Lecture Introduction

  • Quote by Wendell Phillips: "The first duty of society is justice."

  • Course: 1008CCJ Social Problems: (In)equality & (In)Justice

  • Instructor: William R Wood, Griffith University

Lecture Outline

  • Part 1: Transmisia

  • Part 2: Heterosexism

  • Part 3: Queer Criminology

  • Part 4: A conversation with Dr. Jutathorn Pravattiyagul

Queer Criminology

  • Traditional criminological and criminal justice research has been predominantly heteronormative

    • Assumption of conventional sex-based gender roles and heterosexual orientation

    • Result: Non-normative sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions are under-recognized and under-examined

    • Needs of LGBTQ individuals are not adequately addressed

    • Emergence of queer criminology as a response to the limitations of traditional criminology (Ball, 2022)

Understanding 'Queer'

  • Common misconception: 'Queer' seen as synonymous with 'gay'

  • In queer criminology:

    • Refers to a broad range of identities beyond heteronormative or cisgendered, including:

    • Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender diverse, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals (LGBTIQ+)

    • The term 'queer' has negative historical connotations but has been reclaimed by activists

    • It represents a broader spectrum of sexual identity

  • Varied meanings of 'queer':

    • “Queer may mean one thing to one person, yet mean something completely different to another” (Buist & Lenning, 2016)

    • Emphasizes that there is no singular experience of sexuality or gender identity (Kahle et al., 2018)

  • Need for queer theory: Recognizes that sexual identity is significant, elucidating the larger social structures that label these identities (Buist and Lenning, 2016)

Queering Criminology

  • Integration of queer theory into criminology draws from theoretical frameworks established since the 1960s

  • Aim: To challenge and complicate understandings of gender and sexuality as rigid binaries (male/female, straight/gay)

  • Feminist criminology comparison:

    • Utilizes gender to critique the status quo

    • Queer criminology similarly uses sexual orientation and gender identity to uncover injustices experienced by LGBTQ individuals (Kahle et al., 2018)

Conceptual Framework of Queer Criminology

  • Aims to highlight the stigmatization and criminalization of the queer community as both victims and offenders

  • Provides insight into LGBTQ experiences within the criminal justice system

    • Addresses historical exclusion of LGBTQ perspectives in criminological discourse (Ball, 2022)

  • Phrase "Queer Criminology" coined recently, inspired by the homosexual deviancy thesis (Woods; 2014, 2015)

Impact of LGBTQ Political Movements

  • Focus areas:

    • Victimization: Homophobic and transphobic hate crimes

    • Intimate partner violence

    • Understanding experiences of criminal (in)justice

    • Notable lack of knowledge surrounding LGBTQ offending behaviors

Research Areas in Queer Criminology

Victimization Insights

  • Activist-oriented research aimed at improving responses to LGBTQ victimization

    • Informing not only policymakers but non-government organizations and law enforcement

  • Attention on hate crimes:

    • High rates of victimization among LGBTQ individuals

    • Such experiences can lead to diminished self-worth, unstable employment, social isolation, and poor health

  • Intimate partner violence:

    • Occurrence at levels comparable to heterosexual relationships

    • Unique characteristics and barriers to seeking help

    • Linked to broader societal homophobia and transphobia

    • Barriers severely impede access to justice

Victimization in the Criminal Justice System

  • Discrimination within the criminal justice system impacts LGBTQ individuals

    • Focus on institutional practices and the biases held by criminal justice agents that lead to unequal access to justice

Police Engagement

  • Reports indicate that LGBTQ individuals experience abuse and harassment by police at rates 2-3 times higher than their non-LGBTQ counterparts

  • Violence from police is reported by nearly half of LGBTQ individuals surveyed

  • In Australia: Young LGBTQ individuals express distrust toward police due to harassment related to appearance (Dwyer, 2011; 2015)

  • Discriminatory policing discourages reports of intimate partner violence and hate crimes, even when victims attempt to report, many are not believed

Experiences in the Court System

  • Demonization and pathologization of LGBTQ individuals during judicial processes

  • Examination of imprisonment:

    • Most research focuses on trans prisoners facing systemic injustices in prison

    • Institutionalized transphobia and cisnormativity are prevalent, especially within sex-segregated prisons

Criminalization of LGBTQ People

  • Research focuses on:

    • Intimate partner violence perpetrators

    • Sex workers

  • Surprisingly little research on other areas

    • Acknowledgment of previous discussions on transgender pathways in this week’s lecture

  • Criminalization links to broader societal structures including homophobia, transphobia, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity (Ball, 2022)

Implications and Discussions

  • Questioning the reformative capacity of the criminal justice system to address LGBTQ injustices

    • Notable voices argue for prison abolition and systemic overhaul to rectify inequities experienced by LGBTQ individuals (Ball, 2016)

    • Recognizes that marginalized subgroups often face compounded injustices (e.g., poor queer people of color, Indigenous populations in Australia)

  • Current research predominantly reflects Western contexts, though this trend is beginning to change with growing inclusivity of perspectives from non-Western regions

Upcoming Discussion

  • A conversation with Dr. Jutathorn Pravattiyagul

    • Department of Anthropology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

    • Focus on research and consultancy regarding trans imprisonment for the UNODC and UNDP