Richie Jackson

“Pride isn’t just for a parade one day a year. It is not a miniature rainbow flag or rubber bracelet with a corporate logo on it given freely on that day, like beads tossed during Mardi Gras. Pride is foremost our gay self-esteem, but it is also our bond with everyone in the LGBTQ community, everywhere. Pride is our unique way of letting everyone know that we are here, that we belong in this world. If we can say we are gay, we must not do so just to make our own lives better, easier, more transparent, and authentic. We do so to clear a path for those who can’t come out—for all the people who live in places where their freedom is not a given or who don’t feel safe in their own families—to make inroads in the straight world for them. Each time we come out, we send up a flare of hope and direction, showing the way.”
― Richie Jackson, Gay Like Me: A Father Writes to His Son

“You are out, but you are not done coming out. Coming out never ends. It’s every day, numerous times a day, and each presents a critical decision, often needed to be made in a split second, as to your safety, and to the consequences, the price, and the gain of that decision.”
― Richie Jackson, Gay Like Me: A Father Writes to His Son