Hello again! Welcome to another book review by yours truly. This book – “Gay Like Me”  by Richie Jackson – is going to pull on your heartstrings now more than ever. The book was published in 2020. Four years later, I found it a fantastic read due to the last election results.

To begin, “Gay Like Me” is one of the most down-to-earth books I have ever read. The main concept of the book is  Richie Jackson, the author,  explaining that being gay and living in the world is “a big deal” and harder than he will ever imagine. I wish I had read this book when I was first figuring out my sexuality and my gender identity. The lessons, stories, and advice that Jackson gives his son are unmatched by any advice you can find on the internet. This book also hits hard for any person who is gay and has a troubling relationship with their dad. This resonates with me because my dad is one of the only adults who really took the time to grasp what my identity meant. When I was younger I remember him telling me that being gay is wrong and that if I ever came out as gay he would be disappointed as a father. However, when I came out as pansexual in 2020 he really took the time to ask me what that meant and especially what it meant for me. When I came out in 2022 as nonbinary and I wanted to change my name to Ivory, he never used my deadname ever again. The pronouns (he/they) are the hardest for my parents because they were always taught that “they” meant multiple people. Since then, they have never stopped trying to be better and different to accommodate me. (Shoutout Katie and Mike!!)

Next, Jackson writes that his son was born through surrogacy which is something I am privy to because my boyfriend is trans and we want to have a family together someday. Within the LGBTQ+ community, some families think that using surrogacy is like buying a house or a new car because you paid for it to be done according to Jackson. Adoption is also paid for so I don’t really understand that logic, but in any way the options are expensive. My boyfriend and I aren’t planning on starting a family anytime soon, but the dollar amount makes us wary if we can ever have one. Jackson and his then-partner, BD Wong, were happy to have their baby boy but many told them that their baby would face discrimination for having gay parents. This did not dim Jackson’s light on being an amazing father. 

Finally, Jackson finishes with the importance of gay art and gay history in the powerful movements that happened. It seems like people who are gay cannot just live. They have to justify why they deserve to have rights just like straight people. One of my favorite lines from the book was “I will not give anyone the impression that being a gay person, living a gay life, is not evitable. If it’s a choice, I’d choose it.” This is the same way I feel about my queerness: that it is not a choice but, if it were, I would still choose it. Being gay is one of the best things about me because it means I have a deeper connection with the person I love because our love is seen as detestable, but we know it’s magnificent. 

To wrap up, “Gay Like Me” is a phenomenal book that teaches people the hard realities lived by a gay person. Although it was written in 2020, it is very relevant today due to the recent election. This book can be helpful for anyone who is struggling to find their place in the LGBTQ+ community and needs to hear a personal story from an old gay. To me, hearing from people who are gay is way more inspiring than people who observe queer life. This book inspires me to write something for my future kids or for my younger self to show to my future self when they are older. Either way, Richie Jackson’s “Gay Like Me” inspired me as a queer daughter, teacher, writer and partner to embrace my queerness. And so should you.