Race and Sexuality within Law Enforcement
Brooklyn 99 is a comedic television show that emerged in 2013 and hit key social issues within America. The unique perspective of being detectives in New York City, a serious profession that carries feelings of tension and resentment for some communities, while cracking jokes and getting into humorous situations, creates an interesting juxtaposition and tone for the entire show. One episode called “The Party” in season one highlights sexuality and LGBT relationships as well as race relations within the police community, past and present. It is revealed in earlier episodes that the precinct’s new captain, Captain Holt, is gay and has been open at his workplace for years and along with being a person of color, faced severe discrimination from his peers and superiors. The time comes around where the team gets to meet Captain Holt’s husband, Kevin, but they are not greeted with the warmest welcome. Jake, the persistent detective and the main character, investigates why Kevin may not be open to getting to know the rest of the team. It is later found out that Kevin does not accept them due to the harsh treatment that Holt has received in the past from the other police officers.
The topic of intersectionality is common on the show by including a diverse cast whose characters go against society’s stereotypes that go along with race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexuality. Captain Holt is black and gay in a white, hegemonic masculine workplace but has a healthy and loving husband. Terry is the precinct’s Sargent and he is black and very physically fit, but is also a supportive family man who loves his three daughters and wife and is a talented artist. Detective Boyle goes against stereotypes in masculine traits by being emotionally open and invested in his friends, love interests, and family. There are also many strong female characters who have their own struggles with race and gendered roles. Detective Amy Santiago is Hispanic or Latina and is shown as being incredibly driven in her career and can even be seen as controlling at times. Detective Rosa Diaz is also Hispanic or Latina and is seen as the toughest but also least emotionally open and is later revealed to be bisexual. Gina Linetti is the Captain’s assistant but has shown to be one of the biggest critical thinkers and has an innate ability to solve big problems that the team faces. Ironically, the least helpful and driven on the team are the older white men, Detectives Hitchcock and Scully. Even Jake is known to be Jewish and faces familial issues surrounding his father’s absence in his life shown throughout the show’s seasons. These complex issues that the characters face give the audience the ability to relate to one or multiple characters while also showing how they work as a team and equally contribute to a new family dynamic.
It is not a secret or surprise that the United States has had past and present problems with race and ethnicity tensions. The setting of the police station can bring up problems, such as police brutality and racial profiling that is still prevalent today. In Brooklyn 99, Captain Holt’s past in the precinct was full of hardships and overcoming those who belittled him for aspects of his identity that made him seem like less of a human in their eyes. The heteronormative policing they conveyed toward Captain Holt was meant to shame and haze him into the “normal” society’s practices for that time. This happens daily in workplaces, schools, and even just walking down the street through slurs and shaming of certain behaviors or appearances. Kevin was with Captain Holt at this time and learned to dislike the environment of the police station because of the negative and toxic treatment of those who deviated from heteronormative masculinity. Despite his hardships, Captain Holt was able to rise to Captain status and earn great respect from peers and even his enemies.
Kevin and Captain Holt’s relationship in this episode highlights the changing family values that America and other countries are facing today in the emergence and representation of LGBT families. The team views the couple as their father figures and have their own familial bonds with them that go along with the new bonds of kinship that is seen throughout LGBT communities. Having close familial relationships with people without blood relations challenges the notion, “blood is thicker than water,” which has influenced relationships with families and friends for centuries, as outlined in Families We Choose by Kath Weston. Seeing this representation of a healthy homosexual relationship in this episode challenges preconceived notions of a “normal relationship,” which is usually heterosexual and has clear gender roles and ideals of ownership. Neither Captain Holt or Kevin display stereotypical behavior of being gay men, which helps normalize their lifestyle and culture as successful career-driven individuals. These negative stereotypes are used to dehumanize and effeminate the gay community within a culture that values the rigid rules surrounding heteronormative masculinity, while shaming those who do not conform to them in any aspect. Their relationship further shows that masculinity in our society does not need to conform to these ideals in order to have a successful life.
Find the episode here: https://www.hulu.com/watch/5f171572-90e8-4be9-9e2d-952a4f2e7089
