From the Stonewall Inn to The Cuff: Legacies of the Past, Current Disparities, and LGBTQ Communities’ Complex Relationship with Police

Originating as a keynote address delivered at the Western Society of Criminology, this article focuses on the complex and fraught relationship between LGBTQ communities and law enforcement, historically and in the present. Situating current LGBTQ–police relations in a historical context as revealed...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jenness, Valerie 1963- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2025
In: Criminology, criminal justice, law & society
Year: 2025, Volume: 26, Issue: 2, Pages: 1-11
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Keywords:
historical legacies
Victimization
Crime
criminal legal system
Law Enforcement
Police
sexual and gender minorities
LGBTQ
Description
Summary:Originating as a keynote address delivered at the Western Society of Criminology, this article focuses on the complex and fraught relationship between LGBTQ communities and law enforcement, historically and in the present. Situating current LGBTQ–police relations in a historical context as revealed by pivotal events occurring in New York and Los Angeles, it first emphasizes a history of police violence against LGBTQ people. Thereafter, this article draws on original survey data to reveal that LGBTQ people are more likely to see the police as “foe” rather than “friend,” are less willing to call the police for help, and are more supportive of three types of policing reform (defunding the police, reallocating funds for police, and disbanding the police) compared to non-LGBTQ people. In addition to these disparities between LGBTQ people and non-LGBTQ people, there are differences within the LGBTQ community. These and other findings are situated in a larger context in which studies reveal that LGBTQ people are overpoliced and underserved. The implications of these historical legacies, empirical findings, and calls for policy reform are presented as the basis for future research that can enrich theory, policy, and practice.
ISSN:2332-886X
DOI:10.54555/CCJLS.13020.146571