Ten things you should know about the DL...by Keith Boykin...

[bliss_eternal]

Sorry this is a bit dated, but no less relevant. With Black Aids Awareness Day coming up the first week of February, I just thought I'd put this out now in preparation. :)

10 Things You Should Know About the DL
By Keith Boykin, in sexuality
Thursday, February 3 2005, 2:05PM

It's coming again. Get ready for a new round of news stories about the down low. It started last year with a wave of media hype and sensationalism designed to scare black women about men on the DL. But now, as National African American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day approaches next week, it's important to separate fact from fiction in this delicate conversation.

Almost everything we've been told about the down low in recent years is wrong. That's why I've put together a quick list of ten things everyone should know about the down low.

1. The down low is just a black version of "the closet."
The down low is popularly used to refer to men who have sex with men but do not identify as gay or homosexual. Maybe you've heard that concept before. Long ago, we called it "the closet." The term "down low" is just a new way of describing a very old thing, but it's the hot new buzz word of the moment.

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taken from:

http://www.keithboykin.com/arch/2005/02/03/10_things_you_s

[Brewman_Jax]

1. Bruce Dixon at Black Commentator

has a similar article at http://www.blackcommentator.com/149/149_cover_lowdown_downlow.html