Ian Mckellen Quotes

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

The whole principle of coming out is that everyone knows someone who's gay. The minute someone comes out, no one can be a bigot, because someone they love is gay.

I feel like I'm opening the doors for more people. That they feel more comfortable being out. Especially in the hip-hop community.

Love is love. It doesn't matter how or who you love. I don't believe the messiah would condemn gay men and women.

You can argue that it's a different world now than the one when Matthew Shepard was killed, but there is a subtle difference between tolerance and acceptance. It's the distance between moving into the cul-de-sac and having your next door neighbor trust you to keep an eye on her preschool daughter for a few minutes while she runs out to the post office. It's the chasm between being invited to a colleague's wedding with your same-sex partner and being able to slow-dance without the other guests whispering.

Just because you're gay, I won't turn you away. If you stick around, I'm sure we can find some common ground.

There's nothing wrong with being gay, so to deny it is to make a judgment.

When the message out there is so horrible that, to be gay, you can get killed for it... we need to change the message!!

Homophobia is very, very difficult to root out, to extricate. That's why we have to bear witness. That's why we have to be so public about it, and that's why we can't just play footsie with it.

Every gay person must come out.... Once they realize we are indeed their children, we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and for all.

It's everyone's own decision to [be gay]. It doesn't affect me and shouldn't affect anyone else.

I'm a supporter of gay rights. And not a closet supporter either. From the time I was a kid, I have never been able to understand attacks upon the gay community. There are so many qualities that make up a human being... by the time I get through with all the things that I really admire about people, what they do with their private parts is probably so low on the list that it is irrelevant.

We need more gay in the world! I really believe that.

I'm not for gay marriage, but I'm not for discriminating against people.

It's pretty simple for me; I believe all people are created equal, regardless of their sexuality. To promote respect and acceptance is an important role for NFL players and the NFLPA.

There are gays and lesbians in every country, so there should be no discrimination against them just because of their destiny.

I've never treated anyone badly or in a discriminatory way based on their gender, race, religion or sexuality - period.

Marriage equality is about more than just marriage. It's about something greater. It's about acceptance.

I just went to a wedding of a friend of mine who happens to be gay. Because somebody doesn't think the way I do, doesn't mean that I can't care about them or can't love them.

Gays and lesbians began to gain civil rights when Americans realized that their brothers, cousins, daughters were gay.

I believe gay, straight, anybody, everybody's supposed to be happy in this world, man.

I believe in an America that does not discriminate because of sexual orientation.

If every gay person were to come out only to his/her own family, friends, neighbors and fellow workers, within days the entire state would discover that we are not the stereotypes generally assumed.

I don't see how you can separate human rights and the rights of all people, no matter what their sexual orientation is.

I believe nobody should be discriminated against.