Gay gangs

But they had more flexibility. Columbus is a very large metropolitan area with an active LGBTQ scene.

Gay gangs’ involvement in the gay scene provided them with opportunities to meet friends and sexual partners, but interestingly, even men in straight gangs were able to access an underground world where they could discreetly meet same-sex sexual partners, including some closeted members of their own gangs.

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.

Travyon Warren is one of the original members of the Check It, an all-gay and trans gang in the nation’s capital.

One particularly striking story came from a member of a straight gang who made a date for sex over the internet, only to discover that it was two fellow gang members who had arranged the date with him. After getting a grant for a fashion start-up, they’re invited to a design bootcamp and eventually get a chance to work on a show at Men’s Fashion Week in New York.

Today, Warren is no longer a part of the Check It.

He’s about to finish the Job Corps program, and the process of filming the documentary helped him learn to trust strangers and learn that there’s more to the world than his neighborhood. Others were the only gay man (or one of a few) in an otherwise “straight” gang. This suggests that some gangs’ makeups may be closer to “hybrid” than we might think, but the dynamics of straight gangs prevent their members from coming out and becoming known even to each other.

Vanessa R.

Panfil is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Old Dominion University and the author of The Gang’s All Queer: The Lives of Gay Gang Members(NYU Press, 2017).

Feature image: Rainbow flag, U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Ashley Nicole Taylor/Released

There are many stereotypes of and assumptions about street gangs, just as there are many stereotypes and assumptions about gay men.

The gay gangs’ violence mostly took place at or began from conflicts at gay clubs or gay-themed events.

Being effeminate was a nonstarter; they were all careful to present a uniformly masculine persona, lest they lose status and respect. Although they viewed these norms with a critical eye, across the board they tended to prefer having “masculine” men as sexual partners or friends.

They were still in a gang. 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.

But a number of fears held them back. Their social worlds and definitions of acceptable identity were constantly changing and being challenged.

Fighting back

One of the most compelling findings of my study was what happened when these gay gang members were derisively called “fag” or “faggot” by straight men in bars, on buses, in schools or on the streets.

Some fought back even if they weren’t openly gay. But still, growing up with brothers had made him tough.

It was also more acceptable for them to project femininity, whether it was making flamboyant gestures, using effeminate mannerisms, or wearing certain styles of clothing, like skinny jeans.