"Everything good that has happened to me is because I am gay," Richie Jackson writes in his new book, Gay Like Me. "Everything I think, believe, crave, create, conquer comes from being gay." To be gay is cause for great celebration, one of the self-defining features of Richie Jackson's life — all of which exist in direct contrast to Jackson's son who is also gay and seems to exhibit a nonchalance toward his sexuality. His son describes being gay as not a big deal, and in that way, Gay Like Me serves as a course correction, a splash of cold water against this younger generation's face. It's a necessary reminder that despite where you live or how supportive your local community might be, LGBTQ people have not yet made enough progress that we can let our guards down. 

LGBTQ&A is produced and hosted by Jeffrey Masters. @jeffmasters1