In addition to our survey, the Policing the Rainbow team conducted in-depth interviews with a subset of 59 LGBTQ+ survey respondents to better understand how they feel about their encounters with police, how they make sense of the way LGBTQ+ people are policed, and what they imagine for the future of LGBTQ+ safety.
“Police are not my friend, but at the same time, they’re human. I don’t see anyone with their professional clothes on. I see a human being when I look at someone. So when you ask the question ‘friend or foe’: police, occupation wise, foe. But human wise, friend.”
– 33, Black, bisexual, cisgender woman
“If the police are told to uphold a law and that law goes against you fundamentally as a person, you're not going to support the police.”
– 21, White, bisexual, transgender man
“I think there's a lot of implicit bias among police officers that they need to work on identifying and dealing with. So yeah, I mean, they have a bad reputation in my mind… I think, at the minimum they're ineffective, and at the maximum they hurt and kill people who don't deserve it.”
– 36, multiracial, bisexual, cisgender woman
“I seem to be more comfortable with tribal police than the city police. Our tribal police are more engaged in the community as far as, like, socializing or making you feel comfortable. I mean, like, if you're sitting outside, they'll either stop and say hi, or, you know, how's things going or, you know, just something small talk, or drive by and wave versus with the city cop, it's like they want to get you in trouble or find something to arrest or cite you for.”
– 49, American Indian, queer, transgender woman
“Even if all of the things that have happened to me didn't happen, I would still be so aware that I am a Black person, and they don't like me, and I'm a gay person, and they don't like me, and I'm a woman, and they don't like me.”
– 18, Black, gay, cisgender woman
“You know, there are good acts, and there are good eggs. I don't want to sit there and say that all police officers are demonic and horrible and racist. Just not that type of person. So I choose to believe that there are good cops in the world that want to make the world a better place and safer place.”
– 31, Hispanic, bisexual, cisgender man
“Just because somebody is a police officer doesn't mean they're not homophobic…homophobia doesn't shut off the moment you put your badge on.”
– 25, White, gay, cisgender woman
“They've [the police] got a job to do. To be honest with you, I'm thankful that they come… They’ve got a job to do, but sometimes they are a little belligerent, and I think they get a little over the top. It can happen, and I understand where they are coming from, but it can become a gang mentality.”
– 27, White, queer, nonbinary person
[On interacting with the police] “I was being forced to navigate a world that wasn't prepared to handle who I was.”
– 42, white, gay, transgender woman
“I think that there are a lot of people who go into policing and law enforcement for good reason. But I also think that they have been an officer for so long they become jaded. I think that the psychology of their position changes. I also think that there are a lot of people who become police officers who have no business being a police officer whatsoever.”
– 35, White, gay, cisgender man