When Rainbow Flags Push the Thin Blue Line: Progress and Challenges for LGBTQ Police Officers

• In Event: Blue Lines and Rainbow Flags: Climates of Inclusion and Exclusion in LGBTQ Policing

Abstract

Extant literature regarding LGBTQ police officers in the U.S. highlights some of the challenges they face. It is recognized that in many departments harassment and discrimination still occurs and not all LGBTQ officers are able to be out at work. It has also been noted that even in departments which are open and affirming of diversity in their ranks, LGBTQ officers may face tokenism and limited assignment opportunities. Many of these challenges arise from police culture and the profession’s reticence to change. Using semi-structured interviews, this study investigated the role conflict that self-identified LGBTQ officers face as members of two distinct, and often conflicting, subcultures.

Authors

• Jace L Valcore, University of Houston Downtown

• Rebecca Pfeffer, University of Houston - Downtown