It's not like we wanted to talk about the fact that we're gay all the time, but the world has forced it to be an issue.
Interpretation
The quote expresses the frustration of having to address one's identity due to societal pressures.
John Grant's quote highlights how individuals from the LGBTQ+ community often feel compelled to discuss their sexual orientation not out of desire, but because society continues to stigmatize it as a pressing issue. This reflects the broader struggle against societal norms that demand constant justification or explanation of one's identity.
In practice
In a speech at a pride event to emphasize the importance of visibility.
I spent many years trying to fit in and do things the way I thought I was supposed to - trying to be perceived the way I thought people wanted to see me. I grew up in a very religious household and wasn't taught to feel comfortable or good about my sexuality, so it feels great to be able to say things the way I want to say them.
Being a gay American, I know what it means to look at the flag and not have it protect all of your liberties.
Dogs live with man as courtiers 'round a monarch, steeped in the flattery of his notice ... to push their favor in this world of pickings and caresses is, perhaps, the business of their lives.
No day is safe from news of you.
You will never truly know yourself or the strength of your relationships until both have been tested by adversity.
What was so extraordinary to me about going through this box of my mother's letters and diaries was meeting my mother not as my mother, but as a real person. And what breaks my heart is that I had no idea how self-aware she was and how protective of me she was.
Women are books, and men the readers be.
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