Homosexual Prisoners

Men, Queens, and Punks

The majority of male prisoners are classified as “men,” meaning that they uphold most traditional norms of masculinity. Regardless of their behavior, most other inmates and guards do not consider them to be homosexual. Most “men” exhibit heterosexual behavioral patterns before and after incarceration and it is only within the confines of the penal system that they may act out what outwardly appear to be homosexual acts. Conversely, “queens,” also known as “bitches” or “ladies,” are homosexuals whose behavioral patterns inside prison are similar to their actions on the outside. Within the prison subculture, they are essentially considered to be females and are strictly receptive in terms of penetrative sex.

“Queens” are generally submissive to the “men,” and are usually not allowed to hold positions of obvious social power. In many correctional facilities, queens are systematically separated from the rest of the population to protect them from violent attacks and to reduce the occurrence of sexual activity and assault. This partitioning sometimes leads to discrimination against queens, and they are often denied inmate privileges, such as library and yard exercise rights. Effeminate gay men who enter the prison system are often pressured to assume a role because overt homosexuality is believed to be socially unacceptable. However, men are able to exist as openly gay without having to subscribe to these specific gendered identities. A small percentage of homosexuals pass as “men” by assimilating into this dominant subculture.

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