Shura Quotes

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

I didn't want the responsibility, I didn't know how to handle the responsibility of speaking for the gay community. I always felt like I owed them a huge apology for coming out too late.

As a gay black man, it's important to me to show up - that I'm able to show up as my whole self, in every space that I'm in, because that's how I'm able to be the most true to who I am.

Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible - to live in the truth, as I say - to get out of the lie.

Without gay men, I am nothing.

I have a lot of LGBT friends and family members and I've always supported the community, not only as a child but as an adult, and I think it's important to voice that.

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.

If I don't get a TV show next year because someone looks up my Wikipedia and it says 'openly gay,' then it's worth the risk because I've had so many years being openly gay and proud of myself as a role model.

I didn't want that 15 minutes of fame moment like, 'Oh, she said she was gay.'

Just by being out you're doing your part. It's like recycling. You're doing your part for the environment if you recycle; you're doing your part for the gay movement if you're out.

I always feel that my whole life is representing the LGBT community. It's kind of what I do all the time.

One thing the gay rights movement taught the world is the importance of being visible.

I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual and I give a damn.

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

I think being gay and gay people are the most wonderful things in the world. I wish all of us could have the power and pride to benefit from what is rightfully ours. Why isn't there an enormous building in Washington called the 'National Association of Lesbian and Gay Concerns' to lobby for us?

Coming out is a means of redefining oneself, of claiming membership in a lifestyle and a social order with distinct values. Chief among these values is honesty.

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.

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

I feel like I've contributed monumentally to the success of the gay movement in America, and if anyone wants to argue that, I'm open to it. You're welcome, 'Advocate.'

I wrote 'Milk' for me. I wrote it for the younger version of me that had no clue that there are people who'd ever fought for my rights.

I remember telling my mom, 'Mom, I'm gay, but I'm not going to march in a parade or anything.' That's what I was telling my parents and all my friends and everything. I'm gay, but I'm not going to be on a float or something. Cut to five years later, and I was the grand marshal of the gay pride parade.

I'm proud to carry that torch and be like, 'I'm gay! I'm black! Hang your dreams on me. Hang your hopes on me. I'll carry them to the best of my ability.'

The most radical thing about our lives is getting to be in a visibly filled-out queer crowd every night.

The process of coming out was critical to getting where we are today: coming out to our friends, our family, our co-workers, God forbid, to our clients.

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.