Sexual Discretion: Black Masculinity and the Politics of Passing

African American men who have sex with men while maintaining a heterosexual lifestyle in public are attracting increasing interest from both the general media and scholars. Commonly referred to as "down-low" or "DL" men, many continue to have relationships with girlfriends and wives who remain unaware of their same-sex desires, and in much of the media, DL men have been portrayed as carriers of HIV who spread the virus to black women. *Sexual Discretion* explores the DL phenomenon, offering refreshingly innovative analysis of the significance of media, space, and ideals of black masculinity in understanding down low communities. In *Sexual Discretion*, Jeffrey Q. McCune Jr. provides the first in-depth examination of how the social expectations of black masculinity intersect and complicate expressions of same-sex affection and desire. Within these underground DL communities, men aren't as highly policed-and thus are able to maintain their public roles as "properly masculine." McCune draws from sources that range from R&B singer R. Kelly's epic hip-hopera series *Trapped in the Closet* to Oprah's high-profile exposé on DL subculture; and from E. Lynn Harris's contemporary sexual passing novels to McCune's own interviews and ethnography in nightclubs and online chat rooms. *Sexual Discretion* details the causes, pressures, and negotiations driving men who rarely disclose their intimate secrets.