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Straight Jacket
- Narrated by: Matthew Todd
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
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Summary
Random House presents the audio edition of Straight Jacket, written and read by Matthew Todd.
Winner Boyz best LGBT book 2017
Short-listed for the Polari book prize 2017
Straight Jacket is a revolutionary clarion call for gay men, the wider LGBT community and their friends and family. Part memoir, part groundbreaking 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 recognises 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.
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What listeners say about Straight Jacket
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- Ian Lawrence
- 06-08-21
This took it right home for me... .
It was literally the other day that I went on a reclaim pride march when one of my longest friends and also I would say an ally to the LGBTQ+ community ask me what rights are we fighting for... to be fair at first I couldn't articulate an answer until I read this book........ I can't remember crying so much to a book in such a long time Chapter 4 got me in the heart of my 8-year-old self when Matthew talk about facts about down kids........I would always see their dependency on their parent's right up until their death and of course the loss they have endured and it would bring me to tears every time, even now thinking about it and writing it I am crying like a baby.......... the layers and levels of pain and process..... I recommend this book to any human....... am still processing it, Thank you Matthew Tood......
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- JoePublic
- 15-07-22
Reading this might just save your life
The most important book I’ve read this year. Reading this might just save your life or the life of someone you love.
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- Bookman
- 01-12-21
Incredibly powerful book
Highly recommended. Deep, eye-opening, with lots of forgotten history. Everyone should read this, especially family members trying to understand what their loved ones are going through.
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- Evgenii
- 29-11-20
Maybe you don’t know you have problems)
The book is tough, fair enough. So is the burden, which many gays are having through their life from birth. Gays are pretending not to be gays still, and it’s a heavy thing to have, even if we don’t think about that. The author goes to extremes sometimes, but that doesn’t mean that if you are far from the extreme everything is ok. It’s just accumulating and it’s the question of time, you can confront the issue in every moment of your life, the sooner the better.
Nevertheless, everyone should start to work with issues, even without acknowledging they have them , ASAP.
I definitely agree with the author, that almost every gay or any lgbtqi person could face the issue they should pretend to be someone else to be safe . But that process is detrimental in itself and only facilitates to the accumulation of unresolved problems at the end.
You won’t find the definite truth or all answers in this book. However everybody can find something similar, that means something should be done with that.
The author witnessed firsthand a lot of misery, as his position only contributed to acknowledging what is really happening (attitude editor).
The good side- whatever your position or living situation, there’s still a hope. Through reading/listening you can find something you faced already.
You could hear already you need help.. but only you can help yourself in appropriate time, so if you are reading this book- you are searching for answers- half part of the pAth actually.
I would say this book can be an introduction to confronting the issues. The issues can be various- alcohol etc. the roots are also will be different for everybody. I was lucky (it’s a joke of course), to have narcissistic parents and BPD partner in addition to difficult gay childhood. So depending on situation, somebody will need psychiatric help (which is ok), or CBT, or anonymous organizations. Just do it. Without hasty, one problem at the time.
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- Amazon Customer
- 14-12-19
brilliant and essential
one of the most powerful and honest books I’ve ever listened to about the lgbt experience. painful and harrowing at times it’s hopeful and moving. an essential read
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- Mrs Cathy
- 16-05-19
Important read
Not all but a lot a of this book resonated with me as a gay man. It opened my eyes and furthered my understanding about many things and has helped me perceive and improve certain negative behaviours... leading to a happier life!
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- Anonymous User
- 08-10-22
IMPORTANT, INFORMATIVE & BEAUTIFUL
This book is a MUST for all audiences especially LGBTQ+ individuals. The story and information can help prevent/reduce the chances of individuals falling down the dark rabbit hole of internalised shame, fear and self-hatred, but most importantly it opens a very important discussion on destructive impulsive behaviour and drug addiction which is usually not addressed in gay culture.
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- Mateusz Maj
- 21-06-24
A must read for gay men
This book covers gay experience and gives practical information on how to help yourself. This should be distributed in schools and amongst psychologists and healthcare professionals who deal with LGBT+ people to better understand theirs struggles. I’m so grateful to come across this read. Many thanks
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- Dickie of Vauxhall
- 04-08-19
-Why on Earth overall 🌟🌟 🌟 🌟
if performance and story both received 5?
-Can trigger major depression: feeling that I'm f*cked.
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- lhrsydjfk
- 26-03-19
Wonderful, recommending it to everyone.
Brilliant, so true and so heartbreaking. Lots for everyone - straight, gay, everyone - to identify with. One of the most powerful books I have read in a long time.
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