About Coming Out From Behind The Badge

COBTB2ndEditionCoverComing Out From Behind The Badge is a collection of short autobiographies of law enforcement personnel who have come out as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender while preparing for or working in law enforcement.  The goal of this book is to inspire those who are still in the closet to step out “from behind the badge” and live their lives fully as their true selves.  This book also offers the power of personal stories to create allies through education and awareness.  Personal stories are the most effective way of changing minds and hearts and this book offers the very unique and personal stories of real law enforcement professionals who are “out” on the job.  It is also hoped that this book will help the straight members of law enforcement better understand the internal and deeply personal struggles many of their own co-workers are dealing with on the job.

The second edition of Coming Out From Behind The Badge continues where the first edition left off with more stories and new chapters written to help law enforcement professionals and students gain a better understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity.  Like the first edition, this book features personal stories from law enforcement professionals around the United States with new contributions from men and women who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

We added new sections on sexual orientation and gender identity, LGBT history related to law enforcement, and more guidance for coming out and for agency executives on how to create an accepting and inclusive workplace.  This book is a recommended text for courses in community policing, the administration of justice, public administration, LGBT studies and other similar classes.  It is ideal for instructors and professors preparing to teach LGBT awareness courses of any kind.

“I wish I had this book last year when I did come out. You could not imagine how much it has helped me!!!” – Chris Rosier

This book is perfect for you if you are…

  • Working in law enforcement and thinking about coming out.
  • An out gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person in law enforcement.
  • A friend or colleague who wants to learn how to be supportive.
  • A criminal justice student preparing for a law enforcement career.
  • A law enforcement academy instructor or criminal justice professor.
  • An agency executive wanting a rank and file that reflects the community.
  • A law enforcement psychologist who wants to understand better.
  • A young gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person seeking a law enforcement career.

The contributing authors to this book include:

Greg Lempke
An Officer From The East Coast
An Officer From Alabama
Jon Henderson
David Lewis Jr.
Danielle Jonas
John Sanders
Anthony Kasper
Patricia Fitzpatrick
Scott Gunn
Gregory Abbink
Jeri Mitchell
Kevin Collins
Darran Mazaika

Law enforcement is a noble career that demands courage and personal commitment to serve our communities and society as a whole.  Law enforcement personnel who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual have to have another kind of courage to be successful in a largely conservative and often homophobic profession.

We look to law enforcement officers to be role models, community leaders, and in some ways, “heroes.”  But even law enforcement officers need good role models to be successful and this is particularly important for current or aspiring law enforcement officers who happen to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual.  The Law enforcement profession, as a whole, needs strong gay, lesbian, and bisexual personnel to be out at work in order to correct the misinformation, misperceptions, and definitions of what it means have a sexual orientation other than heterosexual.

According to the United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, there are over 1,000,000 full time employees working in law enforcement throughout the United States.  If the famous psychologist, Alfred Kinsey, is right about his research and that 1 out of every 10 people is gay, lesbian, or bi-sexual, that would mean there could be 100,000 members of law enforcement in United States who are gay.  So where are they all?

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