Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America

by Keith Boykin, E. Lynn Harris (Foreword)

Bolstered by national television exposure on Oprah and a cover story in the New York Times Magazine, the "down low"—a term used to refer to closeted black men who have sex with men—was thrust out into the open last year. Keith Boykin, a former Clinton White House aide, syndicated columnist, and AIDS activist, breaks new ground by going beyond the media hype with the first responsible, eye-opening look at the down low sensation. Unlike all previous accounts on the topic, Beyond the Down Low refreshingly presents the DL not merely as a problem of gay and bisexual men living in the shadows and endangering women with HIV, but more broadly as a telling example of the African-American community’s overall failure to engage in critical but uncomfortable conversations about sexuality. Chief among those blacks who have lagged behind in leadership have been the black church, the African-American news media, and the black civil rights establishment, including the NAACP. Beyond the Down Low is a provocative, timely, and well-researched answer to the question "Why are so many black men on the DL?" More importantly, the book is a prescriptive solution to ending the closet in black America.

Genres: Nonfiction, Race, Queer, LGBT, History, Social Justice, African American

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Keith Boykin is an American TV and film producer, national political commentator, author, and former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. He has made much of this public in his 2022 memoir, Quitting: Why I Left My Job to Live a Life of Freedom.

Reviews

[Key · Rating 2 out of 5]

TOOK ME FOREVER TO COMPLETE THIS BOOK
I DID NOT LIKE IT
I FELT LIKE THE AUTHOR CONTINIOUSLY BEAT AROUND THE BUSH KNOWING THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT DOWN LOW IS.
HE PLAYS THE AUDIENCE AND DEFLECT BY OFFERING DOWN LOW DEFINITION WITH DIFFERENCE SCENERIOS .
ALL REMAIN THE SAME DOWN LOW IS DECITFUL AND IT'S WRONG AND IT'S ALIVE AND WELL WITHIN ALL COMMUNITES.

[Troy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is supposed to be the rebuttal to JL King's book. Nothing new here. The basic message: Get over yourselves and wear condoms. Please!!!

[Lezlie (Nancy) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried to read this book but couldn't get past the first 29 pages, too much of something, sorry i just couldn't finish this book.

[Mr. A Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lightweight treatment of the subject matter

[Titus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

There are a lot of interesting facts and opinions in this book. I'm glad I read this book before Kings book. It opened my eyes to all the different reasons why gay black men and women are stigmatized, and its shameful that still 2017 the black community still has a hard time talking and realizing that we have gay and bisexual people that are STILL being stigmatized for who they are.

[Karma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not impressed by this book at all it is a very hard read. I don’t think i will be finishing this book every chapter seems to be redundant and talk about all the same things while keeping it very general and surface level on the subject.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The imperatives behind this book are multiple. Boykin is out, primarily, to dispel the myth that skyrocketing rates of AIDS among Black women stem from their male partners' habitual infidelity with men. That he does, and quite nicely too. (In fact, it's not even that AIDS cases are up among Black women, but that they're down so much among White women.)

At the book's other functions-- coming-out memoir, policy brief for a renewed public response to AIDS among Blacks, media critique, account of fidelity mores-- its success is more mixed. All but a few chapters, however, are thought-provoking, and the best ones (those most relevant to the central point) are the most useful material I've read on the subject.

[Rhapsody Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Very enlightening, not about the sensationalism of the “downlow”, Bokin is direct about the dangers that some people not just men, and men of all cultural & ethnic backgrounds not just “black” men indulging in irresponsible behaviors by having unprotected sex, the ramifications of such behaviors and the need for social responsibility socially, spiritually, politically in all socio-economic levels

[Ebony · Rating 3 out of 5]

good book; debunks a ton of media stereotypes; includes practical prescriptions

favorite quotes:
272—we need to fight against “the socioeconomic conditions that encourage the behavior” and not “the people who engage in irresponsible behavior”
288—“…courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act in spite of fear”

[Percy Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book for so many reasons. I loved the fact that the author infused his writing with stories about music artistic and songs and what role that played in perpetuating the myths about the "Down Low". I also appreciated the history lesson concerning HIV in the black community and the role the black church plays or not plays. Truly overall a great and informative book.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looks at actual CDC research and the phenomenon of the so called 'down low' as created by homophobia and scapegoating

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a writer on the subject of homosexuality and faith, I appreciate how Boykin exposed the myths that plague our community and churches.

[Ubalstecha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a facisnating look at the hidden culture of bisexuality and homeosexuality in the African-American Community. A refutation of J.L. King's On the Down Low.

[Mack H Lewis II · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one of my favorite books. Really enjoyed reading it, however I didn't quite finish this one. I must return back to it sometime to finish what I started.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and readable analysis of "the down low" and the hype surrounding it and transmission of HIV in the black community.

[Alexandrina Coffiel]

Enlightening,informative I had no
Idea such a book existed out there.