Covered in blue : police culture and LGBT police officers in the province of Ontario

Abstract

This study examines the basic beliefs, values, and assumptions of police culture, which in the Western world has been dominated by white, working class, heterosexual males. It further considers how the culture is perceived by and impacts the workplace and career experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) police officers in the Province of Ontario. Framed by Schein's Cultural Approach to Organizations Theory, a content analysis of open-ended interviews with 21 LGBT police officers showed that most officers believe their status and relationships in their workplaces are more positive today compared to other eras. However, it also found that these officers also believed that police culture fundamentally retains a hypermasculine and heterosexual orientation. These finding are supported by a content analysis of key artefacts from selected police services, which also indicated that that police services retain traditional and conservative values.