Gay men in the police: identity disclosure and management issues

Abstract

Updating the paucity of UK research on lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) sexualities in the police, this study examines the identity disclosure and management practices of 20 gay police officers. Drawing on in‐depth interview data, our key finding is that gay police officers generally do not expect to be stigmatised but anticipate and experience positive disclosure experiences. Overall, the research reveals that gay officers actively seek to construct disclosure opportunities and adopt strategies of identity integration. Significantly, gay police identities can be managed openly and valued as organisational assets. Gendered organisational norms are influential here, shaping how and to whom participants disclose and manage their gay identities. Of concern then is that some police work environments continue to reinforce traditional notions of masculinity, potentially discrediting and limiting the integration of gay officers. This represents important knowledge for those HRM practitioners who advise and support LGB police personnel.

The shifting landscape of LGBT organizational research

“…For instance, the aggressive masculinity of police and fire forces hampered an openly gay officer's efforts to earn trust and respect from his peers and made many men reluctant to disclose their sexual orientation (Bernstein & Kostelac, 2002;Burke, 1993;Miller, Forest, & Jurik, 2003). It did not follow, though, that lesbian officers and firefighters fit in effortlessly: many endured regular homophobic treatment and sexual harassment from their coworkers (Burke, 1993;Chetkovich, 1997;Lewis & Pitts, 2011;Martin, 1980;Rumens & Broomfield, 2012;Ward & Winstanley, 2006).…”

Effects of Gender Role and Family Support on Work Adjustment Among Male Flight Attendants in Taiwan

“…When the job that a person chooses to work at is regarded by the society in which that person lives as inappropriate in terms of gender stereotypes, he/she often encounters difficulties related to this perception in the workplace. Possible issues are personal and occupational pressure, restriction for certain tasks (e.g., male nurses working in a labor ward in a maternity hospital), difficulties in growing positive relationships with colleagues, and, eventually, obstructions in career development (Dodson & Di Borders, 2006;Harding, 2007;McMillian, Morgan, & Ament, 2006;Osborne, 2004;Rumens & Broomfield, 2012;C. L. Williams, 1995;Young & James, 2001).…”

“…For instance, the occupations of flight attendant (Barry, 2007;Young & James, 2001), nurse (Harding, 2007;Lou, Yu, Hsu, & Dai, 2007), and police officer (Rumens & Broomfield, 2012) are all associated with strong gender connotations. The first two of these occupations require the feminine characteristics of tenderness and patience, whereas physical strength and toughness, traditionally masculine characteristics, are usually emphasized for police officers (Barry, Bacon, & Child, 1957).…”

Queering men and masculinities in construction: towards a research agenda

“…is there greater acceptance of lesbians in construction than bisexual men/women, than gay men or than transgendered people? ), and can occur unpredictably with mixed outcomes for sustaining a viable sense of personhood and career (Rumens and Kerfoot, 2009;Williams et al, 2009;Wright, 2011b;Rumens and Broomfield, 2012). There may be 'advantages' derived from gendered stereotypes for some sexual minorities over others seeking inclusion and acceptance within specific construction work sites (Wright, 2011b).…”

“…There may be 'advantages' derived from gendered stereotypes for some sexual minorities over others seeking inclusion and acceptance within specific construction work sites (Wright, 2011b). Such hierarchies of acceptance among sexualities are regulated, in part, by gender norms, such as those used to denigrate and distinguish 'effeminate' gay masculinities from those more aligned to heterosexual masculinities at work (Rumens and Broomfield, 2012), creating interaction dilemmas in the workplace.…”