No Cops At Pride

2015Catchphrase / Snowclonesemi-active

Also known as: No Police at Pride

No Cops At Pride is a 2015 activist catchphrase that exploded into a 2018 snowclone meme replacing 'cops' with absurd celebrities and fictional characters carrying ridiculous weapons, blending political critique with surreal humor.

"No Cops At Pride" is a catchphrase and snowclone meme format rooted in LGBTQ+ activist discourse about police presence at Pride celebrations. The phrase first appeared on Twitter in 2015 but exploded into a viral meme format during Pride season 2018, when users began appending absurd alternatives to police. The core joke follows a simple template: "no cops at pride, just [celebrity or fictional character with a ridiculous weapon or item]," blending genuine political critique with the internet's love of surreal humor.

lgbtq memessnowclone memespolitical satire memesabsurdist humor memes

Overview

No Cops At Pride is both a political slogan and an endlessly remixable meme template. The base format is straightforward: state that cops shouldn't be at Pride, then propose an absurd replacement for security. The humor comes from pairing well-known pop culture figures with comically inadequate or bizarre "weapons." Think Carly Rae Jepsen wielding a sword, Hilary Duff hoisting a barrel over her head, or John Mulaney throwing a money clip at attackers1.

The meme straddles the line between sincere activism and internet comedy. For many LGBTQ+ people, the phrase carries real weight, connecting back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and ongoing tensions between queer communities and law enforcement2. For the wider internet, it functions as a particularly fun Cards Against Humanity-style fill-in-the-blank game with a political edge2.

The debate over police at Pride is far older than the meme itself. LGBTQ+ liberation began as direct confrontation with police at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, and many activists have long argued that cops have no place at celebrations born from anti-police resistance3.

The earliest known use of "no cops at Pride" as an online phrase came from Twitter user @TinyAwoo on August 1, 20154. The tweet referenced the NYPD beating a gay man while singing homophobic slurs, connecting it to the original Pride events as "rallies against police brutality against queer folk." The post received modest engagement, with around 10 retweets and 10 likes4.

The phrase circulated within activist communities for the next few years without breaking into mainstream meme culture. Real-world events kept the conversation alive: in 2017, Toronto Pride banned police from marching in uniform after organizers agreed to demands from the local Black Lives Matter chapter2. That same year, a police officer attacked a trans woman at a Florida Pride event, and Phoenix activists shut down their parade to protest police presence2.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Key People
@TinyAwoo, @destroyerofego, @faketadhg
Date
2015 (earliest online use), 2018 (viral spread)

The debate over police at Pride is far older than the meme itself. LGBTQ+ liberation began as direct confrontation with police at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, and many activists have long argued that cops have no place at celebrations born from anti-police resistance.

The earliest known use of "no cops at Pride" as an online phrase came from Twitter user @TinyAwoo on August 1, 2015. The tweet referenced the NYPD beating a gay man while singing homophobic slurs, connecting it to the original Pride events as "rallies against police brutality against queer folk." The post received modest engagement, with around 10 retweets and 10 likes.

The phrase circulated within activist communities for the next few years without breaking into mainstream meme culture. Real-world events kept the conversation alive: in 2017, Toronto Pride banned police from marching in uniform after organizers agreed to demands from the local Black Lives Matter chapter. That same year, a police officer attacked a trans woman at a Florida Pride event, and Phoenix activists shut down their parade to protest police presence.

How It Spread

The meme detonated in the spring of 2018. On May 23rd, Twitter user @destroyerofego posted the phrase eight times in all caps in a single tweet. It pulled in over 6,300 retweets and 28,000 likes.

Within days, the format mutated. Twitter user @nightfiIm added the twist that would define the meme, tweeting "no cops at pride just thor and a squad of buff lesbians with wide varieties of swords and daggers." That post earned around 800 retweets and 2,500 likes. The next day, @faketadhg refined the formula to its purest version: "no cops at pride just carly rae jepsen and her sword." This one hit 15,000 retweets and 63,000 likes in two weeks, building on the pre-existing "give Carly Rae Jepsen a sword" Pride meme.

Danny DeVito's actual appearance at the Los Angeles Pride parade in June 2018 with his *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* costars threw gasoline on the fire. Twitter user @hattiesoykan tweeted "no cops at pride just danny devito," which blew up to 25,000 retweets and 94,000 likes in three days. DeVito's "trollfoot gay pride" march gave the meme a real-world anchor that made it even more shareable.

The format spread rapidly across Twitter. Users proposed Hilary Duff holding a barrel over her head, Andrew Garfield brandishing his Tony Award for *Angels in America*, Anne Hathaway with a very small knife, and Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett with their *Ocean's 8* bubble guns. Fictional characters got drafted too, with Thor, Bucky Barnes, and Drax all enlisted for Pride defense duty. Drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova and her scooter made the roster, as did K-pop group Loona with unspecified weapons.

*Them* and the *Daily Dot* both published coverage of the meme in June 2018. *Them* framed it as a follow-up to 2017's Gay Babadook meme, noting that while the Babadook captured the "dadaist absurdity and visceral fear of 2017," No Cops At Pride channeled 2018's mood of "rage" and a return to radical protest roots.

The meme coincided with real incidents that underscored its political dimension. During the 2018 Philadelphia Pride celebration, police arrested a young trans woman. She was booked using her deadname and transferred to a maximum security men's prison, illustrating exactly the kind of police hostility toward LGBTQ+ people that the meme critiques.

How to Use This Meme

The template is simple:

1

Start with "no cops at pride" (or "no police at pride")

2

Add "just" followed by a person, character, or group

3

Pair them with an absurd, impractical, or hilariously specific item as their "weapon"

Cultural Impact

*Them* argued that the meme's popularity might signal something bigger than just a funny Pride format. The widespread, casual adoption of a phrase calling for police exclusion from Pride, alongside the growing "Abolish ICE" movement on social media, suggested a leftward shift in mainstream queer politics toward bolder demands.

The discussion around cops at Pride only intensified in the years following the meme's peak. The debate played out at Pride events across North America, with some organizations banning uniformed police participation and others welcoming them. Brooklyn Pride saw boos rain down on an NYPD "Gay Pride Cruiser" rolling through the parade.

The anti-police argument draws on hard data. LGB people face incarceration at three times the rate of heterosexuals, and transgender people at eight times the rate of cisgender people. Correctional and patrol officers are responsible for roughly half of sexual assaults in U.S. prisons, with 59% of those assaults committed against transgender people. For many, these statistics make the meme's core message more than a punchline.

The pro-inclusion camp pointed to events like the Patriot Front convoy intercepted in Idaho as evidence that police protect queer communities. The tension between these positions made No Cops At Pride one of the few memes that functions as both comedy and genuine political litmus test.

Fun Facts

The year before No Cops At Pride went viral, the "Big Queer Mood" meme of Pride 2017 was the Gay Babadook, a wildly different vibe.

Danny DeVito wasn't just a meme. He actually showed up to LA Pride 2018 with the *It's Always Sunny* cast, making him the rare celebrity who became the meme and then lived it.

The John Mulaney money clip entry referenced a specific bit from his Netflix special where he describes throwing a money clip at a mugger and running away. The meme community appreciated the deep-cut specificity.

One commenter noted the evolution from "give Carly Rae Jepsen a sword" to "give Hilary Duff a barrel" as a sign that the meme was entering its "more alarming, and slightly more abstract" phase.

The phrase predated its meme status by at least three years, existing in activist spaces before the internet turned it into a format.

Derivatives & Variations

"Give Carly Rae Jepsen a Sword"

A closely related and slightly older Pride meme that fed directly into the "no cops" format. Users noted the progression from "give CRJ a sword" to the broader template with satisfaction[1].

"Give Hilary Duff a Barrel"

Spawned from photos of Duff lifting a heavy barrel overhead, described as the "more alarming, and slightly more abstract form" of the CRJ sword meme[1].

Celebrity-specific variants

Individual entries became mini-memes of their own, particularly the Danny DeVito version (94,000 likes), which traveled as a standalone reaction image[4].

Fictional character squad builds

Users assembled full "Pride security teams" from Marvel, DC, and anime rosters, turning the format into a collaborative fantasy draft[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

No Cops At Pride

2015Catchphrase / Snowclonesemi-active

Also known as: No Police at Pride

No Cops At Pride is a 2015 activist catchphrase that exploded into a 2018 snowclone meme replacing 'cops' with absurd celebrities and fictional characters carrying ridiculous weapons, blending political critique with surreal humor.

"No Cops At Pride" is a catchphrase and snowclone meme format rooted in LGBTQ+ activist discourse about police presence at Pride celebrations. The phrase first appeared on Twitter in 2015 but exploded into a viral meme format during Pride season 2018, when users began appending absurd alternatives to police. The core joke follows a simple template: "no cops at pride, just [celebrity or fictional character with a ridiculous weapon or item]," blending genuine political critique with the internet's love of surreal humor.

lgbtq memes snowclone memes political satire memes absurdist humor memes

Overview

No Cops At Pride is both a political slogan and an endlessly remixable meme template. The base format is straightforward: state that cops shouldn't be at Pride, then propose an absurd replacement for security. The humor comes from pairing well-known pop culture figures with comically inadequate or bizarre "weapons." Think Carly Rae Jepsen wielding a sword, Hilary Duff hoisting a barrel over her head, or John Mulaney throwing a money clip at attackers.

The meme straddles the line between sincere activism and internet comedy. For many LGBTQ+ people, the phrase carries real weight, connecting back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and ongoing tensions between queer communities and law enforcement. For the wider internet, it functions as a particularly fun Cards Against Humanity-style fill-in-the-blank game with a political edge.

The debate over police at Pride is far older than the meme itself. LGBTQ+ liberation began as direct confrontation with police at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, and many activists have long argued that cops have no place at celebrations born from anti-police resistance.

The earliest known use of "no cops at Pride" as an online phrase came from Twitter user @TinyAwoo on August 1, 2015. The tweet referenced the NYPD beating a gay man while singing homophobic slurs, connecting it to the original Pride events as "rallies against police brutality against queer folk." The post received modest engagement, with around 10 retweets and 10 likes.

The phrase circulated within activist communities for the next few years without breaking into mainstream meme culture. Real-world events kept the conversation alive: in 2017, Toronto Pride banned police from marching in uniform after organizers agreed to demands from the local Black Lives Matter chapter. That same year, a police officer attacked a trans woman at a Florida Pride event, and Phoenix activists shut down their parade to protest police presence.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter
Key People
@TinyAwoo, @destroyerofego, @faketadhg
Date
2015 (earliest online use), 2018 (viral spread)

The debate over police at Pride is far older than the meme itself. LGBTQ+ liberation began as direct confrontation with police at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, and many activists have long argued that cops have no place at celebrations born from anti-police resistance.

The earliest known use of "no cops at Pride" as an online phrase came from Twitter user @TinyAwoo on August 1, 2015. The tweet referenced the NYPD beating a gay man while singing homophobic slurs, connecting it to the original Pride events as "rallies against police brutality against queer folk." The post received modest engagement, with around 10 retweets and 10 likes.

The phrase circulated within activist communities for the next few years without breaking into mainstream meme culture. Real-world events kept the conversation alive: in 2017, Toronto Pride banned police from marching in uniform after organizers agreed to demands from the local Black Lives Matter chapter. That same year, a police officer attacked a trans woman at a Florida Pride event, and Phoenix activists shut down their parade to protest police presence.

How It Spread

The meme detonated in the spring of 2018. On May 23rd, Twitter user @destroyerofego posted the phrase eight times in all caps in a single tweet. It pulled in over 6,300 retweets and 28,000 likes.

Within days, the format mutated. Twitter user @nightfiIm added the twist that would define the meme, tweeting "no cops at pride just thor and a squad of buff lesbians with wide varieties of swords and daggers." That post earned around 800 retweets and 2,500 likes. The next day, @faketadhg refined the formula to its purest version: "no cops at pride just carly rae jepsen and her sword." This one hit 15,000 retweets and 63,000 likes in two weeks, building on the pre-existing "give Carly Rae Jepsen a sword" Pride meme.

Danny DeVito's actual appearance at the Los Angeles Pride parade in June 2018 with his *It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia* costars threw gasoline on the fire. Twitter user @hattiesoykan tweeted "no cops at pride just danny devito," which blew up to 25,000 retweets and 94,000 likes in three days. DeVito's "trollfoot gay pride" march gave the meme a real-world anchor that made it even more shareable.

The format spread rapidly across Twitter. Users proposed Hilary Duff holding a barrel over her head, Andrew Garfield brandishing his Tony Award for *Angels in America*, Anne Hathaway with a very small knife, and Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett with their *Ocean's 8* bubble guns. Fictional characters got drafted too, with Thor, Bucky Barnes, and Drax all enlisted for Pride defense duty. Drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova and her scooter made the roster, as did K-pop group Loona with unspecified weapons.

*Them* and the *Daily Dot* both published coverage of the meme in June 2018. *Them* framed it as a follow-up to 2017's Gay Babadook meme, noting that while the Babadook captured the "dadaist absurdity and visceral fear of 2017," No Cops At Pride channeled 2018's mood of "rage" and a return to radical protest roots.

The meme coincided with real incidents that underscored its political dimension. During the 2018 Philadelphia Pride celebration, police arrested a young trans woman. She was booked using her deadname and transferred to a maximum security men's prison, illustrating exactly the kind of police hostility toward LGBTQ+ people that the meme critiques.

How to Use This Meme

The template is simple:

1

Start with "no cops at pride" (or "no police at pride")

2

Add "just" followed by a person, character, or group

3

Pair them with an absurd, impractical, or hilariously specific item as their "weapon"

Cultural Impact

*Them* argued that the meme's popularity might signal something bigger than just a funny Pride format. The widespread, casual adoption of a phrase calling for police exclusion from Pride, alongside the growing "Abolish ICE" movement on social media, suggested a leftward shift in mainstream queer politics toward bolder demands.

The discussion around cops at Pride only intensified in the years following the meme's peak. The debate played out at Pride events across North America, with some organizations banning uniformed police participation and others welcoming them. Brooklyn Pride saw boos rain down on an NYPD "Gay Pride Cruiser" rolling through the parade.

The anti-police argument draws on hard data. LGB people face incarceration at three times the rate of heterosexuals, and transgender people at eight times the rate of cisgender people. Correctional and patrol officers are responsible for roughly half of sexual assaults in U.S. prisons, with 59% of those assaults committed against transgender people. For many, these statistics make the meme's core message more than a punchline.

The pro-inclusion camp pointed to events like the Patriot Front convoy intercepted in Idaho as evidence that police protect queer communities. The tension between these positions made No Cops At Pride one of the few memes that functions as both comedy and genuine political litmus test.

Fun Facts

The year before No Cops At Pride went viral, the "Big Queer Mood" meme of Pride 2017 was the Gay Babadook, a wildly different vibe.

Danny DeVito wasn't just a meme. He actually showed up to LA Pride 2018 with the *It's Always Sunny* cast, making him the rare celebrity who became the meme and then lived it.

The John Mulaney money clip entry referenced a specific bit from his Netflix special where he describes throwing a money clip at a mugger and running away. The meme community appreciated the deep-cut specificity.

One commenter noted the evolution from "give Carly Rae Jepsen a sword" to "give Hilary Duff a barrel" as a sign that the meme was entering its "more alarming, and slightly more abstract" phase.

The phrase predated its meme status by at least three years, existing in activist spaces before the internet turned it into a format.

Derivatives & Variations

"Give Carly Rae Jepsen a Sword"

A closely related and slightly older Pride meme that fed directly into the "no cops" format. Users noted the progression from "give CRJ a sword" to the broader template with satisfaction[1].

"Give Hilary Duff a Barrel"

Spawned from photos of Duff lifting a heavy barrel overhead, described as the "more alarming, and slightly more abstract form" of the CRJ sword meme[1].

Celebrity-specific variants

Individual entries became mini-memes of their own, particularly the Danny DeVito version (94,000 likes), which traveled as a standalone reaction image[4].

Fictional character squad builds

Users assembled full "Pride security teams" from Marvel, DC, and anime rosters, turning the format into a collaborative fantasy draft[1].

Frequently Asked Questions