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Society & Culture

The truth about men on the ‘down low’

podcast February 25, 2026


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Why is the culture so obsessed with men on the down low?

To some, they’re a secret, sexy symbol. To others, they’re carriers of diseases and lies. What is the truth about men who live their sexual lives ‘on the DL’, and what does our culture’s recurring fascination with them say about how society treats men whose sexualities don’t fit into neat boxes? Brittany is joined by Dr. Jeffrey McCune, author of Sexual Discretion: Black Masculinity and the Politics of Passing, and Kai Wright – a journalist and host for the Guardian who has been writing about sexual politics for the last 30 years.

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