DOWN LOW

Slate’s Julia Turner reports on the cover story of the August 3rd New York Times Magazine which

chronicles the complex subculture of black men living on the Down Low. Ostensibly straight to their girlfriends and colleagues, these men regularly have sex with other men but don’t identify as gay. Instead, they’re on the DL and identify more with being black and masculine than with being attracted to men. But some gay activists think “on the DL” is a euphemism for “in the closet,” and public health officials worry that such clandestine affairs may facilitate the spread of HIV among black Americans.

Reserve your copy now.*

*Actually, you should be able to read it online once it comes out. Which may or may not be a pun.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.