I'm never massively concerned about what somebody is wearing, as long as it makes them feel really good about themselves.
Being 'out and proud' can feel like a real luxury of Western culture, where people are often white and see existing white gay people in their culture. That's a kind of privilege people don't know they possess.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the privilege of being openly gay in a society where one's identity is often accepted and celebrated, particularly among white individuals.
Tan France's quote highlights the unique privilege experienced by certain individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, especially those who are white and live in more accepting cultures. It points out that being 'out and proud' is not just a personal achievement but can also be an unrecognized privilege that others might take for granted, due to societal norms that vary significantly across different cultures and racial backgrounds.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a pride event, this quote could inspire conversations about the different experiences within the LGBTQ+ community.
More from Tan France
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The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
Islamophobia first appeared in my life on 11 September 2001. I was coming back from college and didn't know what had happened. A white van stopped and a man got out. He spat on me, yelled a profanity, and then threw a can of coke in my direction. I cried as I walked home.
We know that all interracial groups in South Africa are relationships in which whites are superior, blacks inferior. So as a prelude, whites must be made to realize that they are only human, not superior. Same with blacks. They must be made to realize that they are also human, not inferior.
I must quit marrying men who feel inferior to me. Somewhere there must be a man who could be my husband and not feel inferior.
O men with sisters dear, O men with mothers and wives, It is not linen you 're wearing out, But human creatures' lives!
I'm achingly aware of my own limitations as both part of the human race and as an individual. I'm just, casting this out that, maybe, I'm not so perfect as is the affront I oft put on. After all, the lyric is 'I wish I was special'. I truly just want to be loved and accepted, I think, like all humans.