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So most stayed in the closet, continuing to project heterosexuality, while discreetly meeting other gay men in underground gay scenes or over the internet.
Only a handful of them came out to their traditional gangs, and this sometimes resulted in serious consequences, such as being “bled out” of the gang (forced out through a fight).
Despite the dangers, some wanted to come out. Many argued that bringing up sexuality felt unnecessary in a conversation about loyalty.
Some listeners, however, didn’t see the remarks as outright bigotry.
Most of these gangs were primarily male.
Because even the idea of a gay man being in a gang flies in the face of conventional thought, the gang members I spoke with had to constantly resist or subvert a range of stereotypes and expectations.
Getting in by being out
Male spaces can be difficult for women to enter, whether it’s boardrooms, legislative bodies or locker rooms.
How could I – a white, middle-class woman with no prior gang involvement – gain access to these gangs in the first place?
But a number of fears held them back. In their words, they were able to be “the real me.”
Men in gay gangs were expected to be able to build a public reputation as a gay man – what they called becoming “known.” Being “known” means you’re able to achieve many masculine ideals – making money, being taken seriously, gaining status, looking good – but as an openly gay man.
Young Thug Slammed for Comments on Gay Men appeared first on LBS.
The Gang's All Queer: The Lives of Gay Gang Members
Description
Many people believe that gangs are made up of violent thugs who are in and out of jail, and who are hyper-masculine and heterosexual.
For my book “The Gang’s All Queer,” I interviewed and spent time with 48 gay or bisexual male gang members. Their social worlds and definitions of acceptable identity were constantly changing and being challenged. But they had more flexibility.
Confronting contradictions
But sometimes these gang members would vacillate about certain expectations.
They questioned if being tough or eager to fight constituted what it should mean to be a man.
When Young Thug requested clarification about what constituted a “gay anthem,” Hurtado explained it as “Just a song that you’re, like, you know what, the gays kinda ate with this one.”
After pausing to consider his response, Thugger delivered his unexpected answer with characteristic confidence. Many responded with their fists.
One particularly striking story came from a member of a straight gang who made a date for sex over the internet, only to discover that it was two fellow gang members who had arranged the date with him. You know what I’m saying?
These comebacks challenge many of the assumptions made about gay men – that they lack nerve, that they’re unwilling to physically fight.
Young Thug left reporters speechless at the 2025 GQ Men of the Year Awards red carpet when he boldly declared himself a gay rapper and identified his controversial track “Ninja” as his personal LGBTQ anthem.
The Atlanta native was approached by Ludwig Hurtado from Them magazine, who asked the rapper to name his gay anthem.
It was also more acceptable for them to project femininity, whether it was making flamboyant gestures, using effeminate mannerisms, or wearing certain styles of clothing, like skinny jeans.
Caught between not wanting themselves or others to be pressured to act masculine all the time, but also not wanting to be read as visibly gay or weak (which could invite challenges), resistance to being seen as a “punk” or a pushover was critical.