Michael Sam Quotes

I'm honestly not the kind of person who wants to step up to a podium, test the microphone and be like, 'Hey, I'm homosexual and this is who I am, hear me roar.' That's not who I am.

I kind of live my life as an example, and I just never felt like I had to be on the cover of a magazine announcing that I was gay; it's just who I am. I just live my life, and I never really thought about it.

Being from New York, if you're gay, you're gay. I think it's important that if you are gay, you not be afraid to say who you are.

I don't feel closeted.

There's kind of a gift in being gay because, if you come out, you're forced to express yourself.

I'm a gay man who came out when I was 10 years old, and there's nothing in my life that I'm prouder of.

I'm not afraid of who I am. I'm not afraid to tell the world who I am. I'm Michael Sam, I'm a college graduate, I'm African-American and I'm gay.

I would advise any gay person that being out in the real sense can never happen too soon.

It never occurred to me that I needed to say that I was gay. I simply am. Anyone who knows me or who's been around me ten minutes knows it too.

I didn't choose the fact that I was gay, but I did choose whether to live my life as a gay woman-that was the terrifying thing for me. Especially being a gay actress.

I'm not ashamed of being gay, never have been and never will be. For that I have no apologies.

I've been openly gay since I can remember.

I knew that this was what I wanted to talk about on stage. There was no point being coy about it, or pretending that I wasn't gay. That was the substance of my whole act. If you took that away, there would be nothing left.

If I was gay, why would I hide it?

I am not gay, but if I were, I would be the first one running out of the closet.

Everybody knew me as a gay man, and in my life in London, I never tried to hide.

I learned that coming out was crucial to self-esteem.

Thanks to every gay person in public and non-public life who has come out.

I always knew I was gay. I always knew that somehow it would work out.

I realize it's a cliche, almost, that coming out of the closet is a very healthy and empowering thing to do, but for me, it really has been a truly wonderful thing.

I think that anybody coming out and saying, 'This is who I am, and let me show it to you...' is good for the world.

All I can really say is to encourage anybody who's in the closet to come out, and congratulate anyone who has.

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.

I've never hidden my sexuality from anyone - my whole life, in fact - and I've been waiting for someone to ask about it in an interview, 'cause it's not something you just blurt out.

I am lucky to say now that it is not frightening for me, living in L.A., to be gay. Even when I was in Texas, I wasn't afraid. I was kind of out in high school. I just could never decide on what label. I am glad that I am public about it, and I think I should be.