Brittany Luce

You know, these days, the term DL is sort of used as a catch-all term to define people of all backgrounds who are closeted in some way.

But why is race important when it comes to talking about who or what a DL man is?

Yeah.

Why does the idea of the DL man fascinate people so much, especially straight people?

Like who benefits and who is harmed by the existence of the DL trope and all the attendant myths?

So he's not the number one reason why you're having man problems.

Right?

Well, also, too, I mean, there's also something that shows up a lot in popular culture.

I mean, I'm thinking about...

Of course, the Tyler Perry film for colored girls.

Who's doing the bending?

Yes, with the famous line, who's doing the bending?

Where Janet Jackson's character, she receives a positive HIV diagnosis.

And the audience is supposed to understand that this happened because her husband was stepping out on her with another man.

Or even thinking about like Insecure, the HBO show where Molly's big issue with the guy she's dating is that he's openly bisexual and was comfortable telling her about dating a man in the past.

Like she has the idea that there's some black gay man in the past that is a threat to their current relationship.

heterosexual romance in their possible future.

These ideas are reproduced through entertainment and are making people a lot of money.

So as you all say, it's not just the DL Whisperer online.

It's not just the conversations that people are having amongst themselves in real life.