--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The more we stand up and be counted, the…" description: "\"The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be to discount our community. We need to put a face on gay America.\" — Amanda Bearse" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png" --- # The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be… ![“The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be to discount our community. We need to put a face on gay America.” quote by Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png) > “The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be to discount our community. We need to put a face on gay America.” [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocacy gains strength when individuals visibly support their community, making it harder to ignore or marginalize. **In simple terms:** Visible support strengthens community advocacy. Key Takeaway Show up and be counted. Themes activism visibility community LGBTQ+ Mood determined hopeful Type activist inspirational When to use this quote - pride parades - political rallies - media campaigns - local organizing Key Concepts identity politics social capital representation Questions to Reflect On - How can we turn visibility into policy change? - What barriers prevent community members from being seen? A Different Perspective Visibility alone may not change deep-seated prejudice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Community Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community-need-777829/) [Counted Harder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counted-harder-5689867/) [Face](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face/) [Face Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/face-gay-1565642/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-america-2780220/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Stand Counted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-counted-258202/) [Stand up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stand-up/) ## Related quotes > [“Stand up and be counted, or sit your ass in the corner and color.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-goodwin/stand-up-and-be-counted-or-sit-your-ass-in-the-corner-and-color/) [Lori Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-goodwin/) > [I've learned that most of gay America is coupled up, or looking to be. No wonder gay marriage has such traction. So many of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-vilanch/i-ve-learned-that-most-of-gay-america-is-coupled-up-or-looking-to-be/) [Bruce Vilanch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-vilanch/) > [Repression is good for cultural achievement. Let's face it. What are gay boys going to be like? I always like to say the 19th-century…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-mendelsohn/repression-is-good-for-cultural-achievement-let-s-face-it-what-are/) [Daniel Mendelsohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-mendelsohn/) > [Were there open gays and lesbians before the West started influencing Russia? No, there weren't. In fact, the most out person in the country,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masha-gessen/were-there-open-gays-and-lesbians-before-the-west-started-influencing/) [Masha Gessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masha-gessen/) > [Putting a face on a gay is important. We are just people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-shores/putting-a-face-on-a-gay-is-important-we-are-just-people/) [Del Shores](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/del-shores/) > [There comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gale-sayers/there-comes-a-time-when-you-have-to-stand-up-and-be-counted/) [Gale Sayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gale-sayers/) > [Stand up, be counted. We have the numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-o-reilly/stand-up-be-counted-we-have-the-numbers/) [Bill O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-o-reilly/) > [“This is the time for black people to stand and be counted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-dare-pearce/this-is-the-time-for-black-people-to-stand-and-be-counted/) [Allan Dare Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-dare-pearce/) > [When the chips are down, real chaps must stand up and be counted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/when-the-chips-are-down-real-chaps-must-stand-up-and-be-counted/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-stand-up-and-be-counted-from-time-to-time-you-may-get-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [...to continue to be one of the world centres for scientific research, we have to stand up and be counted in support of researchers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-straw/to-continue-to-be-one-of-the-world-centres-for-scientific-research-we/) [Jack Straw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-straw/) > [When you have decided what you believe, what you feel must be done, have the courage to stand alone and be counted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/when-you-have-decided-what-you-believe-what-you-feel-must-be-done/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Nobody black or white who really believes in democracy can stand aside now; everybody's got to stand up and be counted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-horne/nobody-black-or-white-who-really-believes-in-democracy-can-stand/) [Lena Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-horne/) > [I plan to stand up and be counted. And the thing I'm gonna do is, I'm gonna do what we're gonna do right now.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-eggers/i-plan-to-stand-up-and-be-counted-and-the-thing-i-m-gonna-do-is-i-m/) [Paul Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-eggers/) > [Never put yourself in controversy. Be transparent and speak your mind. Be clear on your point of view, stand by it and be counted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anil-sinha/never-put-yourself-in-controversy-be-transparent-and-speak-your-mind/) [Anil Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anil-sinha/) ## More by Amanda Bearse > [I hadn't been on the big screen in 40 years when I did the horror film 'Fright Night,' so during production of 'Bros,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-hadn-t-been-on-the-big-screen-in-40-years-when-i-did-the-horror/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [This is my job, portraying something other than what I am. 'Married' is a cartoon with real people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/this-is-my-job-portraying-something-other-than-what-i-am-married-is-a/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [When you walk through this world, things happen. Even if you have a blessed life, there's always a little brokenness within each of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/when-you-walk-through-this-world-things-happen-even-if-you-have-a/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I just try to find the fun and the blessings in all that comes my way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-just-try-to-find-the-fun-and-the-blessings-in-all-that-comes-my-way/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [Growing up in the 60s and 70s, there were no role models for lesbian women. It wasn't until many, many years later that some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/growing-up-in-the-60s-and-70s-there-were-no-role-models-for-lesbian/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [If a child is born and raised in a home that is loving and nurturing, where there is complete truth about who we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/if-a-child-is-born-and-raised-in-a-home-that-is-loving-and-nurturing/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I feel no shame about being a homosexual. I'm proud of who I am and I'm proud of my family. I live my life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-feel-no-shame-about-being-a-homosexual-i-m-proud-of-who-i-am-and-i/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I grew up doing theater. I came to New York and studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse with Sanford Meisner. I was this serious young…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-grew-up-doing-theater-i-came-to-new-york-and-studied-at-the/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I'm a realist, so I tend to look at life, well, not through rose-colored glasses, let's put it that way. I thought, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-m-a-realist-so-i-tend-to-look-at-life-well-not-through-rose-colored/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I was mainly known as a theater person, and they were always considered a little strange. But I did have a lot of friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-was-mainly-known-as-a-theater-person-and-they-were-always/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I embrace the word queer as all-encompassing and how inclusive it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-embrace-the-word-queer-as-all-encompassing-and-how-inclusive-it-is/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [You can't type what a lesbian is. We're anything and everything. The one thing in common is that we make love to other women.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/you-can-t-type-what-a-lesbian-is-we-re-anything-and-everything-the/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [The most important political step that any gay man or lesbian can take is to come out of the closet. It's been proven that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/the-most-important-political-step-that-any-gay-man-or-lesbian-can/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [Hollywood has always been a horrid place for women to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/hollywood-has-always-been-a-horrid-place-for-women-to-work/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) > [I mean, I always knew that I was gay, yet this was a time when you were not encouraged to bring that out as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/i-mean-i-always-knew-that-i-was-gay-yet-this-was-a-time-when-you-were/) [Amanda Bearse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) [Explore all 26 Amanda Bearse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be to discount our community. We need to put a face on gay America.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Amanda Bearse" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the-harder-it-will-be-to-discount/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the-harder-it-will-be-to-discount/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/amanda-bearse-23324_america_the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the_724964.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The more we stand up and be counted, the harder it will be to discount our community. We need to put a face…” — Amanda Bearse", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Amanda Bearse", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-bearse/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The more we stand up and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the-harder-it-will-be-to-discount/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-bearse/the-more-we-stand-up-and-be-counted-the-harder-it-will-be-to-discount/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```