Stanley-Eric-Captive-Genders-Trans-Embodiment-and-Prison-Industrial-Complex

Captive Gendersand I have a right to express my opinion and my voice when I’m angryor when I’m upset. There’s a correct way of doing things. And I try todo the correct things.But, for an aggressive, there is no “correct way that will work.”Lodown said he experienced constant harassment. “I’ve had officers ruff[sic] me up and say ‘How much of a man are you?’ Then I’ve had themtell me ‘So how big is your dick? I bet mine is bigger.’”Aggressives and Male Staff as CompetitorsMost of the prisoners I spoke with identified male staff as the main sourceof harassment and problems, not other prisoners, and not many problemswith female staff. Male staff were the ones who made the homophobiccomments, male staff were the ones who harassed the aggressives byroughing them up, male staff talked about dick size, and male staff werethe ones who flirted with the femme prisoners. The aggressives perceivedthat they were singled out for harsher treatment than the femme inmates.The problems with “homosecting”—any behavior seen as sexual,whether sitting too close to another prisoner, touching a prisoner, or actuallyengaging in sexual acts—ranges from homophobic comments toreceiving a write-up for behavior against the rules. Not only is the threatof a disciplinary action around homosecting a constant, but to many officers,homosexuality is a moral issue. This gives staff a certain license tobring sexuality into their everyday conversation. To CJ, “my sexuality hasnothing to do with why I’m in prison, how I act in prison. In fact, mysexuality is none of your business. It’s my own. And it’s hard for policehere, certain police, to understand that. They feel that you’re going to hell,and I’m here to let you know that.”Rae completed the requirements for the religious program EvangelismExplosion. Yet, because he challenged a free world staffer when shewas not going to allow a program participant to graduate because she wasa lesbian, Rae also was not allowed to graduate. The inmates had put theirfull energy into the program but when it came to graduation night theywere informed they could not attend based on their sexual orientation. CJsaid if there’s a disagreement between two prisoners certain officers willmake an unrelated comment like, “What, they trying to make you a dyke?”Once, when Cookie was sitting close to his girlfriend an officer said, “Thisis disgusting.” Richard has “received retaliation because of my perceivedintimate relations with attractive female prisoners. I have received retalia-200