EVEN THOUGH HOMOSEXUALITY AS A GENERAL TOPIC OF CONVERSATION DOMINATES THE CULTURAL ATMOSPHERE OF MALE PRISONS, HOMOSEXUALITY GENERALLY RECEIVES ONLY CURSORY ATTENTION IN DISCUSSIONS OF PRISON LIFE BY SOCIOLOGISTS. SOCIOLOGISTS REGARD HOMOSEXUALITY IN MALE PRISONS AS AN INTERESTING, SOMETIMES ABERRANT, DEVIATION INVOLVING DEPRIVATION, TENSION, PSYCHOLOGICAL UNCERTAINTY, AND THE SEARCH FOR POWER. CONVERSELY, IN FEMALE PRISONS, THE CENTRALITY OF HOMOSEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS TO THE TOTAL PRISON SOCIAL SYSTEM IS RECOGNIZED. EXPLANATIONS FOR THE FAMILY-ORIENTED CONTEXT OF HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR AMONG FEMALE PRISONERS REFER TO THE PROBABILITY THAT WOMEN'S SELF-CONCEPTIONS ARE BASED MORE FIRMLY THAN MEN'S SELF-CONCEPTIONS ON FAMILIAL ROLES. ALTHOUGH, THERE IS A GREATER AMOUNT OF HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN FEMALE PRISONS THAN IN MALE PRISONS, AND SUCH BEHAVIOR IS MORE VISIBLE, THE CONCERN IN MALE PRISONS IS NOT THE AMOUNT OF HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVIOR BUT RATHER THE AMOUNT OF CONCERN EXHIBITED BY PRISONERS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY IN CONVERSATIONS AND PLAY BEHAVIOR. HOMOSEXUAL JOKES ARE COMMON IN MALE PRISONS, ALTHOUGH MANY ATTITUDES TOWARD HOMOSEXUALS AND HOMOSEXUAL ACTS ARE DUPLICATED IN THE OUTSIDE MALE CULTURE. THREE REASONS FOR THE FEAR OF HOMOSEXUALITY AMONG MALE INMATES ARE THE GENERAL PRECARIOUSNESS OF MASCULINE SELF-IMAGES, THE LACK OF HETEROSEXUAL OUTLETS IN PRISONS, AND THE LOSS OF CONTROL ASSOCIATED WITH EMOTIONAL INVOLVEMENT AMONG PRISONERS. THERE ARE TWO CONSEQUENCES OF A PRISONER'S FEAR OF BEING LABELED HOMOSEXUAL: (1) PRISONERS SEE AND PROBABLY ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE, INTIMIDATION, AND DEGRADATION IN SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS; AND (2) THE CAPACITY OF PRISONERS TO MAINTAIN THEIR SENSE OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING IS PERSISTENTLY ERODED, ALONG WITH THE CAPACITY FOR SUCCESSFUL REENTRY INTO THE COMMUNITY. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DEP)