When did "down low" become a term exclusive to gay black men?

Maybe I'm dating myself a bit with this, but I remember when this term first became part of urban pop culture in the middle 90s...and it basically referred to ANYONE doing anything sneaky on the side. TLC's "Creep" ('just keep it on the down low') and R. Kelly's "Down Low" sure weren't about covered up gay trysts. When and why did this term become swallowed by gay definition.

BTW, is anyone else sick of the term altogether? I am.

They should call it what it is: being in the closet! :frustrated:

When did it happen? Probably around the mid/late 90s. Why? Well if you think about it, it's not that huge a leap to believe that terminology for sneaking around in a forbidden/potentially-shunned relationship would adopted by dudes engaging in same sex romps.

I do agree, though, that the term is stale now. We all have dirty laundry, but don't act calling it something else makes it cute. Like Robbie said, call it what it is...being closeted.

J.L. King wrote a book about it, and it was about black men, so maybe that has something to do with it? There is a second book written. Seeing King interviews when the book was new is what made my mind default to that race when thinking of the term. Not saying it is right, but just my speculation as to why the term is projected to only blacks.

That term has been so sensationalized by the media and pop culture now that I think it's them that keeps it perpetuated. I don't think it's used that much anymore amongst people who are actually ON the DL.

The term isnt exclusively for african americans but it is an african american slang for being in the closet. Therefore its more likely to be used when talking about a black gay male.

Nhaiyel wrote:When did it happen? Probably around the mid/late 90s. Why? Well if you think about it, it's not that huge a leap to believe that terminology for sneaking around in a forbidden/potentially-shunned relationship would adopted by dudes engaging in same sex romps.

I do agree, though, that the term is stale now. We all have dirty laundry, but don't act calling it something else makes it cute. Like Robbie said, call it what it is...being closeted.

Pretty much.

Jazzde is right, it is a slang that gay black men tend to use. Black people in general tend to do that; come up with alternate terminology for certain general situations. So, as far as that goes, whatever.

At the same, it has always been disturbing to me how gay black men casually throw that term around in a such a casual, almost gleeful way; like it's "cute" to creep, lurk and playact. Then again, a lot of men in general get their thrills off on being sneaky and getting away with it, so I guess that plays into the whole thing too.