Bolstered by national television exposure on Oprah and a cover story in the New York Times Magazine, the “down low”— a term used nowadays in the black community to refer to “straight” men who have sex with men — was thrust into the open in 2004. Keith Boykin, St. Louis native and former Clinton White House aide, goes beyond the hype with the first responsible, eye-opening look at the down low issue in his book Beyond the Down Low: Sex, Lies and Denial in Black America.
Boykin will read from his book at 7 p.m., Wednesday, March 16, at the Carpenter Branch of the St. Louis Public Library, 3309 S. Grand Blvd.
Beyond the Down Low presents the DL not merely as a problem of gay and bisexual men living in the shadows, but more as an example of America’s unwillingness to engage in critical but uncomfortable conversations about black sexuality. This book is a timely and well researched answer to the question, “Why are so many black men on the DL?” More importantly, it is an essential tool to pry open the closet door in black America.
Boykin is one of America’s leading commentators on race, sexuality and politics. He has appeared on CNN, Fox News and NPR and been featured or quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, and numerous other publications. A graduate of Harvard Law School, the author served as Special Assistant to President Clinton and worked closely on civil rights issues and gay and lesbian issues in the White House. Boykin now serves as president of the National Black Justice Coalition. He is the author of One More River to Cross: Black and Gay in America and Respecting the Soul.
