Beyond vulnerability? Experiences of incarcerated LG BTQ+ people in Belgian prisons
While academic literature, human rights standards and jurisprudence typically position incarcerated
LGBTQ+ people as inherently vulnerable due to heightened risks of violence, discrimination, and exclusion, the findings of this qualitative empirical study conducted in Belgian prisons reveal a far more heterogeneous set of experiences. Alongside accounts of homophobia, transphobia, and victimisation, participants also described resilience, the development of survival strategies, and instances of allyship from fellow incarcerated people and prison staff members. Rather than treating vulnerability as an inherent characteristic of LGBTQ+ identity, the article argues for a critical reconsideration of the concept, emphasising the diversity of experiences within this cohort. It concludes by analysing how institutional and cultural features of prison environments themselves produce or amplify vulnerability.