Reexplore eigenberg's article.. find all authors for the specific things he or she mentions so those quotes can be used Life of men in prison Statistics, comparison with women, why this shit sucksHomosexuality has been a part of prison culture since prison life was first studied. However, it is a topic that few researchers have taken the time to analyze and interpret (Sykes, 1958). Prison studies in the 1980s and 1990s rarely took place as it was not considered a topic worthy of study, rather the focus addressed issues related to sexually transmitted infections, sexual violence, and rape (Sit & Ricciardelli, 2013) . Homosexuality was considered a form of mental illness by the American Psychological Association until 1975, when it was declared an alternative lifestyle (Eigenberg, 1992). Penal institutions around the world ironically host a subculture with the greatest concentration of homosexuality but which is highly homophobic (Gear, xxxx). Researchers such as Blackburn, Fowler, Mullings, and MArquart (2010) found that time served was a significant predictor of greater tolerance for sex among inmates and a preference for having a gay cellmate. It wasn't until Kinsey et al. (1953) developed the Kinsey scale to measure sexual orientation that the notion of sexual fluidity began to be considered in Western cultures. It consisted of a continuum of seven categories based on two indicators: sexual fantasy and sexual experience. Both fantasy and experimental measures were found to have similar results, and many agreed that this form of measurement was better than one consisting of only a few discrete variables (Ellis, Burke, & Ames, 1987). Many myths surround penal institutions and the prisoners who constitute them. The mass media portrays priso... middle of paper... questions regarding sexual identity and homosexuality, the answers could be distorted depending on the prisoner's level of fear of being identified as homosexual in a hypermasculine environment, of self -denial or failure to admit. Gibson and Hensley (2013), in their study on whether engaging in homosexual behavior influenced a change in sexual orientation, had only an unsurprising response rate of 18%. Most reports note only admission of indirect exposure; only a select group of prisoners engaged in this activity were heard about but not witnessed, or it was denied that it occurred (Gibson & Hensley, 2013). Future Research More research is needed to examine how inmates' attitudes toward homosexuality impact behaviors; greater tolerance towards homosexuality means that an individual is more likely to engage in homosexual behavior (Blackburn, Fowler, Mullings, & Marquart), 2010).