“What haven’t white people stolen from black culture?” he said.

“I’m not even going to try.” Next I called Jimmy Hester, a white former music executive and an expert on the Down Low. “Are you really asking to me to explain the behavior of white dudes?” he said, laughing. I called Rakeem recently to ask him what he thought about white guys claiming to be on the Down Low. It might hurt you some, but it’s not like if you’re black and gay, because then it’s like you’ve let down the whole black community, black women, black history, black pride.” “If you’re white, you can come out as an openly gay skier or actor or whatever. ”We know there are black gay rappers, black gay athletes, but they’re all on the DL,” Rakeem, a black gay man from Atlanta, told me three years ago when I interviewed him for my Down Low story.