QuoteProject
When my father came out to his mom, my grandmother said, 'You waited for your father to die; why couldn't you have waited for me to die?' I knew then that I never want to contribute to the corrosiveness of wanting someone to stay hidden.
Carrie Brownstein
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote highlights the pain of not being accepted by loved ones for one's true identity.

In this quote, Carrie Brownstein reflects on a painful interaction between her father and grandmother regarding his openness about his identity. This moment serves as a profound realization for her, emphasizing the harmful effects of hiding one's true self in order to avoid conflict or hurt feelings, and the ultimate desire not to perpetuate such toxicity in her own relationships.

Themes

AcceptanceIdentityAuthenticityRelationshipsFamily

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a speech advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and acceptance in families.

More from Carrie Brownstein

From dancing around to Michael Jackson and Madonna as a kid to having my mind blown by the first sounds of punk and indie rock, to getting to play my own songs and have people listen, music is what got me through.
Carrie BrownsteinRead
You can never underestimate that moment of somebody explaining your life to you, something you thought was inexplicable, through music. That was the way out of loneliness.
Carrie BrownsteinRead

Similar quotes

It is difficult to say who do you the most mischief, enemies with the worst intentions, or friends with the best.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1St Baron LyttonRead
He always apologized, and sometimes he would even cry because of the bruises he'd made on her arms or legs or her back. He would say that he hated what he'd done, but in the next breath tell her she'd deserved it. That if she'd been more careful, it wouldn't have happened. That if she'd been paying attention or hadn't been so stupid, he wouldn't have lost his temper.
Nicholas SparksRead
Because trans people are marked as artificial, unnatural, and illegitimate, our bodies and identities are often open to public dissection. Plainly, cisgender folks often take it as their duty to investigate our lives to see if we're real.
Janet MockRead
Passive aggressors who are adept at this will have trained themselves to remain calm, while you get irritated and emotional.
Robert GreeneRead
Let's not judge. Let's draw inspiration from each other's stories - successes and failures - and realize we're all connected.
Cory BookerRead
Instead of building walls, we should be building bridges.
Vicente FoxRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.