Homoeroticism and war: a review of the experiences of ex-combatants in the Colombian armed conflict

Abstract

Received: 09/28/2025
Approved: 01/15/2026

Abstract

This paper explores the experiences of homoerotic relationships among former combatants within the framework of the Colombian armed conflict, based on a systematic literature review. The research investigates forms of sexual pleasure that go beyond victimization, to critically read the conflict and question its heterosexual and masculinized character. Both military institutions and non-state armed groups are configured by homoerotic and homosocial dynamics that contradict their apparent homophobia: some combatants, while strengthening the ranks, establish sexual and affective bonds with other men, thereby challenging the principles of the armed group. These relationships, marked by the subordination of the feminine, operate within a logic in which the “active” role retains prestige, while the “passive” role receives punishment and stigmatization. The hypothesis holds that such experiences reflect subjective resistances that challenge the hegemonic logics of war from the intimate and emotional sphere.

Keywords: Homoeroticism, armed conflict, ex-combatants.