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Prison is unsafe for LGBT people – Testimony from a PAC Member

Prince, who identifies as a gay male, introduces himself and reminds us that incarcerated people who do not conform to traditional ideas about gender and sexuality face a particularly high risk of violence and discrimination.
 

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Warning: The following letter conveys a personal account of verbal abuse, and has not been edited in any way. Proceed with caution if you may be triggered by these topics or the use of profanity and derogatory slurs.

“Prince’s Introduction,” by Prince.


I’m writing to place my PAC Blog dealing with being gay in a male prison.

Since my incarceration I have been in a lot of different situations because I’m a gay male and I live the alternative lifestyle. For one, I have other inmates calling me all types of faggots, homosexual, and a cock sucking bitch. I was in a fight cause I was gay. This other inmate came to me and said that he didn’t want me as his bunking [mate] cause I’m gay. He told me I had to tell the C.O. I can’t live here. So I told him I’m not doing that and he called me a faggot bitch and swung at me. So we started to fight.

Secondly, I have been discriminated against by C.O.S. Sergeant, and other employees in the department of correction. One day at the library in Marcy Correctional Facility, me and my wife Chi-Chi were looking for books and the Librarian Mrs. Padulla started to yell and call us all types of names. She told the Sergeant we were doing sexual things to each other in her library. So I wrote a grievance on this only to have the Sergeant yell at me and call me all types of faggots and homosexual and say to me that I have no rights at all.

So being locked up has been hard for me and it still is hard cause you have people who don’t understand the lifestyle that I choose to live. So I go through so much stuff while I’m locked up. So I try to hold my head up high and get around all the negativity due to other people’s ignorance. I just wish one day we all will be able to live in peace and not have other people judge us cause we live a different lifestyle than them.

I would like y’all to post this on the blog to show others [about] life in the gay lifestyle; the struggles and tribulations we go through while being locked up.

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The Sylvia Rivera Law Project (SRLP) works to guarantee that all people are free to self-determine gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination or violence.

This blog, which features letters from our Prisoner Advisory Committee (PAC) members, is just one way we overcome the enormous state-created barriers to communication and political participation for the people who are most affected by the prison system.


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