We as gay men grew up in a society that completely invalidates our existence, leaving us to figure a lot of this stuff out on our own... In this episode, we welcome author Matthew Todd, where we discuss his book "Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame". Yes, this is a self-help book - and if you're like me, you think you're perfect and there's nothing wrong with you and reading this would be an absolute waste of time. I'm here to tell you, you're wrong and also YES, you are the problem. We discuss so many of themes mentioned throughout the book, including: the root of why we're so afraid of coming out, gay self destruction and how we compare ourselves to others, bottom shaming, the brighter sides of grindr, why we should be good to our allies, and soooo much more. Reading this book has been life changing for me, and has helped me understand so many things about myself and the gay community that I didn't know I didn't understand. No matter what part of your gay journey you’re on, I hope that each of you will pick up this book, and have as many “AHA!” moments as I did.