This book was real and honest for its time. It gave me a better understanding on down low culture, why some men engaged in this behavior and their thoughts throughout. One on side cultural societal pressures leads some to marrying women and having children while secretly engaging in sex and entire relationships with men. If only heterosexual relationships weren’t pushed so heavily as if that’s the default. 

I did feel it romanticized down low culture and that’s not okay. In this story the women were one dimensional and viewed as an object to portray heteronormativity.  However, I do appreciate the raw honesty of Raymond’s story and life. The internalized misogyny, homophobia, bio phobia. So many emotions in less than 300 pages. I will definitely be thinking about this book for some time