
Colin
A gay policeman whose divided role exposes the overlap between queer life and policing.
To navigate homosexual private life while maintaining his place in law enforcement.
The book

Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeColin is a gay policeman connected with Will.
His private life and official role pull in contradictory directions.
He becomes connected to the entrapment affecting James.
How the book draws them
- OfficialUniform and institution shape his public authority.
- Privately knowingHe understands the gay world police continue to monitor.
- ContradictoryIdentity does not place him outside the policing system.
- Institutional linkHis role connects Will’s circle to James’s legal vulnerability.
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