“I was a homo thug, now I'm just homo”: Gay gang members’ desistance and persistence*

In this study, I use in‐depth interviews with 48 self‐iden tified gay male gang members to explore how and why they have desisted from or persisted in their gangs, as well as explore how desistance or persistence has affected their self‐perceptions, lives, and activities. Because not all have left their gangs, I examine the markers in young men's narrativ es that signal shifts away from—but sometimes also toward—their gangs, as well as their zigzagging paths out of gang involvement. As gang structure and composition hold importance for their members’ experiences, I use a comparative approach by contrasting men in predominantly straight gangs wi th those in gay gangs. Set within a heterosexist cultural context, the structure of the gang combines with individual shifts in identity to encourage pathways out of straight gangs and pathways into continued involvement with gay gangs.

Source: Criminology - February 20, 2020 Category: Criminology Authors: Vanessa R. Panfil Tags: ARTICLE Source Type: research