 | |
| Author | Keith Boykin |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies and Denial in Black America is a 2005 nonfiction book by Keith Boykin. [1]
This book of essays analyzes the validity of the down low phenomenon, first publicized by J. L. King in his book On the Down Low . It covers multiple discussions about gay sexuality, the African American community, homophobia, and the spread of HIV.
Boykin distances himself from King's conclusions, accusing him of making a name for himself by spreading misinformation. [2] He also stresses that not only African-American men who have sex with men are "on the down low". [3] He names two Caucasians, Jim McGreevey and Ed Schrock, as examples of non-blacks technically "on the down low". [4]
He pinpoints how an article in The New York Times stating that a large number of black, gay men has been twisted to suggest that there are many men on the down low purposely infecting heterosexual, African-American women. [5] Finally, he argues that only when more African-American men and women are openly gay in the media spotlight, this will diminish homophobia in black communities or disprove that homosexuality is a predominantly white (or at least non-black) phenomenon. [6]
