Erik Dierks Policing Gender Lines

In her piece, “Policing Gender Lines”, Ritchie discusses the ways in which law enforcement continue to enforce racially constructed gender norms, as well as police harassment and brutality against women and gender nonconforming people of color. Some of the ways police have and continue to police gender that Ritchie focused on is by the clothing a person is wearing, as well as physical traits.

Ritchie first discusses how something as simple as clothing plays a huge role in the way police brutality happens and how police enforce gender norms. She gives various examples of the horrible treatment women, trans, and gender nonconforming people of color have faced through the laws about clothing that police enforce on civilians. Despite it being over one hundred years since some of the examples given by Ritchie, this still happens today. Though there are no longer any laws, that I know of, stating what is illegal for a person to wear based on their gender, stereotypes of ways certain clothes are adorned cause profiling (racial or otherwise), harassment and brutality. These stereotypes come from the ideals/beliefs that have been put in place in our society due to the westernized and binary view of gender.

 The same can still be seen happening today when also discussing how police us physical traits in order to gender a person such as facial hair, hand size, broad shoulders, hair length etc. When someone who expresses their gender outside of the traditional westernized gender binary system, this then immediately puts them at a higher risk when interacting with law enforcement who see the need to police or correct this expression in order to maintain said systems of oppression.

Reading this reminded me of the #SayHerName movement that started in 2015. This piece made me think of this hashtag/movement because of how often women of color are excluded from discussions of police brutality, which Ritchie specifically mentions at the beginning of her piece. During her TedTalk, Kimberle Crenshaw asks the audience to stand up and participate in an activity. Whenever she lists a name an audience member doesn’t know or recognize, they are asked to sit down. The first couple names she says are black men that were killed by police such as Tamir Rice or Freddie Gray. Once she finished listing the names of the males, a majority of the audience remained standing. However, once she starts listing female names (who were murdered by police and black) most of the audience is sitting after the second name.

http://www.aapf.org/sayhername/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akOe5-UsQ2o (First 3 minutes shows Kimberle Crenshaw’s activity for the #SayHerName movement)

I’d like to further discuss ways in which we could create a system that doesn’t need to rely on police as the main means of protection. Since that would be a drastic step from the current system we have now, I’d also be interested in discussing ways in which we could reform the current system in order to protect women, trans, and gender non-conforming people of color.   

Andi Razo on Richie's "Caging Resistance"

Something critical that Richie points out in this piece is that the sexual restrictions imposed on prisoners through the near-total lack of sanctioned sexual relations. She makes the point that this is an inherently queer experience due to the “wholesale denial of any and all sexual desire, agency, and identity” which is paradoxical to prison institution’s homophobia—the prison environment reproduces one of the very things it seeks to quash.

An important distinction to make here is that when Richie says this, she is not implying that prison makes you queer although many turn to same gender pairings out of a feeling of necessity. I think she is more so drawing a comparison between the queer experience and the sexual repression that prisoners experience—she goes on to explain that if prisoners were allowed to express themselves sexually/intimately (either with same or different gendered partners) then the whole person would not be punished as Richie sees practicing sex and intimacy as a human necessity. This repression is the same as what queer people experience, where in many spaces they are shamed for their sexuality and are unable to have partners, or openly be in relationships. Additionally, a common perception of queer people as sexually out of control and “depraved” is how prisoners are made to feel for expressing any sort of intimacy.

A common/colloquial phrase used about prisoners’ sexualities is that they may be “gay for the stay”, or partake in same gender sexual and intimate expressions only while in prison and then return to their “true” sexuality once they have more options available outside of prison. This is an interesting concept to consider as it seems almost unquestionably accepting of homosexuality which is unfortunately not the case in larger society. What, then, is the relationship between someone who is “gay for the stay” only in the form of coercion and rape—i.e., they are using bodies and people for power rather than any sort of intimacy—and their feelings on queer relationships outside of prison? It is not hard to conceptualize these abusers as people who could be against same-gender relationships, although I realize that there is also an abundance of abuse in same-gender relationships. What I would like to know is, is “gay for the stay” truly queer? Can we then conceive of these people as queer once they leave prison, too, even when they don’t continue to practice same-gender sex and intimacy? After all, bisexual and pansexual people do not stop being bi or pan when they are in a monogamous relationship with someone who is same/differently gendered.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/candace-walsh/sexual-fluidity-and-orang_b_3701933.html This article references different stories where women say they identify as straight, have a fling/feelings for one woman, and may then go back to identifying as straight or describing themselves as “unexpectedly bi or lesbian”. The question this raises is not necessarily whether someone’s sexuality is innate or unchanging, but challenges what people think of as bisexuality or pansexuality—it makes me curious to find out if people think attraction is fluid and if these women should still be considered bi/pan since their change of attraction. That is to say, is it an identity shift or an attraction shift but mischaracterized, and does it matter if someone doesn't necessarily think of themselves as being queer but engages in queer behavior?

Elvia Diego on Policing Gender Lines

In "Policing Gender Lines", Ritchie makes the point that the police have constantly targeted women,  trans, and gender non conforming people. I believe that this is a strong fact that not many hear about because you mainly hear about guys being harassed by police.

Ritchie points out that the police have harassed, have used physical and sexual violence, have arrested and used lethal force against women and gender non conforming people as a way to reify racially constructed gender norms. I believes that when some cops display certain behavior, such as the ones listed above, they are simply trying to punish those that are not complying with socially constructed gender norms or those who are simply seen as less powerful than them. I believe that the way in which the police treats any individual should solely be based on the situation and whether their life is actually in danger. On the other hand they should not feel that they can treat women, trans or gender non conforming people however they want because women are seen as "inferior" to men or because some people may not want to identify with a gender which may cause confusion to some but surely does not call for violent action against them.

I believe that when police are confronted with any sort of individual that isn't dressed "appropriately" for their gender, someone trans or gender non conforming that they automatically think it's wrong and therefore should be punished. There were some examples in the reading that pointed out when a situation like this happens the police tend to say that these individuals were deviant or they had to be prostituting themselves which serves as a way to justify their violent behavior towards them or for even arresting them. The police just wants to assume that they are up to no good so that they have a right to "put these individuals in their place" for not conforming or abiding to socially constructed gender norms. They are suppose to protect people but instead they are signaling individuals out for being trans/gender non conforming and they are reinforcing violence against them.

I found an online article in the New York Times called "Violence Against Transgender People Is on the Rise, Advocates Say". It starts with the story of a 47 year old transgender woman who shot and killed by police because they thought she was a man. This is just one example of many trans individuals who have been killed by police. In the article activist apart of the New York City Anti Violence Project have said that there seems to be a spike of incidents of hate violence, such as the one mentioned above. I like that in the article they mention that transphobia mixes with misogyny and racism because in this class we are discussing how all these things intersect when it comes to women being oppressed.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/us/transgender-women-killed.html

Since most of the time police doesn't help or even protect women, trans and gender non conforming individuals who do they go to when they are in need of help?

Caging Devience- Ritchie

Ritchie discusses the different ways Prisons can be cages for LGBTQ inmates and the ways the prison system can enable violence against the community. Ritchie specifically states that sexual violence occurs at a disproportionate rate towards inmates that identify as LGBTQ. She goes on to explain that sexual violence is then used as a way to make inmates conform to gender roles or heterosexual norms. Male prisoners who are seen as masculine are not targeted for sexual violence. Prisoners who exhibit traits typically associated with femininity are targeted as being weak and are at risk for sexual violence.

I think it is interesting that stereotypical traits regarding masculinity are a way for prisoners to target victims. I find the actions of those committing sexual violence contrary to what they claim to enforce. If they commit sexual violence towards inmates of the same sex are they not reinforcing homosexual tendencies? If prisoners are engaging in homosexual sexual activity would the perpetrators then be targeted? I thought it was a weird dynamic for prisoners to be engaging in the very activities they condemn as a form of showing their power.

Ritchie also talks about how sexual violence is a way for prison  staff to get what they want. They may allow or prohibit sexual acts to reinforce their power. I thought it was also important to note that women who are incarcerated are more likely to experience sexual violence by prison staff. Prison staff reinforce their power by sexual violence towards women, but male prisoners are still allowed that little bit of power in the form of not being subjected to sexual violence from prison staff. This shows that displays of gender dynamics and a sort of respect for male hierarchy are even prevalent in a system where prison staff have all the power.

  While reading this piece I kept thinking of how the prison system and other state systems criminalize certain groups for identity-related issues. One of my big interests is LGBTQ youth in foster care. Even from a young age LGBTQ youth are at risk for violence in state custody. Whether it be juvenile facilities or foster care. LGBTQ youth who age out of the system are then more likely to be homeless which then results in a higher likelihood or being imprisoned. https://www.hrc.org/resources/lgbt-youth-in-the-foster-care-system

We know that the prison atmosphere enforces violence against LGBTQ people, but how do other state systems, such as foster care, contribute to violence against LGBTQ people? Are these systems inherently violent towards LGBTQ people?    

Zain Dababneh on Policing Gender Lines

In this reading, Andrea Ritchie goes over many different examples of how the police enforces the gender-binary and the many horrible stories of racialized abuse that came from trans women/men and gender-nonconforming peoples’ experiences with the police. One point Ritchie brings up at the beginning of the reading that I want to discuss is how if anyone, specifically trans women/men and gender-nonconforming people of color in this reading, were to deviate outside of the heteronormative white supremacist society we have placed in the United States, they were more likely to be subjected to criminalization and police brutality way more often. They were deemed “unstable” and “fraudulent,” which led to punishment by institutional powers, such as law enforcement.

What Ritchie is trying to get across is that when someone deviates the norm, they become an easy target for subjection and humiliation, with her point specifically focusing on “policing gender lines,” and how the police have a huge role when it comes to gender conformity. It made think about how these larger institutions, even beyond the role of law enforcement, have oppressed and subjugated trans people of color and gender-nonconforming people over the years, and how it still continues to this day. Many queer people in America have been victims of harassment, abuse, and murder over the years, whether that be from private citizens or the systems/institutions of power that allow for such things to happen.

Another point that Ritchie brings up is that the idea of “gender policing” is what allows for the law enforcement to harass these people. The use of violence, harassment, and criminalization of trans people and gender-nonconforming people is how the police try and maintain the hegemonic heteronormative patriarchal white supremacist society. The policing of the gender binary, as Ritchie explains, has lead to very traumatic experiences for trans/gender-nonconforming people of color. It made me think about how once again, we see the police force as a form of violence and abuse vs. these good guys who are “protecting the law/citizens.” I also thought about how the police system itself is one of the many systems of power and violence that punishes and subjugates people of color, queer people of color, women, and many other groups of people. It is a common trend I am seeing with the readings regarding policing and law enforcement, and I can see that specifically within this reading as well.

Reading about the many abuses these people experienced reminded of the tragic murder of Kiwi Herring. Kiwi Herring was a black trans woman. She was married and had three young kids. She had complained to law enforcement about her homophobic/transphobic neighbor who had repeatedly harassed her. Herring had a knife in her hand, and she slashed one police on their arm officer which resulted in minor damage, but as soon as that happened, the two other police officers shot their guns at her, and she was declared dead at the scene. This happened in April of 2017, and at that time, Kiwi Herring was the 18th transgender person killed that year. Although most of these stories are never heard, these horrible incidents happen everyday from law enforcement who go out of their way to harass trans/gender-nonconforming people of color. This is why I am so critical of the idea of the law enforcement being used to protect vulnerable people from harm because it is usually these large systems of power, such as the police force, that continue to perpetuate such horrible abuse that leads to criminalization, massive trauma, and as we can see with Kiwi Herring, an unspeakable, tragic, and avoidable murder. She called the police for help, and she ended up dead because of that.

I want to discuss with the class how do we protect trans people of color and gender-nonconforming people without the help of law enforcement? Time and time again, we see how law enforcement truly has done more harm than good, so how can we make sure these people are protected without relying on institutional powers?

Jessica Wagner- Caging Deviance

Blog Post 2 on Caging Deviance: Prisons as Queer Spaces by Andrea Ritchie 


         Throughout this piece, Andrea Ritchie utilizes a number of shocking, gruesome, and emotionally charged stories of LGBTQIA individuals to expose the American prison system for being centers of homophobic harassment. Although each point made by Ritchie provoked a plethora of emotions, as I read Caging Deviance, I became most interested in her explanation of the denial of sexuality and identity prisoners are subjected to in prisons.


As I started learning more about the American prison system, I immediately discovered that there is absolutely zero tolerance for sexual activity among incarcerated people. To my understanding, as Ritchie explains on page 96, the original intention for these policies was to provide security as well as protect staff and other inmates from unwanted sexual advances and rape. I became outraged to read that the real reason prisoners are banned from all types of sexual activity (including masturbation) is because homophobic prison guards, supervisors, etc. want nothing more than to completely eradicate, contain, and control a potential space for “rampant homosexuality” (Ritchie, 96).  If a prison guard were to discover that one of their prisoners is queer, that person would then be subjected to increased mistreatment, isolation, and surveillance, even if he/she/they does not partake in sexual/intimate relationships with another prisoner or guard. As a way to exercise this control, prison guards wrongly place queer prisoners in solitary confinement, embarrass them in front of other inmates, and use homophobic language to belittle them on a regular basis. My heart hurts knowing that prisoners are already extremely restricted enough already, yet they continue to feel isolated and discriminated against just based off their sexual orientation and gender identity. Are prison guards so uncomfortable with their own sexuality that they feel the need to oppress those who are comfortable with their own? Or are they simply just cold-blooded people?

Feelings of empathy emerged as I discovered that homophobic policing is also extended to visitors of these prisoners, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation. They regularly prevent visitors from hugging, kissing, or holding hands with visitors of the same gender and those perceived as heterosexual.  Reflecting on my experiences visiting my aunt in a mental health institution, I felt sad and disappointed that I wasn’t allowed to show my own family member any kind of physical affection. I’m thankful Ritchie explained this in her piece, otherwise I would have continued to believe that I was not allowed to do so because of security purposes. Everything prison guards do to deny prisoners their denial of intimate activity, whether sexual or platonic, remains a huge problem that I believe cannot simply be solved through basic prison reform efforts.


To be honest, it was not difficult for me to find a case depicting the maltreatment of queer folk in American Prisons. From conducting a simple Google search, I discovered the story of Sandy Brown, a transgender woman incarcerated in a Maryland prison. In this article of The Guardian, Sandy Brown shares that prison guards called her “it” and “some sort of animal” while watching her shower. Not only did the guards sexually harass Brown, but they also encouraged her to commit suicide and threw her in solitary confinement for 66 days regardless of directions by the prison warden to not segregate her from the rest of the inmates. This example supports Ritchie’s argument that prison guards specifically isolate and harass inmates due to their own homophobic ideas and beliefs. Although I was infuriated to hear about Sandy Brown’s situation, I was also pleased that law judge Denise Oakes Shaffer ruled that Brown’s treatment infringed the Prison Rape Elimination Act, saying the prison “failed to train all employees in how to effectively and professionally communicate with transgender inmates” (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/24/sandy-brown-maryland-transgender-inmate-mistreated) .

          Advocates suggest that prison guards lack formal training on how to interact with transgender inmates and I think that Andrea Ritchie and myself would have to agree. Most guards are completely insensitive to queer inmates and often create a hostile environment throughout the duration of these inmates’ sentences. I’m glad that this article is available to inform the general population about these sorts of injustices, however those involved in the case of Sandy Brown and The Guardian do not hint at any initiative being taken or any suggestions to flip the mindset of homophobic prison guards.

Part 4:
Are there any prison reform organizations that have had recent successes in diminishing the homophobic treatment of prisoners in prisons? Or do you think Andrea Ritchie is right when she says “systematic and transformative change has proven elusive” (Ritchie, 117)?