Straight Jacket

Description

A groundbreaking and controversial book which explores contemporary gay and bisexual culture and asks if gay people are as happy as they could be. Todd explores why statistics show a disproportionate number of gay people suffer from mental health problems, and why significant numbers experience difficulty in sustaining meaningful relationships. It is a call-to-arms for society to protect and nurture young people, regardless of their sexual orientation. 'This is an essential read for every gay person on the planet' - Elton John 'A really brilliant and moving read for everybody, especially LGBTQI+ people' - Olly Alexander, star of It's A Sin Straight Jacket is a revolutionary clarion call for gay men, the wider LGBT community, their friends and family. Part memoir, part ground-breaking polemic, it looks beneath the shiny facade of contemporary gay culture and asks if gay people are as happy as they could be - and if not, why not? Meticulously researched, courageous and life-affirming, Straight Jacket offers invaluable practical advice on how to overcome a range of difficult issues. It also recognizes that this is a watershed moment, a piercing wake-up-call-to-arms for the gay and wider community to acknowledge the importance of supporting all young people - and helping older people to transform their experience and finally get the lives they really want. WINNER BOYZ BEST LGBT BOOK 2017 SHORTLISTED FOR THE POLARI BOOK PRIZE 2017 'Insightful, inclusive, clever and engaging' - Jeremy Langmead 'Utterly brilliant' - The Guardian

Matthew Todd is one of the UKs leading gay writers. He was the editor of the UK's bestselling gay magazine, Attitude, between 2008 and 2016 where he won three British Society of Magazine Editors Editor of the Year Awards, a Stonewall Journalist of the Year Award and was given the Freedom of the City of London. Prince William made history by sitting for the cover of Matthew's final issue as editor. Matthew's first book, Straight Jacket was voted Boyz LGBT Book of the Year 2017, and has been called 'an essential read for every gay person on the planet' by Sir Elton John, 'utterly brilliant' by Owen Jones and as 'game changing' and 'life saving' by readers. He has written for national newspapers, including the Guardian, Observer, Telegraph and Sun. He appears regularly on TV and radio and is a regular speaker at conferences and events, including the Terrence Higgins Trust HIV Prevention CHAPS conference. He lives in London. His work appears in This Is Not A Drill (Penguin), Letters to the Earth (Harper Collins) and The Queer Bible (HQ). His second book PRIDE- The Story of the LGBTQ Equality Movement (Welbeck) is out now.

This is an essential read for every gay person on the planet. -- Elton John Utterly brilliant. -- Owen Jones * The Guardian * Amazing. A seminal work. It will be used as a study book. * Will Young * Todd doesn't hold back in calling for a shift both outside and inside the gay community. He calls out hook-up apps such as Grindr, the 'mean girls' persona that so many gay men adopt, and the gay press itself... Straight Jacket isn't just a self-help book. It's a resource for anyone with an interest in knowing what needs to change to bring about real equality... For that, Matthew Todd has another reason to be proud. * Evening Standard * The book everyone is talking about... This is probably the most important thing I'll ever read as a gay man. Full of profundity and fearless honesty. * Calum McSwiggan, Youtuber * I recommend it to everyone I meet. I've bought 15 copies to give to people. In my opinion it should be on every teacher's reading list. Whoever you are - especially if you are straight - go and buy it now. It could help change your life and the world around you. * Rankin (Photographer & Director) * One of the most powerful books, sensitively and elegantly written, I think, that I have ever read. * Lord Michael Cashman CBE * If only this had been written twenty years ago I can only imagine the lives that could have been saved sooner. This is a hugely important book for everyone. It's changed the way I see myself, other people and the world. * Paris Lees, author and British Vogue Contributing Editor * Matthew Todd dares to shine a light on the dark legacy of gay shame it's not a pretty sight...There are some uncomfortable and downright terrifying truths to be confronted in Todd's brilliant, essential new book. It's difficult to underestimate the importance of Straight Jacket. If you are struggling and want help and don't know where to look, this book is a great place to start. But even if you're not, [it] is by far one of the most important books you'll read this year. * Gay Community News Ireland * An essential book... Part sociological polemic and part self-help book, it zones in on some of the issues that disproportionately affect the gay community, from depression and anxiety to drug and alcohol addiction and body and eating disorders. I found myself both deeply upset and hugely relieved by its candour. After reading the book, tender as it is, you can't help but want to share your own experiences. Consider Straight Jacket a call to arms. * Independent (i) * Matthew Todd thought he had long since dealt with the demons surrounding his sexuality. In [his] new book, he reveals the crisis of shame facing the gay community - and how to solve it. * The Observer * Straight Jacket is a really brilliant and moving read for everybody, especially LGBTQ+ people. Thanks Matthew. * Years and Years singer Olly Alexander * Straight Jacket documents Todd's own childhood experiences, and the long-term mental health and addiction issues he has suffered; he is also using it to call for a government inquiry into the experiences of LGBT children at school. * Guardian * There are some uncomfortable and downright terrifying truths in Todd's brilliant, essential new book... It's difficult to underestimate the importance of Straight Jacket. It's fundamentally a call to arms, a wide-ranging, desperately heartfelt cri de coeur... The gay community needs to look at ways of taking better care of itself, being nicer to each other and offering and providing support when it's needed. * Gay Community News, Dublin * Cannot put it down... a book like this is long overdue. * Charlie Condou * An honest and perceptive book. * Sunday Express * A smashing book. * Paul O'Grady * Excellent... A valuable contribution to mental health and a must read. * Dr Christian Jessen * It's an important book. I had to read it right through. It tackles some tough issues and is searingly honest * Lorraine Kelly * I got so much out of that book and I know a lot of people have. It's helping a lot of people. It's a bible. * Performance artist David Hoyle *