By. Jasmyne Cannick
Guest columnist
Columbus Post

Author Terry McMillan has filed for divorce from her 30-year-old Jamaican husband, Jonathan Plummer, who inspired the 1996 novel ''How Stella Got Her Groove Back.'' McMillan decided to end her 6-1/2-year marriage after learning her husband is gay and accuses him of using her to gain U.S. citizenship.
With R. Kelly's recent exploitation of mainstream America's ''down low'' phenomenon, it's starting all over again. I say ‘mainstream America’ because the ''down low'' is nothing new to the gay and lesbian community. It only gained popularity with the arrival of J.L. King's book, Living on the Down, Oprah's DL show, and the revelation that men on the ''down low'' could be blamed for the rising number of African- American women contracting HIV/AIDS.
McMillan's troubles are sure to spark the next ''down low'' alert.
Black men both gay and straight will take the heat and begin a new wave of anti-gay stereotypes among heterosexual Black women.
But what about McMillan's soon to be ex-husband?
Born and reared in Jamaica (which is known for its homophobic culture), he can never return home for fear of being murdered, now that it's public knowledge that he's gay. Gays and lesbians of Caribbean descent have been fleeing their native countries for years for fear of being viciously beaten or murdered. Deeply religious and conservative, Jamaicans simply do not tolerate ''batty boys'' and ''sodomites.''
Some beloved reggae recording artists spew lyrics of killing gays over their hypnotic beats.
Still, it's not that far-fetched of an idea to believe that Plummer did marry McMillan to gain his U.S. citizenship so that he could live long enough to see his 25th birthday and beyond. However, I am more inclined to believe that Plummer married McMillan for different reasons.
Many gays and lesbians get involved with someone of the opposite sex in hopes of being cured from their ''sinful'' and ''wicked'' ways. Heterosexual family members and friends often encourage it.
It's very possible that he did love McMillan, but realized that he wasn't in love and being true to himself. That coupled with living in a country that doesn't murder gays on sight, (we only damn our gays to hell), probably gave him enough strength to come out.
While everyone's so quick to jump on the ''down low'' bandwagon, there are very few voices speaking on why the ''down low'' exists. It's assumed that you are straight and anything different means that you are not normal. We encourage safe sex and HIV testing, but not the disclosure of sexual preferences if it's anything other than heterosexual.
The ''down low'' exists because of every hateful comment ever made about gays in the workplace, at the dinner table, and everywhere else.
For every sissy, batty boy and sodomite that fell off of someone's lips within earshot of others, another person pushed themselves deeper and deeper into the closet.
We created the ''down low.''
So in the coming weeks as this story grows bigger, we should think before we speak and choose our words carefully.
Terry's situation is unfortunate. But I have no doubt that she will get her groove back, write a book about it and sell the movie rights. Who knows? Maybe Terry and J.L. King's ex-wife will write a book together.

Jasmyne Cannick can be reached via her Web site at jasmynecannick.com.