Down-low (DL) is an African-American slang phrase implying secret information, as in "What's the down-low?" or "Keep it on the down-low", meaning "Do not make it known".

Down-low, in part because of its slang meaning, is also the name of an American black subculture of men who have sex with men, but who do not identify themselves as homosexual nor bisexual. Being openly gay is unacceptable in the black urban community, so men engage in male-to-male sex in secret while keeping up heterosexual relationships for public consumption. The phrase was popularised by R. Kelly in his 1996 song "Down Low (Nobody Has to Know)."

Among some sectors of African-American male sub-culture (called "men on the DL" or "down-low"), same-sex sexual behavior is sometimes viewed as solely for physical pleasure. Men on the "down-low" may engage in regular (though often covert) sex acts with other men while continuing sexual and romantic relationships with women. These men often shun the more commonly-known "gay" as a term applying to stereotypically flamboyant and effeminate men of European ancestry, a group from which some may wish to distance themselves.

Some sociologists and researchers in queer studies have suggested that this mostly African-American subculture may have come about because of stronger stigmas against same-sex behavior in African-American communities, and, due to more widespread poverty, greater dependence on possibly homophobic family networks for support.

Other researchers believe that this covert bisexuality occours in all races, especially in the area of gay cruising for sex, which is thought to be practiced by a lot of covert homosexuals or bisexuals.

The unwillingness of men on the down-low to confront their sexual identity leads to concern that the down-low culture is not responding to safer sex messages. Because of the secretive nature of their male-to-male sex, it is unlikely that the contraction of STDs (especially HIV/AIDS) would be disclosed to a female partner. It is believed by an increasing number of public health officials that men on the down-low are a health risk to their wives and girlfriends.

References

• Williams, Jeffrey Lee Jr. (2004) The low-down on the Down Low. The Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 11(6), 6.

Further reading

• J.L. King (2004). On the Down Low. Broadway. ISBN 0767913981.

External links

• New York Times article abstract (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F00611F7355B0C708CDDA10894DB404482)