Sexual Orientation Perspectives of Incarcerated Bisexual and Gay Men: The County Jail Protective Custody Experience

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Abstract
This study examined sexual identity and perceptions of treatment by other prisoners and staff of incarcerated bisexual and gay men in special housing. Eigenberg's social constructionist model guided theoretical inquiry, and questions were derived from Wooden and Parker's survey. Although all inmates surveyed felt safer in protective custody than in general population, gay men were more likely to pressure bisexual and/or heterosexual offenders for sex while in protective custody. Bisexual offenders who preferred women to men more often sought protection from another inmate, reported more pressure from others to have sex, and felt less safe in jail than gay or bisexual men who preferred men over women. Sexual patterns tended to be indistinct for bisexuals, a factor that contributed to lower institutional adjustment and less satisfaction with regard to their sexual identity.