I was reading the Houston Press the other day, about the Texas Department
of
Corrections refusing to allow distribution of condoms, this in a
population
with an incidence of HIV+ much higher than the society at large. The
article
cited "Prison ***uality" by prisoner Daniel H. Harris, an essay that won
Honorable Mention from PEN American Center.
The article got me thinking about the two Millennium episodes that focus
on
homo***ual prison couples: "The ThinWhite Line" and "In Arcadia Ego." I
read
Harris's essay (http://www.pen.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/231)
and found
this
paragraph (which I have broken into shorter paragraphs for readability):
"When you have people who are never getting out of prison they may turn to
homo***uality when their need for affection becomes too strong to be
denied.
Some of these may be homo***ual or bi***ual to begin with but more often
they are what I call "situational homo***uals." A relation****p with their
own gender would never have been considered if not for being incarcerated.
Once they enter this lifestyle they are forever changed.
"Mankind has adapted to his environment for many generations and this is
nothing more, except another form of adaptation. All humanity needs
someone
to love and care for. Once a prisoner has accepted his situation it seems
quite sensible that he adapt in this way. In these relation****ps the only
coercion is the same exchange of gifts and dating seen in free-world
courting rituals.
"Relation****ps of this type are long-lasting and, when one is released,
can
transcend the prison walls. In many ways these are the healthiest
relation****ps in prison. Partners, in a hostile environment, who give each
other emotional sup****t where needed. In a violent world having one person
you can depend on to never desert you is a major incentive to take such a
lover.
"These relation****ps are far deeper than physical ***ual release. There is
a
binding of the spirit which gives them unrivaled sup****t to survive prison
life. With this closeness of heart they defend each other unto death. Few
marriages in the free world share the same level of trust. This may seem
strange; but, if you think about it, maybe not. What is a marriage? A
decision by two consenting adults to share all they have, good and bad,
and
protect each other. So too is this."
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