As he patrols the streets, Michael Cavett’s rainbow bracelet sticks out against his dark-blue police uniform, a sign of his pride.
For Cavett, a gay Gainesville Police officer, the bracelet — along with his equality pin — serves to reassure members of the LGBTQ+ community that he is one of them.
As one of three members of GPD’s LGBTQ+ liaison team, formed following the June 12 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Cavett is essentially one of the faces of GPD’s outreach. And whenever he’s approached by a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he’ll give his signal: “I’ll either point to the pin on my chest,” he said, “or start playing with my wristband on my arm.”
After the Pulse shooting, GPD formed its liaison team, said GPD Lt. Jaime Kurnick, who is lesbian.
Cavett said he remembers growing up feeling unaccepted and underrepresented, and he hopes to improve police relations in that sense.
“I’d like to see us gear it toward the LGBT community,” Cavett said. “So they don’t feel like they are not victims of a crime because they are a member of that community.”
GPD is in the process of approving guidelines officers should use when they’re working with members of the LGBTQ+ community, Cavett said, adding that the department hopes to march in the Gainesville Pride Parade and Festival and modify self-defense classes specifically for the LGBTQ+ community.
Nate Quinn, an 18-year-old UF psychology freshman, said as a transgender man, he would be nervous if he had to interact with police, because officers in the past have not honored people’s preferred gender identities.
His suggestion: “If you don’t know someone’s pronouns, ask them.”
Kurnick said she wants the community to feel comfortable when interacting with officers and said she feels lucky to work in an office that’s accepting of her and other members of her community
“We’re not scared of this,” Kurnick said. “We’re very open about this. We want to address these issues.”
