On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep With Men - Hardcover

King, J. L.; Hunter, Karen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0767913981 ISBN 13: 9780767913980

Publisher: Broadway Books, 2004

Synopsis

An analysis of the lives of homosexual and bisexual African-American men who outwardly live their lives as heterosexuals discusses the societal taboos that reinforce sexual secrecy and contribute to a disproportionate rise in HIV infection among African-American women.

About this title

Review:

As On the Down Low exposes, the closer a secret is kept, the more powerful the impact once it is finally revealed. Author and activist JL King here takes an intriguing look at the lives and lifestyles of black men who sleep with other men but do not consider themselves to be gay. These men live "on the down low", the "DL" for short, and their sexual activities have gained significant notice as the rate of HIV/AIDS infection in black women has skyrocketed, with the vast majority of cases coming from heterosexual sex. King is a veteran of the DL himself and his book serves partly as a social and psychological survey of the other men he has surveyed and partly as highly candid memoir. King was well regarded in his community, popular at his church, successful in his career and married to a woman who had no idea that his secret life existed. But when she caught him in a lie and with another man, the marriage collapsed and King's long and painful path to self-awareness began. King cites the negative image many socially conservative black men have of homosexuality as an obstacle to those men being honest with their partners and themselves about who they are. Among the more intriguing elements of On the Down Low are the peculiar approaches men on the DL have to the sexual act, seeking a strictly physical sexual relationship with their secret male partners while remaining in more traditional arrangements with women. Whether this discrepancy is a product of scrupulously guarded secrecy and shame or the natural preference of an understudied sexual identity is one of the numerous questions raised by this book. Though the infection statistics make the DL a huge public health issue, King is neither a sociologist nor a medical professional. And while a more clinical look at this issue would be welcome, King accomplished what he set out to do: provide light and insight into a world that so many have worked so hard to keep in the shadows. --John Moe, Amazon.com

Review:

This book has folks buzzing like a tree full of cicadas." --"Philadelphia Inquirer"
"There's a new book girlfriends have got to read. It's a page-turner." --"Newsday" (New York)

"A wake-up call." --"Dallas Voice"
"A good read." --"The News-Sentinel" (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
"A revealing look at an important social health issue." --"Booklist"
"King ultimately delivers a powerful and emotional story and must be lauded for having the courage to do so!" --"QBR The Black Book Review"

This book has folks buzzing like a tree full of cicadas. "Philadelphia Inquirer"
There's a new book girlfriends have got to read. It's a page-turner. "Newsday" (New York)

A wake-up call. "Dallas Voice"
A good read. "The News-Sentinel" (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
A revealing look at an important social health issue. "Booklist"
King ultimately delivers a powerful and emotional story and must be lauded for having the courage to do so! "QBR The Black Book Review""

This book has folks buzzing like a tree full of cicadas.- --Philadelphia Inquirer
-There's a new book girlfriends have got to read. It's a page-turner.- --Newsday (New York)

-A wake-up call.- --Dallas Voice
-A good read.- --The News-Sentinel (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
-A revealing look at an important social health issue.- --Booklist
-King ultimately delivers a powerful and emotional story and must be lauded for having the courage to do so!- --QBR The Black Book Review

About this edition

• Publisher: Broadway Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0767913981
• ISBN 13: 9780767913980
• Binding: Hardcover