There is power in words, in quotes, and the eloquence of others. When LGBTQIAP+ people and allies speak about our history, our joy, our fraught existence, there is within those letters an entire oral tradition that elevates language into something more. These short notes, these quotes for Pride should be remembered like a melody, kept in our hearts and minds, and shared with others.
And yet, because of persecution and queer erasure, so many of our words are at risk of being lost or forgotten. People assume that because we can get married and serve in the American military, that full parity has been met, and we live in some society where all things are equal. Queer people know this isn’t true. Just because TikTok has a legion of straight women convinced they’re just a little bit more bisexual than they thought before downloading the app and falling in love with bread-baking lesbians, doesn’t mean the fight is over. (But we’re not saying they’re not our secret weapon, because honestly, carbs work.)
Remember these quotes, fellow queers and allies — print them out. Make them into your laptop’s wallpaper, whatever. Just etch them on your heart.
Supportive Pride Quotes
- “When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.” — Audre Lorde
- “Loving anybody and being loved by anybody is a tremendous danger, a tremendous responsibility.” — James Baldwin
- “This is really not a time for people like me … as an Asian American and the daughter of immigrants and a queer person of color, or really any of us … to run and hide.” — Helen Zia
- “The nature of marriage is that, through its enduring bond, two persons together can find other freedoms, such as expression, intimacy, and spirituality. This is true for all persons, whatever their sexual orientation.” — Justice Anthony Kennedy for the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges
- “To apologize for what you most wanted to do, to concede that it was obnoxious, boring, 'vulgar and unsafe' — that was the worst thing.” ― Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
- "Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it's a good place to start." —Jason Collins
- "Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?" —Author Ernest J. Gaines
- "To be afraid is to behave as if the truth were not true." — Bayard Rustin
- "Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up, and start to fight." — Harvey Milk
- "So long as we refuse to accept that 'woman' is a holistic concept, one that includes all people who experience themselves as women, our concept of womanhood will remain a mere reflection of our own personal experiences and biases rather than something based in the truly diverse world that surrounds us." — Julia Serano
- "I will not have my life narrowed down. I will not bow down to somebody else's whim or to someone else's ignorance." — Alice Walker
- "Don't be afraid; people are so afraid; don't be afraid to live in the raw wind, naked, alone. Learn at least this: what you are capable of. Let nothing stand in your way." — Tony Kushner
- "We should indeed keep calm in the face of difference, and live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity." — George Takei
- "There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it's now OK to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it's simply the way things are." — Tammy Baldwin
- “When we look back at the Stonewall uprising and activism that grew out of that moment, even the most basic progress seemed like it would take a revolution to achieve. So we had one. And that’s how we’ve made such enormous progress over the last 50 years. Today, we should remain inspired by the courage of the story of Stonewall.” — Tammy Baldwin
Happy Pride Quotes
- "So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me." —Tim Cook
- "Marriage is a magic word. And it is magic throughout the world. It has to do with our dignity as human beings, to be who we are openly." — Edie Windsor
- "I've never been interested in being invisible and erased." — Laverne Cox
- "The single best thing about coming out of the closet is that nobody can insult you by telling you what you've just told them." — Rachel Maddow
- "When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free." — President Barack Obama
- "Being gay is a natural normal beautiful variation on being human. Period. End of subject. Therefore, any argument which says differently is an immoral supremacist one. Call it out as such... Be outraged, offended, angry and intolerant of any discussion or any one who describes you as unequal, undeserving, or unnatural for being just as you are." — Larry Kramer
- "I want to make sure that any young person or anyone really who is looking up to me — who sees a glimpse of who I am as a person — that they see no shame, that they see pride, and that I'm truly unabashed about the person that I am." — Samira Wiley
- "Every gay and lesbian person who has been lucky enough to survive the turmoil of growing up is a survivor. Survivors always have an obligation to those who will face the same challenges." — Bob Paris
- “Gay rights are human rights.” — Hillary Clinton
- "I think being gay is a blessing, and it's something I am thankful for every single day." — Anderson Cooper
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