King, J. L.

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King, J. L.

PERSONAL: Born in OH; divorced; children: three.

ADDRESSES: Home—Chicago, IL. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Crown Books, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10014.

CAREER: Previously a sales and marketing executive for an Atlanta-based publishing company; works as an activist for HIV/STD prevention. Military service: Served in the U.S. Air Force.

WRITINGS:

(With Karen Hunter) On the down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep with Men, forword by E. Lynn Harris, Broadway Books (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Courtney Carreras) Coming up from the down Low: Stop the Lies, Heal the Pain, and Get the Love and Sex You Deserve, Crown Publishers (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Writer and HIV/STD prevention activist J. L. King is the author of the New York Times-bestselling book, On the down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep with Men. The "down low" refers to black men who, despite having wives or girlfriends, sleep with other black men, but do not consider themselves to be either homosexual or bisexual. These men meet at places such as the gym or church, and because they consider each other safe individuals, they rarely stop to use condoms during sexual relations. King's concern is that these men are living in denial, endangering both their own health and that of the women with whom they are involved—a real issue given that the majority of black women contracting HIV each year do so from a heterosexual partner, and they are the fastest growing segment of the infected community.

King chose to write On the down Low after his wife divorced him when she discovered that he was involved with a man from his church. He now considers himself bisexual, but prior to being caught, he would have denied that label. In researching his book, King interviewed 2,400 men between the ages of eighteen and seventy-eight, and discovered he was not alone. King, who now speaks openly about this trend and has appeared on programs such as Oprah and the News Hour with Jim Lehrer, encourages men to be honest with the women in their lives, though he acknowledges that this is easier said than done. In an interview on the Random House Web site, King explained part of the rationale behind mens' silence on this subject, stating that "many bisexual men choose not to reveal their sexual orientation because they dread the negative fallout that such a disclosure would likely cause…. Being judged and ostracized isn't something most folks would sign up for, especially not a DL man whose sense of self is intricately linked to his ability to express masculinity and fulfill the traditional gender expectation assigned to men." To women, King offers the advice that they should insist on using condoms even with a spouse, and that if they suspect their husband or boyfriend of participating in this lifestyle, they should trust their instincts.

In a review for Lambda Book Report, D. Kevin McNeir remarked that "this book is sure to challenge a lot of misconceived notions about sexuality in the black community while at the same time fueling some long overdue discussions about sexual truth or consequences." Vernon Ford, reviewing On the down Low for Booklist, called King "very straightforward about the phenomenon," and concluded that the book "is a revealing look at an important social and health issue." The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has also acknowledged King for bringing this behavior into public view.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Advocate, May 25, 2004, Anderson Jones, "Lowdown on the Down Low: J. L. King Discusses His New Book about African-American Men Seeking Gay Sex 'on the down Low,'" pp. 70-71; June 22, 2004, Victor Martorano and David Savka, "Ducking the Issue," review of On the down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Men Who Sleep with Men, p. 40.

America's Intelligence Wire, February 7, 2004, Carol Lin and Adaora Udoji, interview with King."

Black Issues Book Review, September-October, 2004, Brenda Wade, review of On the down Low, p. 46.

Booklist, May 15, 2004, Vernon Ford, review of On the down Low, pp. 1582-1583.

Chicago Tribune, June 30, 2004, Ytasha L. Womack, "'Down Low' Revelations Stir Fear, Caution," p. 1; August 25, 2004, Connie Lauerman, "Going Public with His Secret Life: Living with AIDS," review of On the down Low, p. 7.

Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, July-August, 2004, Tony Peregrin, review of On the down Low, p. 40.

Jet, May 3, 2004, Margena A. Christian, "Men on the down Low: Author J. L. King Exposes the Sex Secret That Is Devastating Black Women," pp. 32-37.

Lambda Book Report, D. Kevin McNeir, "Sexual Truth or Consequences," pp. 38-39.

Oakland Post, August 11, 2004, "HIV/AIDS Symposium with 'On the down Low' Author," p. 2.

Sentinel (Los Angeles, CA), April 22-April 29, 2004, Christina Royster-Hemby, "Men Choose Life on 'Down Low' for Myriad Reasons," p. A10.

Tennessee Tribune, August 19-August 25, 2004, Janice Malone, "'McGreevey's Been on the down Low!' Says Author," p. C6.