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Hardcover
Publisher: Broadway
E. Lynn Harris
Delivering the first frank and thorough investigation of life "on the down low," (the D.L.) J. L. King exposes a closeted culture of sex between black men who lead “straight” lives. The trend is proving to have skyrocketing health consequences for wives and girlfriends unwittingly caught in the double lives of their men: African American women represent 68 percent of new HIV cases, and an alarming one out of 160 black women carries the virus, compared to one in 3,000 white women.
Drawn from hundreds of interviews, statistics, and the author’s firsthand knowledge of D.L. behavior, On the Down Low reveals the warning signs and protective measures every African American woman needs to know. Providing a long-overdue wake-up call, J. L. King bravely puts the spotlight on a topic that has until now remained dangerously taboo. Volatile yet vital, On the Down Low is sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.
The closer a secret is kept, the more powerful the impact once it is finally revealed. Such is the case with author and activist J.L. King's 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
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| A courageous eye on black male sexualiy |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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As a counselor for victimized black women, I became more and more disturbed by the high rate of HIV in my client population. One of my African-American friends educated me about the pervasive homosexuality among Afrcan-American men. The rate of homosexualiy and bisexuality among African-American men has been reliably estimated at 33%. This has created a dire situation for African-American women and African women as well. These "Down Low" activities are spreading HIV like wildfire through the female black community. The epidemic of black men having sex with each other and hiding it from their female partners is common in and outside of the United States. "On the Down Low" is a education tool and a courageous eye on an African and African-American cultural epidemic. It takes courage to admit to a problem and this problem is taking innocent female African-American lives each day. Great book! A good start in the quest for solutions to HIV! Super work!
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| Must Have Book |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This book should be read by teenagers and adults alike. It uncovers hidden aspects of human sexuality that many of us would never think of, and it is a timely warning to beware of casual sexual encounters in this age of HIV/AIDS.
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| Great reading |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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As a former disease intervention specialist who has delivered bad news to people concerning STDs and HIV, I would say that this book is very close to what I have seen.
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| Good trendsetter, but now we have Keith Boykin, so who needs this book now |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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Great when it first came out because it was such a novel issue, but if you really want something good go to Keith Boykin. thats it. JL King fails to answer the most straightforward question his book poses: What is DL? He walks around it, then does summersaults around it, then runs circles and finally wrappes it with layers of gift wrap but FAILS to answer what Down Low is. Maybe he is being down low about the definition of Down Low.
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| All Black Woman Should Read This Book |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I read this book in one day...I couldn't put it down. After reading this book I was discussing it with one of my guy friends and he told me that he was actually on the down low. I suspected him long ago but after reading this book...I knew and he came clean and told me. We had a lot to talk about and this book helped me understand him and what he was going through. I was truly educated.
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