Gay Cops

Rude graffiti, sexually explicit drawings in their lockers, harassing phone calls - these are a few of the problems plaguing gay cops. Gay Cops is a ground-breaking study of the lives of gay and lesbian police officers in America. Through revealing interviews, Leinen explores the dilemmas facing homosexual police officers as they balance the day-to-day realities of their work and sexual identities. Leinen helps the reader to hear their voices - sometimes emotional and poignant, often defiant or humorous, and always engaging. Though official police policy may be to recruit homosexuals, most police officers resent the presence of their gay and lesbian colleagues and discriminate against them. Attitudes range from uneducated dislike to fear of contracting AIDS from a bleeding partner. The contempt for homosexuals traditionally expressed by police often intensifies a homosexual cop's sense of inferiority and social exclusion. For gay cops, the issue is whether or not to "come out" at work and to which people. Living a life of secrecy and lies at work; wearing a wedding ring as a "disidentifier"; and engaging in sexist talk to fool others can wreak havoc on a gay cop's self-confidence and personal life. Yet coming out at work can be a terrifying prospect. Most start small, telling only their partners. Some partners, like some parents, reject them, but many are accepting. Leinen finds that most police officers care more about whether their partner is a "good cop" than about his or her sexual preference.