BEHIND BARS: NAVIGATING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND RESILIENCE OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANS- GENDER AND QUEER PERSONS IN PRISONS

Criminology

This qualitative phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons incarcerated in Philippine correctional institutions. Despite emerging global scholarship on gender, sexuality, and incarceration, limited research in the Philippines captures how LGBTQ inmates navigate systemic structures within prison settings. Using Colaizzi’s method of analysis, the study gathered rich narratives from detained LGBTQ individuals to uncover their challenges, coping mechanisms, interpersonal relationships, and institutional treatment. Data reveal complex experiences shaped by discrimination, isolation, and survival strategies that highlight both resilience and systemic neglect. Participants reported experiences of marginalization in access to healthcare, work assignments, and emotional support, yet also demonstrated adaptive resilience through peer solidarity and self-acceptance. The findings illuminate how heteronormative prison systems reinforce invisibility and vulnerability among LGBTQ inmates while simultaneously generating alternative spaces of belonging and identity formation. The study contributes to the growing discourse on queer criminology, emphasizing the urgent need for gender-responsive penal reform, staff sensitization programs, and inclusive correctional policies that protect and affirm LGBTQ individuals behind bars.

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