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Beyond the Down Low :
Sex, Lies, and Denial in Black America
by Keith Boykin, E. Lynn Harris
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 "straight" men who have sex with men-was thrust into the open in
2004. Keith Boykin, a former Clinton White House aide, goes beyond
the hype with the first responsible, eye-opening look at the down
low sensation. Unlike all previous accounts on the topic, 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. Boykin details how society has helped to
create an environment where black gay and bisexual men feel
compelled to lead double lives. Meanwhile, the dialogue that has
taken place in the black community encourages an unhealthy battle of
the sexes, ignores the complexity of the closet, demonizes
bisexuality, disempowers women, and misdirects public resources and
attention. 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
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Married Women Who Love Women
by Carren Strock
Married lesbians--a largely hidden population whose number is
difficult to estimate--at last have a book about and for them.
Strock has interviewed more than 100 women of diverse backgrounds
and ranging in age from 21 to 70; 59 percent reported having no idea
of their same-sex orientation before they were married. Initially
undertaken as a way of dealing with her own life, which irrevocably
changed when, after 27 happily married years, she fell in love with
her best woman friend, her research grew to encompass husbands and
children of the prime interviewees. She divides her report into
three sections--" The Discovery," "A New Life," and "Selfhood"
--tracking the stages of development of same-sex orientation from
first awareness to learning the pros and cons of coming out to
dealing with new levels of sexual intimacy. Collections concerned
with gay and lesbian issues will find Strock's effort a useful
addition.
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