The gang's all queer
Subtitle: the lives of gay gang members
By: Vanessa R. Panfil
Series: Alternative criminology; Alternative criminology series
Publisher: NYU Press
Published: 2017
Language: eng
Number of pages: 289
ISBN-13: 9781479805204; 9781479870028
Subjects: Gang members; Gay men
Description: Many people believe that gangs are made up of violent thugs who are in and out of jail, and who are hyper-masculine and heterosexual. Vanessa Panfil introduces us to a different world. Meet gay gang members - sometimes referred to in popular culture as "homo thugs" - whose gay identity complicates criminology's portrayal and representation of gangs, gang members, and gang life. In vivid detail, Panfil provides an in-depth understanding of how gay gang members construct and negotiate both masculine and gay identities through crime and gang membership. She draws from interviews with over 50 gay gang- and crime-involved young men in Columbus, Ohio, the majority of whom are men of color in their late teens and early twenties, as well as on-the-ground ethnographic fieldwork with men who are in gay, hybrid, and straight gangs. Panfil provides an eye-opening portrait of how even members of straight gangs are connected to a same-sex oriented underground world. Most of these young men still present a traditionally masculine persona and voice deeply-held affection for their fellow gang members. They also fight with their enemies, many of whom are in rival gay gangs. Most come from impoverished, 'rough' neighborhoods, and seek to defy negative stereotypes of gay and Black men as deadbeats, though sometimes through illegal activity. Some are still closeted to their fellow gang members and families, yet others fight to defend members of the gay community, even those who they deem to be "fags," despite distaste for these flamboyant members of the community.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Acknowledgments; title: Preface: seeking "homo thugs"; title: Introduction: real men, real gangs; title: Understanding gay identity; title: "Why do I have to hide it?" : forming a gay identity; title: Who's the fag? : negotiating gayness and visibility; title: Gay gangsters and their gangs; title: Gay gangs becoming "known" : respect, violence, and chosen family; title: "In the game" : the experiences of gay men in straight gangs; title: Hybrid gangs and those that could have been; title: Strategies for resistance; title: "Not a fag" : resisting anti-gay harassment by fighting back; title: "Tired of being stereotyped" : urban gay men in underground economies; title: Conclusion: Queer, here and now; title: Appendix: Summary of participant characteristics and experiences; title: Methods appendix: "Best of luck in your research, dear"; title: Notes; title: References; title: About the author; title: Index.