‘Down Low’ King Revisits Living A Double Life With Oprah
Here we go again.
In light of Bishop Eddie Long’s recent sex scandal, controversial author J.L. King is making headlines again.
On an episode of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ set to air Oct. 7, the New York Times best selling author revisits a topic from 2004 — in which he appeared on the national syndicated talk show for his double life as a loving husband who engaged in homosexual affairs.
King, who penned the 2004 tome ‘On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of ‘Straight’ Black Men Who Sleep With Men,’ offered insight on the secret life of “down low” men. He became the face of undercover bisexuality in the African American community.
During an interview with BlackVoices.com last year, the Springfield, Ohio native said: “Among brothers and sisters, there continues to be a distrust of brothers by Black women. This distrust is one of the most noticeable areas in our community that need healing!”
Off the strength of ‘On the Down Low,’ King was thrust into the limelight with television appearances on networks such as PBS, BET, CNN — becoming the poster child — if you will — of the “Down Low Lifestyle.”
In the wake of the Bishop Long scandal, he has resurfaced.
King’s knowledge of the topic hits home for ‘Oprah’ guest, Bridget, who says she contracted HIV from her spouse due to, what she claims to be, his double life.
BlackVoices.com has obtained exclusive clips of the show. Excerpts are below:
J.L. King: A lot has happened in my life over the past six years. The first thing is I have accepted the fact that I am a black gay proud man. (Applause.) And the fear — the fear is what kept me on the down low. The fear of losing my family. The fear of losing my children …The fear of hurting my parents. The fear of losing my relationships with cousins and extended family and the church.
OPRAH: So were you lying to me then? When you said, you know, ‘I am not a gay man, I don’t define myself, it’s not, you know, orientation and all that.’ Were you lying to me or were you just in denial?
J.K.: I think I was a little bit of both. Denial, first because I didn’t know that much about the gay culture. I didn’t know that you could still be a father. That you still can have –
OPRAH: You didn’t know there were gay fathers?
J.K.: I knew there were gay fathers but where I grew up at in the churches I attended I would hear every Sunday that God don’t love you. That you are less than a man. That if you’re gay, you’re a pedophile. You know, I did not want to have that type of label on my life. I didn’t want to hurt my family. And more importantly, I didn’t want to face my ex-wife.
OPRAH: But did you think you were living a lie?
TO SEE MORE OF WHAT J.L. KING TELLS OPRAH, TUNE INTO THE SHOW OCT. 7.
