Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Hitting the Washington, D.C., singles scene when nearing middle age should be challenge enough for anyone. But divorced 43-year-old Janks Morton believes stereotypes about African-American men have created a list of 'qualifiers' that women keep in their back pockets when scrutinizing potential romantic interests. 'I have been asked, 'Have you ever been locked up?' and 'You aren't one of those 'down low' brothers, are you?' he says, referring to what men who have relationships with women but also regular sexual encounters with other men on the sly are called. 'It's almost like a civil war between black men and black women.' Morton, who works in the health care field and is the former owner of an independent record label, has taken it upon himself to rehabilitate the image of the black man in America. He is currently filming a feature-length documentary called What Black Men Think, which will address cultural stereotypes about incarceration, drug use, and HIV. 'There were some disturbing trends that I've seen as a casual observer of the African-American community,' he says of his inspiration to create the film, 'and that came to light through discussions with my peers. And these perceptions'stereotypes'while they may have had some basis in truth, have been exploited exponentially [and generalized across] the majority of the group. So this movie is a push back on some of those perceptions to get them more in line with what the absolute truths are.' The closing segment of the trailer for the film on MySpace (www.myspace.com/whatblackmenthink) tells women, 'You have been duped. You have been took, hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray, run amok, hustled, misinformed, misled, had the wool pulled over your eyes.' Morton adds, 'You cannot take the minority and portray it as the majority, and that's what's happening.' Frustrated that sources including Oprah Winfrey and The New York Times have impressed upon African-Americans that the down low is a major source of HIV transmission, he hopes to hold verifiable statistics up to the light. While most experts currently agree that evidence to support the widespread existence of the down low is shaky at best, Morton points to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that indicate about half of all black women with HIV became infected through either injection-drug use or sex with an injection-drug user. 'If people are not talking about intravenous-drug use among minority women,' he says about the media's failure to stress the predominant risk factors for contracting the virus, 'then they are doing a disservice to the population.' While the media sweep the drug epidemic under the rug, Morton says, black men's sexuality gets blamed for most of the HIV infections among black women. And the image of black men as murderers is heightened by incorrect beliefs among African-Americans that AIDS is the number 1 killer of all black women. (It is the current leading killer of black women between 25 and 34, according to the CDC.) 'There is a mystique about African-American male sexuality that is hyper-portrayed through the media,' Morton says. 'Couple that with the demonization of the African-American male through the media, and you have the convergence of the perfect storm when you talk about the DL issue.' Morton plans to release What Black Men Think in the early spring, distributing DVDs online and through iTunes.
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Before AIDS, gay artist Rex drew hot men on the prowl — then he disappeared
April 11 2024 3:15 PM
Diets that mimic fasting reverse aging: study
March 07 2024 5:28 PM
PrEP without a prescription now a reality in California
February 06 2024 8:37 PM
Injectable HIV treatment, prevention: Everything you need to know
March 26 2024 3:28 PM
8 dating tips for gay men from a gay therapist
March 21 2024 2:50 PM
Happy national foreskin day!
April 04 2024 1:45 PM
The science behind U=U has been liberating people with HIV for years
June 04 2024 3:31 PM
Scarlet fever: exploring our fascination with blood
March 13 2024 1:47 PM
On Anal Sex Day, crack up with The Bottom's Digest
April 18 2024 10:22 AM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Activist and philanthropist Bruce Bastian dies at 76
June 26 2024 1:28 PM
Yes, HIV-positive people can safely breastfeed
June 26 2024 12:59 PM
Exclusive: We kiki with Q from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
June 24 2024 11:37 AM
Court rules to keep PrEP coverage under Obamacare
June 21 2024 5:42 PM
In honor of Juneteenth 2024, meet The Normal Anomaly
June 19 2024 1:39 PM
What is Juneteenth?
June 19 2024 11:30 AM
As Pride party season begins, the CDC urges mpox vaccinations
May 16 2024 6:52 PM
Advocacy in action with AIDSWatch
May 09 2024 12:30 PM
The Talk: Thriving with HIV
May 08 2024 10:45 AM
The Talk: What HIV isn’t
May 07 2024 10:48 AM
The Talk: Finding balance with HIV
May 06 2024 10:51 AM
Justice Dept plans to reschedule marijuana as a lower-risk drug
May 03 2024 2:40 PM
The Talk: Starting your journey with HIV
May 03 2024 2:00 PM
Why is a mother’s mental health so important? A doctor explains
May 01 2024 1:38 PM
Walmart to close all of its health care clinics
April 30 2024 12:30 PM
Vampire facial spa infected several women with HIV
April 29 2024 7:26 PM