Gay white thug

Being effeminate was a nonstarter; they were all careful to present a uniformly masculine persona, lest they lose status and respect.

In the hybrid gangs, members felt far more comfortable coming out than those in purely straight gangs. Still, even Akademiks admitted the remarks were uncalled for. 

Young Thug once played with gender norms.

Thug’s comments were shocking to many, as the rapper has never shied away from non-traditional gender norms.

From that angle, the comments were about loyalty and authenticity, not hatred. In order to not be financial deadbeats, they resorted to sometimes selling drugs or sex; in order to not be seen as weak, they sometimes fought back, perhaps getting hurt in the process.

Caught between not wanting themselves or others to be pressured to act masculine all the time, but also not wanting to be read as visibly gay or weak (which could invite challenges), resistance to being seen as a “punk” or a pushover was critical.

Becoming ‘known’

In “hybrid” gangs (those with a sizable minority of gay, lesbian or bisexual people) or all-gay gangs, the men I interviewed were held to many of the same standards. Then there were what I call “hybrid” gangs, which featured a mix of straight, gay, lesbian and bisexual members, but with straight people still in the majority.

Being openly gay could threaten their status as well as their safety. DJ Akademiks told TMZ he believes Thug was speaking from a street-cred perspective, where deception equals betrayal. You know what I’m saying?

Some fought back even if they weren’t openly gay.

They vouched for me to their friends. Many argued that bringing up sexuality felt unnecessary in a conversation about loyalty.

Some listeners, however, didn’t see the remarks as outright bigotry. All were between the ages of 18 and 28; the majority were men of color; and all lived in or near Columbus, Ohio, which has been referred to as a “Midwestern gay mecca.”

The experience, which took place over the course of more than two years, allowed me to explore the tensions they felt between gang life and gay manhood.

Still, he admitted he feels betrayed if a friend presents as straight and later comes out.

“I feel like once you break a rule from your manhood, once you rat or once you turn gay,” Thug said. 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.

Likewise, coming out was a huge risk. 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… [From Amazon.com]

Publisher

New York University Press

Keywords

Gang members, Gay men, United States

Disciplines

Criminology and Criminal Justice | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies

Recommended Citation

Panfil, Vanessa R., "The Gang's All Queer: The Lives of Gay Gang Members" (2017).

Men in gay gangs especially expressed genuine and heartfelt connections to their fellow gang members.