Beginner Safety Planning for Pride Events

Jun 7

In light of the massive increase in extremists targeting LGBTQIA+ events, we have created a guide for safety planning around Pride events. Really, it works for most events, but we wanted to make sure our queer friends and fam had some resources right now as things are heating up. This guide is also available as a PDF, or as a package of five sets of instagram graphics that can be shared on social media.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide, but something entry level to get folks started who haven’t had to make a security plan before. Every situation is different, if you need help crafting a security plan, please reach out to us at info@endora.tech.

Pride is all about being out and proud in our queerness!

To do that, organizers need to keep participants safe and drown out hate with joy.

Prepare Safe Lines of Communication

Disable any biometric locks on your phone, like fingerprint or facial recognition. Here are the instructions for iOS and Android.

Turn off your phone’s geotagging; here’s how to do that for iPhone and Android.

Signal is the safest mode of texting. Download it to your phone and use it as your only mode of messaging with your co-organizers during the event. You can download it for iOS or Android. Set up a group message before the event, so you can easily share updates.

If possible, get walkie talkies for your organizer team and anyone helping out with the event, so that communication can happen rapidly, but be aware that anybody with a walkie can listen in.

Designate a level headed media contact in your group. If press approaches other people, get the name of the outlet and direct them to the contact.
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Make a safety plan where you identify
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A local civil rights attorney
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A local bail fund
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A safe meetup spot if organizers need to disperse

A "bug out" code for organizers that if this code gets used, everyone leaves and heads to the meetup spot for safety check.

First aid kits that include IFAK/Tourniquet kits and stop bleed patches

Ideally, a bring on street medic that can bring these things and knows how to use them

Establish your protocol for interacting with law enforcement

Stationary Event Preparation

Identify an organizer or group of organizers skilled at de-escalation who will be in charge of handling any required communication with counter-protesters/instigators and law enforcement. This should be this person’s or group’s only role during the event, so that they can address it with their full attention.

Consider where your participants will be, think where instigators might set up, and ways you can

Structurally separate those spaces, e.g., with décor or how you set up the space

Limit the space where instigators might set up so they have less space?

Block the view of instigators (rainbow umbrellas, signage)

Add positive noise to drown out megaphones (playlist, bluetooth speaker, marching band)

Contact a group of volunteers to be escorts and de-escalators to support attendees (local abortion clinic escorts, parasol patrol)

Organizers should be masking. COVID still exists, it sets a good precedent for attendees, and it protects your identity if instigators show up.

Parade or March Preparation

Whether your event is permitted or not, there will likely be law enforcement along your route, who may help or hinder your community safety. You cannot rely on law enforcement as your only security plan.

Who is leading the front and back of the parade? What support do they have if a hostile group comes from either direction?

What support do you have for the middle of the parade? Support for the body of the parade should be related to the size you anticipate – be prepared for more people than you think.

Prior to the event, if possible, assign someone to be a building/roof spotter and someone being a suspicious package spotter along the route

Identify a group of marshals who will work the duration of the event. These people should be trained to step in to handle issues with law enforcement or instigators. Marshals should always put themselves in between the participants and the police – even when the police are doing their job, like stopping traffic in a crosswalk. A planning meeting is a good time to get all the marshals together and on the same page with their roles.

Instruct the marshals to be on the lookout for people wearing too many layers/masks/hats that seem to be trying not be identified by cameras

Best practice is at least two marshals at the front, two at the back, and groups of two on each side evenly spaced out. Make sure marshals are easily identifiable (get them something cute and obvious to wear!) so that participants know who to ask for help or communicate an issue.

Put slower walkers up at the front so they set the pace for everyone, and don’t cause a straggler long tail.

Having people on bikes stationed at the back of the parade that can also be used to protect the middle of the parade on either side and at the front and block traffic if there are no police.

Assign some team members to be crowd support to help educate participants. This can include providing a flyer before the event that doesn’t just tell people the route, but that also shares some common-sense best protest practices, since pride is a protest!

Dealing With Instigators & Documentation

Limit engagement - instigators usually start something to document the reaction of participants or organizers, which they can use for their own ends. Be particularly aware of instigators who are using video, you don’t want to be a meme.

Be wary of anyone asking to interview you.  If they aren't local news or an outlet you have heard of, it’s often a conservative outlet trying to use you for content.  Get the name of the outlet and send them to the designated media contact.

Be cautious to never make physical contact with instigators, even with inanimate objects. Some groups will back into a target and then claim they were assaulted.

Look out for bulges in clothing that could be concealed carry guns.  Also note any open carry that you see to organizers.

Sometimes instigators appear to be part of the group – either undercover, or as genuine participants who are contributing to a problem. All instigators need to be treated with extreme caution.

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Record everything
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Make sure you know how to quickly film incidents should they occur. Most smartphones have a one-touch camera (aka you don’t even have to unlock your phone to use it) which you can set to video before the event starts.

If anything starts to feel unsafe, that’s the time to start video documentation.

Try to capture identifying characteristics of the instigator(s) (e.g., patches, ID numbers, any logos, a clear face shot)

Focus on the actions and audio of the instigators

Avoid filming other bystanders, particularly the faces of the person(s) being targeted, to protect their safety.

Documentation should be shared with your organizers, and legal support. You can share photos and videos in your Signal group chat.

Know Your Rights

Never give the police more information than is absolutely necessary. Never unlock your phone for the police.

Ask if you are free to leave. If the officer says yes, calmly walk away.

If you are under arrest, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don’t say anything or sign anything without a lawyer.

If possible, document the ID number of the officer(s) arresting you.

If You Are Targeted, or See an Event Being Targeted Online

Send a screenshot or link to us at info@endora.tech. We track incidents, give organizers for targeted events early warning, and help people navigate resources for prolonged attacks.

Gladys Kravitz