LIVING ON THE DOWN-LOW: STORIES FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN by PRISCILLA GANN WILSON A DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Counselor Education in the Graduate School of the University of Alabama TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA 2009 Copyright Priscilla Gann Wilson 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ABSTRACT This study examined the lived experiences of African American men who publicly identified as heterosexual, but privately engaged in intimate relationships with other men. These men are identified by several terminologies including Down Low (DL) and men who have sex with men (MSM). Seven men participated in the study which consisted of three audiotaped phone interviews over the course of three months. One of the participants withdrew from the study before his last interview. The participants identified themselves as being African American, over the age of 19, and having lived, or are currently living, on the DL. The participants were interviewed about their experiences including family of origin beliefs about people who were gay, influences in the African American community that shaped their sexual identity construction, their lives on the DL, mental health issues that they may have experienced, and disclosure and non-disclosure of their sexual identity. Phenomenological research methods were used to collect and analyze and data along with the theoretical methodological framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT), which was used as a tool to identify how factors of race, gender, and sexuality play roles in the construction of African American DL and MSM. QSR NVIVO qualitative research software was also used to code categories and identify relationships that resulted from coding the transcripts. Themes that resulted from the data analysis included how the African American family and community (including the church) influenced the construction of sexual identity of African American men. Other themes included masculinity, mental health issues and the issue of disclosure and non disclosure of sexual identity among African American DL and MSM. The CRT concept of counterstories allowed the men to discuss pivotal stories that ii marked a defining moment in their lived experiences. Research is still needed to further explore sexual behavior of African Americans. Counselors and mental health providers are encouraged to educate themselves about the sexual identity construction of African Americans, and how factors in the African American family and community continue to shape the sexual identity of its members. iii DEDICATION I dedicate my dissertation to my father, Reverend Clarence Wilson. Rev. Wilson was the epitome of what a father, husband, teacher, minister, and friend should be. He dedicated his life to education, and instilled a love for God and learning in his seven children, his grandchildren, his students, and in his friends. He was a wonderful father who taught me so much, especially during a sermon he gave at Flint Hill Baptist Church in Randolph County, Alabama one Saturday night; that is, in order to know a man, you have to sit down at the table where he lives. Only then can you understand his experiences in the world. Daddy, I love you and I miss you dearly. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold. (Proverbs 22:1) iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that this effort would not have been possible without God being by my side. For that, I am indeed grateful. I am also indebted to Karla Carmichael and Heather Pleasants, co-chairmen of my dissertation committee for their assistance, sharing their expertise of qualitative methodology, and guiding me each step of the way. I would like to thank the members of my dissertation committee, Joy Burnham, Cassandra Simon, and Rebecca Ballard for providing me with wisdom, support, council, and inspiration, and S. Allen Wilcoxon for advising and guiding me through the entire doctoral process with humor and encouragement. I am deeply indebted to my graduate research supervisor, Rochelle Dail, for providing me with information about the art of interviewing subjects, the coding process, and the role of the ethnographer in qualitative inquiry. The experience was valuable. I would especially like to thank Jerry Kiser for planting the seed and encouraging me to get my Ph.D., which set me on this path. I would like to thank the research participants for devoting their time and their effort to take part in this study. I hope that their courage and their personal stories will be inspirational to other men who are in the process of constructing their sexual identity. In addition, I would like to thank Benoit Denizet-Lewis for taking time out of his schedule to be interviewed for this study, and I would like to thank Reverend Tommy Watkins for his encouragement. v I thank my former pastor, Reverend Doctor Johnny E. Merriweather, who passed away January of 2009, for his support. My pastor would talk to me about his experiences as a graduate student in theology school and always had an encouraging word and a “thumbs up” whenever he asked me how I was doing on my dissertation. I would like to thank my siblings, Gregory, Stanley, Gerald, Clarence Anthony, Paulette, and Kimberly, for their continuous encouragement throughout my doctoral studies; and I would like to thank my supportive community of family and friends for their encouragement and prayers. I dedicate my dissertation to my father, Reverend Clarence Wilson, who passed away October 27, 2007, and to my mother, Mrs. Pauline Johnson Wilson, for stressing to me and to my siblings the importance of putting God first in our lives and the importance of a good education. My parents taught me that I could do anything I put my mind to if I keep God first and for this, I am extremely grateful. vi CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION .......................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................v 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................1 Definition of the Problem .................................................................................................3 Research on the Problem ..................................................................................................4 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................4 Sexual Minority Development .....................................................................................5 The African American Church .....................................................................................6 The DL Culture ............................................................................................................7 Books Written About the DL .......................................................................................7 HIV/AIDS and the DL .................................................................................................8 Significance of the Problem ..............................................................................................9 Limited Information on the DL....................................................................................9 Counseling ...................................................................................................................10 The Role of the African American Church ..................................................................12 HIV/AIDS in the African American Community ........................................................12 Purpose of the Study .........................................................................................................14 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................14 Research Questions ...........................................................................................................15 vii Hypothesis Testing in Qualitative Research .....................................................................16 Definitions of Terms .........................................................................................................17 Assumptions of the Study .................................................................................................20 Organization of the Study .................................................................................................21 2. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..................................................................................22 Origins and Development of the DL .................................................................................23 The Scholarly Literature ..............................................................................................24 Origins of the DL Term in the Scholarly Literature ....................................................24 The Popular Culture Literature ....................................................................................25 Origins of the DL Term in the Popular Culture Literature ..........................................26 Synthesizing the Scholarly and Popular Culture Literature ..............................................27 How Literature Shaped the DL Research Agenda ............................................................27 Research Conducted on the DL and MSM .......................................................................30 Counseling Research ....................................................................................................30 Psychology Research ...................................................................................................35 Epidemiology Research ...............................................................................................36 Public Health and Health Science Research ................................................................41 Dissertational Research on the DL or MSM ................................................................43 Specific Foci of Research .................................................................................................46 Gaps and Limitations in the Research Literature ..............................................................51 Internalized Homophobia.............................................................................................52 The Construct of African American Masculinity ........................................................53 A Focus on Lived Experiences ....................................................................................54 viii Summary ...........................................................................................................................54 3. METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................................57 Critical Race Theory .........................................................................................................58 The Use of CRT in Research Studies ...............................................................................60 Methodological Strategies within CRT Framework .........................................................61 Storytelling and Counterstorytelling ............................................................................61 The Thematic Phenomenological Methodology ...............................................................63 Phenomenology from the Viewpoint of Moustakas .........................................................64 Summary ...........................................................................................................................66 Participants ........................................................................................................................69 Selection of Subjects ....................................................................................................69 Criterion Sampling .......................................................................................................70 Number of Subjects......................................................................................................70 Characteristics of the Sample .......................................................................................72 Ethical Considerations ......................................................................................................73 IRB Approval ...............................................................................................................73 Anonymity ...................................................................................................................73 Confidentiality .............................................................................................................74 Protecting Against Bias................................................................................................74 Data Collection Methods ..................................................................................................75 Setting ..........................................................................................................................75 Recruiting Participants .................................................................................................75 Initial Contact...............................................................................................................76 ix