Matthew Todd > Quotes

“Your spirituality is simply the positive, loving side of yourself, the energy of joy and togetherness. It's the feeling you have when your dog bounds up wagging its tail, or the biggest laugh you have with your best friend. Or that feeling in a concert when sixty thousand people sing along in unison to a song you love, or the moment when you are looking into the eyes of someone you love, or when you feel at your most confident and happy, as if you can do anything. It is all the most positive aspects of our existence. In short, it is love.”
― Matthew Todd, Straight Jacket

“Love is fundamentally pivotal to the survival of all human beings.”
― Matthew Todd, Straight Jacket

“Like the Terminator, we learn to scan new environments for potential threats. Can we be ourselves? Do we have to tone down our mannerisms? Can we mention our partners? Is this bus safe for us? Can I come out in this new job?”
― Matthew Todd, Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame

“The healthy shaming process sets social boundaries as well as physical and stops us from doing socially unacceptable things like going to the toilet in the street or telling your auntie she has a big nose. Unfortunately, though, the shaming process doesn’t always work and can do severe damage to a child’s sense of self. It relies on a parent making the child understand that when he stops the undesirable behaviour he will be loved and affirmed again. If a child doesn’t get this reassurance, he can go from feeling shamed for a specific, correctable behaviour to feeling shamed about who he fundamentally is. The child’s understanding changes from ‘I’ve done something wrong’ to ‘I am wrong’.”
― Matthew Todd, Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society's Legacy of Gay Shame