forces behind getting APD involved in PrideFest over a decade ago.

“Thinking about the challenges we overcame and the personal struggles I went through to be an openly gay police officer makes their decision even more heartbreaking,” Amsler said. “Exclusion is not the answer to address issues, concerns and fears that marginalized communities have regarding the police.”

James said he hopes that The Center will reconsider its decision for future PrideFest events.

The City of Aurora hosts its own Pride Parade and celebratory events via Aurora Pride. The organization has not said whether it will be banning police from its activities.