Down low is also a term used for men who have sex with men, but who identify themselves as neither homosexual nor bisexual. Some have argued that being openly gay may lead to considerable stigma in the African American community, thus leading men to engage in male-to-male sex in secret while keeping up heterosexual relationships for public consumption.

Among some sectors of African-American male sub-culture (called "men on the DL" or "down-low"), same-sex sexual behavior is sometimes viewed as solely for physical pleasure. Men on the "down-low" may engage in regular (though often covert) sex acts with other men while continuing sexual and romantic relationships with women. These men often shun the more commonly-known "gay" as a term applying to stereotypically flamboyant and effeminate men of European ancestry, a group from which some may wish to distance themselves. A popular area for "down-low" gay activity is the Patterson Park area of Baltimore, Maryland.

One possible comparison for "being on the down-low" exists in medieval Icelandic law, where being the active partner in a homosexual relationship between two men was legal, but being the passive partner was punishable by death. The reasoning behind this rule, and similar rules applying to beastial relationships, was that it was not proper for a man to act like a woman, and so the goal of the laws was not to prevent fornication but rather the transgression of gender roles. In Anglo-Saxon society, a similar point may be made about Grendel's mother, who is viewed as a monstrous abomination, perhaps because of her continuing the feud with Hrothgar and Beowulf after her son has been killed. Such a point is contentious, however, and may not accurately reflect how the Anglo-Saxons viewed gender roles. At any rate, what is important is that in traditionally masculine societies, the difficulties encountered by homosexuals are not necessarily moral, but rather based on a view that men should never be passive. The rejection of the label "gay" by the down-low culture is thus seen as a rejection of the perceived effeminacy of the homosexual community, and an effort at preserving the masculine nature of men who engage in activites "on the down-low".

Down Low in Popular Cultrue
The term "down low" entered the mainstream of black popular culture in the early 1990s. In 1993, Salt-n-Pepa recorded a song called "Whatta Man" that mentioned the down low. In 1994, TLC recorded a song called "Creep" about a woman on the down low. In 1995, Brian McKnight recorded his song, "On the Down Low," about a woman named Maxine on the DL. Then in 1996 and 1998, R. Kelly recorded two songs about the down low. All the songs referred to the down low as a heterosexual activity.