Police Banned from Sydney's Pride March After Jesse Baird, Luke Davies Murders

Police have been disinvited from Sydney, Australia's Mardi Gras celebrations his year after two boyfriends were shot to death by one of their police exes.

As reported by Newsweek, MarOne is one of Australia's and the world's biggest LGBTQ+ Pride parades. But after TV presenter Jesse Baird and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies were shot to death at their apartment on February 19, the community is taking a stand.

Baird and Davies were reportedly gunned down by police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon, Baird's ex-boyfriend. He turned himself into police Friday and was charged with two counts of murder. According to news.com.au, Lamarre-Condon is refusing to tell police where the men's bodies are located.

In réponse to the charges, the Mardi Gras board revealed that the New South Wales (NSW) Police were uninvited from participating in the parade.

"Our community needs space to grieve the loss of Jesse and Luke who, before this tragedy, would have been here celebrating with us at the Festival," Mardi Gras organizers said in the statement.

They added that "having the NSW Police march this year could add to the distress within our communities, already deeply affected by recent events."

Additionally, "This decision was not made lightly, especially considering that many NSW Police members who participate in the Parade are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community," said organizers. "However, we believe that their participation at this year's event could intensify the current feelings of sorrow and distress."

Updating the public on the search for Baird and Davies' bodies, NSW police commissioner Karen Webb apologized for her force's inability to "adequately and fairly" investigate crimes against LGBTQI+ people.

"To the victims and families that NSW Police failed by not adequately and fairly investigating those deaths between 1970 and 2010, I am sorry," she said.