Giving voice to a population too rarely acknowledged, Sweet Tea
collects more than sixty life stories from black gay men who were
born, raised, and continue to live in the South. E. Patrick Johnson
challenges stereotypes of the South as "backward" or "repressive"
and offers a window into the ways black gay men negotiate their
identities, build community, maintain friendship networks, and find
sexual and life partners--often in spaces and activities that
appear to be antigay. Ultimately, Sweet Tea validates the lives of
these black gay men and reinforces the role of storytelling in both
African American and southern cultures.