Most writers tend to get worse rather than better. I'm determined to be one that gets better.
Edmund WhiteRead
If bigots oppose gay marriage so vehemently, it must be because marriage is a defining institution for them; gays will never be fully accepted until they can marry and adopt, like anyone else.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the importance of marriage as a social institution and the struggle for acceptance faced by the LGBTQ+ community.
Edmund White suggests that the strong opposition from bigots towards gay marriage stems from the belief that marriage is a fundamental institution that defines identity and social acceptance. He argues that true equality and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community will only come when they are granted the same rights to marry and adopt as heterosexual individuals, emphasizing the significance of marriage in achieving broader societal acceptance.
Themes
BigotsGay MarriageAcceptanceInstitutionLgbtq+
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on social justice, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of inclusivity in marriage rights.
More from Edmund White
All quotes βI've always seen writing as a way of telling the truth. For me, writing is about truth. I have always tried to be faithful to my own experience.
Edmund WhiteRead
In a memoir, your main contract with the reader is to tell the truth, no matter how bizarre.
Edmund WhiteRead
When we are young... we often experience things in the present with a nostalgia-in-advance, but we seldom guess what we will truly prize years from now.
Edmund WhiteRead
I was never an assimilationist. I always thought gays had some special mission.
Edmund WhiteRead
The Stonewall riots were a key moment for gay people. Throughout modern history, gays had thought of themselves as something like a mental illness or maybe a sin or a crime. Gay liberation allowed us to make the leap to being a 'minority group,' which made life much easier.
Edmund WhiteRead
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