The (in‑)visibility of difference: gay and lesbian identities and the German police

While modern police organizations have included diversity in their portfolio of
guiding orientations, there has been little research on the sexual identity of police
officers and their perceptions in Germany. Based on current scientific discourses on
the construction and impact of human categories, this article provides an explora-
tive empirical-qualitative analysis of views, perceptions, and experiences of Ger-
man police officers with gay and lesbian sexual identities. We conducted in-depth
semi-structured interview with officers who identified themselves as gay or lesbian
(n = 8). Applying a reflexive thematic approach to data analysis, the results point
to an internal police dominance of a two-gender identity concept, in which heter-
osexual masculinity forms the guiding value and third possibilities remain largely
invisible. The findings offer a reason to critically reflect on the existing dominance
of heterosexually formatted distinctions and thus to further expand German police
organization’s claim to diversity.