BET News Stirs Storm of Debate, Strong Messages About Sexual Conduct in Explosive Reality Documentary on March 28
THE DOWN LOW EXPOSED Probes Secret World of Men Having Sex With Men While Masquerading as Heterosexuals in a Dangerous Gamble with Lives of Female Partners
Cowards ... sexual deviants ... liars ... murderers. And those are just the one-word bullets fired across the spectrum of opinions and emotions in THE DOWN LOW EXPOSED, a shocking documentary presented by BET News on Tuesday, March 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. This one-hour special traverses the backstreets, nightclubs, websites and even the sanctity of marriage where some Black men are leading ´double-lives´ as heterosexuals with unsuspecting women; and then flipping the script in a dangerous duality of homosexual pursuits. The end result is confusion, anger, betrayal, tears, family destruction and, in some cases, the ultimate price of HIV and AIDS infections of the innocent and unknowing.
Atlanta-based author J. L. King first ignited the debate in 2004 with his controversial tell-all book entitled On the Down Low: A Journey into the Lives of "Straight" Black Men Who Sleep with Men. Since then, a firestorm has raged around the issue. Emotions were further fueled when the husband of best- selling author Terry McMillan broke his own silence by admitting to a secret gay lifestyle. These days, battle lines exist from the prisons to the pulpit.
"That´s part of their problem - they´re cowards," said an emotionally- charged McMillan in what she proclaims is her final public interview on how her marriage to Jonathan Plummer unraveled. "I think that he (Plummer) should be charged with attempted murder for risking my life without my knowledge or consent ... I think that what you (BET) are doing should be applauded because I think more than anything there are women out there that are victims. And I think that we need to hold men accountable for their actions."
BET News will examine this divisive subject from a variety of important angles including sex among men in prison and its impact on the spread of HIV/AIDS; the "don´t ask, don´t tell" policy prevailing in the Black church; the sobering impact of HIV and AIDS on women infected by men who hid their homosexuality; and the crucial importance of being tested for HIV/AIDS. An encore showing of THE DOWN LOW EXPOSED is also scheduled for Friday, March 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
"The DOWN LOW is one of those subjects that fascinate people. There are e-mails circulating that accuse people; folks buy books and see lectures on the subject," said BET President of Entertainment Reginald Hudlin. "But with all that talk, people aren´t learning what´s really going on. With this special, we want to hear every point of view - men who lead double-lives, their lovers, women who have been involved with them, church people, ex-cons, AIDS activists and regular folks on the street."
"There´s a resoundingly loud and clear message here - what you don´t know may very well kill you," said Shirley Neal, President of Park Hill Entertainment and executive producer on the project for BET. "We´ve wrapped around this documentary an anthem of no more secrets, no more lies. This is not an issue to whisper about anymore. The emotions of those who feel victimized, as well as those who see this as a chosen lifestyle are completely unfiltered."
In addition to McMillan, J. L. King revisits his inflammatory book; discusses his own life in the aftermath; and takes part in an exclusive interview with his former wife Brenda Stone-Browder, who has remarried and started a new life. Noted Hollywood actor/producer/director Bill Duke also reveals the intense motivation behind his upcoming feature film Invisible, which further unmasks the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the DOWN LOW issue and the accompanying cross-cultural taboos that have shielded it from view.
"If you think this is a Black issue, you are very mistaken," said Duke. "AIDS is not a Black issue. AIDS is an issue that´s going to impact everybody, everybody´s sisters and daughters, everybody´s families. And why we´re not dealing with this in an emergency way is beyond me. I don´t understand it, I really don´t."
Others lending voice and context to the issue include Dr. Gail Wyatt, clinical psychologist, sex therapist and professor at UCLA; Phill Wilson, Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute; and Pastor Oliver Clay Allen, openly gay minister of the Vision Church of Atlanta.
