Do dykes and gay men experience prison differently?
Gay women are far more accepted in the prison environment, and openly homosexual women do not, as a general rule, suffer too much abuse. In a male prison, where most (straight) inmates feel the need to assert their masculinity, any threat (however perceived) to that masculinity is stamped on – and often that means violence towards gay prisoners. Openly gay male prisoners will, in many prisons, be segregated from the main prison population for their own protection. They will be housed on the segregation wing – known as `on the rule` after Prison Rule 45 that allows segregation – which is normally home to sex offenders. Gay male prisoners are therefore classed by other inmates as `nonces` and open to frequent attack – and this also just perpetuates the myth that all gay men are paedophiles. It`s not all bad, though. Onley Young Offenders Institution near Rugby, and Swaleside Prison in Kent, have very proactive anti-homophobia policies that do work. Onley has a gay support group that we h
