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August 03, 2003
Gangsta Lovin'
There is a brilliant, world-rockin' piece in the NYT Magazine this weekend. It's about the Down Low. We're not talking about Creepin' like TLC was singing about a decade ago. We're talking about black man on black man action, bath houses, dance clubs, the whole nine.
The DL is alive and well, but don't call it gay. These men don't want to hear about anything feminized. So that makes two groups of homosexual and bisexual men who want to have nothing to do with Queer Eye. You learn something new every week.
I know a couple black men on the DL, and I may know even more that I don't know. For those who have confided in me, either intentionally or untintentionally, I understand and respect their reasons. This truly is stuff that the world doesn't want to hear.
Much is made about the HIV risk. It seems that there is no way to talk about black sex without making it sound like something that threatens the entire planet. But that's just background noise. The facts, whatever they may be, speak for themselves. Unsafe sex is not what's interesting about the DL. It's the poignancy of what lengths these young men go to get their satisfactions, and the risks they take in fulfilling their desires.
The DL world is not like the white gay world, and none of these men seem to be interested in Stonewall or the possible liberation openly gay life might afford. They are all too aware of what society holds in store; misunderstanding, shunning, denial and hatred. So it comes as no surprise that the thug motif is dominant in this underground. There's not even a whole HBO show about black gay men, and HBO is almost all porno anyway.
Out here in the Kwaku Network people may have forgotten or never knew Marlon Riggs but the popularity of E. Lynn Harris is all old news. I haven't bothered to read his romances, that's more the speed of the spouse who also enjoys HBO voyeurism with the millions. But I expect the reality of the DL to bring shocks of recognition in the months and years to come as tongues get untied. We haven't seen the last of this. Out here in the blogosphere, I'm awaiting reaction to the story.
Posted by mbowen at August 3, 2003 10:03 PM
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Comments
Thinking about this a whole lot today (a comment that may very well display the shallowness of my thinking) it strikes me that all gay people are, in some way, on the DL. Black men particulary, and I have no quarrel with this excellent article, but there hasn't been a gay men I've met who wasn't forced to lead some kind of double life. This is particularly true for my generation (growing up in the 60s and 70s). We all went underground for sex, we all lived lives of duplicitous irony. I understand the comments from the mainstream gay activists who deride people in the DL, but I think they're wrong. White gay activists have it too easy. Most of them have escaped their tormenters and gone to live in urban gay ghettos. As the article mentions, this is just not an option for many black gay men. Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: don at August 4, 2003 10:09 PM
Yes, the lack of a homeland was precisely what I garnered was the toughest part for black gay men. I too think white gay men can be rather facile with their 'just get over it and come out' attitude. My understanding is that some white gay men are the most obnoxious creatures on the planet in that they believe that everyone loves them but only the right kind of (white man) can have them. No doubt class is in that too.
Posted by: Cobb at August 5, 2003 01:06 AM
bLACK MEN PLS stop saying white men have it easy.. you pick yourlife.. you stayed with it.. so why blame others for your choice. I don't care if a man is gay the only thing i care about is him tellme he is.. not keeping it on the low.. taking a woman pride and running with it... of his own selfish acts..If you want tohave sex with men and women make sure the woman knows.. and have safe sex.. !!!
Posted by: Denice at June 30, 2004 06:10 PM