I spent 24 years in the closet wanting to talk so desperately about who I was and what I am but too afraid to.
Gus KenworthyRead
For anyone who says 'Who cares if you're gay? It's 2018,' well, a lot of people care because a lot of people had the opportunity to be out, and there's been a lot of fear surrounding it. This is the first time we're seeing representation, and because of that, it is a big deal.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of representation and the ongoing struggles of the LGBTQ+ community despite societal progress.
Gus Kenworthy's quote highlights the reality that, while some may dismiss concerns about someone's sexual orientation as outdated in a modern context, many still face challenges and fears regarding being open about their identity. It underscores the significance of representation in society and how it can help alleviate these fears, making it clear that the journey toward acceptance is far from over.
In practice
Using this quote in a speech about LGBTQ+ rights to emphasize the value of representation.
I spent 24 years in the closet wanting to talk so desperately about who I was and what I am but too afraid to.
I'm so proud that now you can exist as a gay man and be an Olympian, and it can be beneficial rather than negative. So it's amazing. And I just think I feel so liberated now that I've been out of the closet for a while, and so I'm free in that I just get to be myself, speak freely, act freely, and I think that I am competing confidently.
At that moment in time when we feel like the other, we were not the person embraced, not one of the cool kids, not in the club - when you're that person, it makes you feel smaller, and when they persecute you as a result, that's a difficult position to be in.
What editors are obliged to appear to say that men want from women is actually what their advertisers want from women.
I was eight years old when I got the talk about what to do if a police officer stops me. I was 15 when I was face-down on the curb for the first time.
Matrimony is the union of meanness and martyrdom.
I prefer neurotic people. I like to hear rumblings beneath the surface.
And I wonder, among all the tangles of this mortal coil, which one contains tighter knots to undo, & consequently suggests more tugging, & pain, & diversified elements of misery, than the marriage tie.
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