Workplace Experiences of Lesbian and Bisexual Female Police Officers in the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary

Abstract

Research into Canadian workplace experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) public safety personnel is scant. This exploratory ethnographic study examined reasons for lesbian and bisexual female officers joining the police, their shared workplace experiences, perceived career barriers based on sexual orientation, and perceptions of police leadership in advancing the inclusion of LGBTQ officers in the profession. Informed by intersectionality theory and thematic analysis, in-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with three active police officers in a medium-sized Canadian city. Four major themes emerged: (a) change in career paths in response to evolving life situations and desire for rewarding, nonmonotonous work; (b) latent stereotypes and biases within otherwise supportive organizational cultures; (c) sexual orientation not a barrier to career opportunities and advancement; and (d) strong support for LGBTQ diversity and inclusion at work but remaining challenges in police–LGBTQ community relations. Implications and recommendations for practice are discussed.

Keywords:

• Lesbian and bisexual female officers
• LGBTQ police officers
• LGBTQ police workplace experience
• policing and police culture
• police LGBTQ diversity and inclusion

Notes

1 Visible minority is the term used by federal agencies in Canada, in connection with the Employment Equity Act, to describe people who are not Indigenous and White in race. Included in the category of visible minorities are South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Latin American, Arab, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, Japanese, and others. The term is contested, and seen by many as outdated, in that it ignores the changing demographics of Canadian society. Visible minorities are, for example, the majority population in some provinces and cities across the country. Also, the term is criticized for disregarding the fact that race and ethnicity are social constructs; that barriers are rooted in historical and contemporary racial and cultural prejudices and are not a product of identities. We use the term in the current article only to be consistent with common parlance.

2 Gray literature is defined here as academic research, produced in print or electronic formats, that is not under the control of commercial publishers (Paez, 2017).

Additional information

Funding

The present research was financially supported by School of Social Work Startup Funds, Memorial University of Newfoundland, SSHRC/VP Research Grant, Memorial University of Newfoundland.