WHERE MY GIRLS AT?: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF LESBIAN LAW ENFORCEMENT COUPLES

The culture of policing has been studied in various policing journals and numerous aspects of the job have been examined, however, in respect to the changing and diverse nature of today’s law enforcement officers (LEOs), this study provided a view inside the lived experiences of lesbian LEO couples. The focus of this research was to discover the essence of being a lesbian LEO couple. There were six themes and five subthemes that emerged from the data: (a) Proving Yourself, (i) Identity and Acceptance, (b) Respecting the Relationship, (c) Safety, (d) The Climate, (e) It’s Not Normal, (i) Schedules, (ii) Humor, (f) Hold the Line, (i) Communication, and (ii) A Different Roller Coaster. This study is divided into multiple chapters including an introduction, thorough review of relevant literature, methodology, results, and implications for further study.