Title: Men on the Down Low Brought to the Forefront

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Section/SPIG: HIV/AIDS

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"Undercover," "in the life," "mess around," and "kickin' it" are all terms that have been used to describe the "cheating" behavior of married men or men in a committed heterosexual relationship who have sex with other men without their spouse or partner's knowledge. Now add to these terms "being on the down low," or "DL."

While being on the "DL" is not a new phenomenon, it is certainly new to popular culture and the mainstream media. In fact, the subculture of primarily black men who have sex with other men but do not identify as gay has emerged and been highlighted on recent television programs such as the Oprah Winfrey show. J.L. King, a self-identifed member of the "Down Low" community, discussed his experiences with Winfrey on her show and in his newly released book entitled, "On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men who Sleep with Men." King stresses that although he engages in sexual activity with other men, he is not gay. In fact, King reports that "being gay" is a phenomenon of "white culture," a culture he "does not want to be part of."

While King has been labeled "homophobic" and/or the product of a hip-hop culture which depicts black men as hyper-masculine, "macho," and/or "gansta thugs," he emphasizes the fact that this sub-culture does exist within the black community. Moreover, King points out that "Down Low" men often put themselves and their female sex partners unknowingly at risk for HIV by engaging in anonymous, unprotected sex with other men. King hopes that through his book and appearances on television program's such as Winfrey's, he can help educate black women in particular, among whom rates of HIV continue to increase, about this phenomenon.