--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, American citizens, I don't…" description: "\"You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought that the right to the pursuit of happiness did not include the right to marry the person you l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/andrew-sullivan-4198_american_you-know-american-citizens-i-don-t-think_875852.png" --- # You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought… ![“You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought that the right to the pursuit of happiness did not include the right to marry the person you love. But for a whole number of Americans, gay Americans, that happens to be true.” quote by Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/andrew-sullivan-4198_american_you-know-american-citizens-i-don-t-think_875852.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/andrew-sullivan-4198_american_you-know-american-citizens-i-don-t-think_875852.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fe/andrew-sullivan-4198_american_you-know-american-citizens-i-don-t-think_875852.png) > “You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought that the right to the pursuit of happiness did not include the right to marry the person you love. But for a whole number of Americans, gay Americans, that happens to be true.” [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker highlights that many Americans, especially gay individuals, are denied the right to marry the person they love. **In simple terms:** Marriage equality is still denied for many. Key Takeaway Advocate for universal marriage rights. Themes LGBTQ+ rights equality civil liberties Mood determined empathetic Type activist advocacy When to use this quote - legal reforms - public advocacy - educational campaigns Key Concepts social justice human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can allies support marriage equality? - What legal steps are needed next? A Different Perspective Legal change faces cultural resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-citizens/) [Americans Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-gay-1001071/) [Americans Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-happens-1001073/) [Be true](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-true/) [Citizens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizens/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Ever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ever/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-americans-1001072/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Include](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/include/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Marry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marry/) [Number](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/number/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Person You Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-you-love/) [Pursuit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit/) [Pursuit of happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit-of-happiness/) [Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right/) [Right Marry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-marry-335454/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) [True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true/) [Whole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) ## Related quotes > [I think there were two great gay Americans obviously, and that was Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/i-think-there-were-two-great-gay-americans-obviously-and-that-was/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [My own feeling about JJ, without knowing anything about him, was that he might have been a gay person, because he had long hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-hornby/my-own-feeling-about-jj-without-knowing-anything-about-him-was-that/) [Nick Hornby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-hornby/) > [If people are going to complain about stereotyping, it's as likely to be Italian-Americans as gay people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-bateman/if-people-are-going-to-complain-about-stereotyping-it-s-as-likely-to/) [Jason Bateman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-bateman/) > [If the majority of Americans were gay, people would get beat up for being straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-majority-of-americans-were-gay-people-would-get-beat-up-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Conservatives don't need to change core convictions to embrace the growing support for equal rights for gay Americans,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/conservatives-don-t-need-to-change-core-convictions-to-embrace-the/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [Dear America, when you tell gay Americans that they can't serve their country openly or marry the person that they love, you're telling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/dear-america-when-you-tell-gay-americans-that-they-can-t-serve-their/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-do-know-this-though-i-m-done-pretending-that-the-handful-of-racist/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Fundamentalists tell us to fear the specter of special rights for gay citizens, though of course gay Americans aren't after special rights - merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-faircloth/fundamentalists-tell-us-to-fear-the-specter-of-special-rights-for-gay/) [Sean Faircloth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-faircloth/) > [The Republican path to victory is compromised when gay Americans are perceived as being attacked for just being how God created them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/the-republican-path-to-victory-is-compromised-when-gay-americans-are/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-gay-americans-achieved/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It breaks my heart to know that millions of gay Americans still can't marry the one they love and I can. That makes no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-bell/it-breaks-my-heart-to-know-that-millions-of-gay-americans-still-can-t/) [Kristen Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-bell/) > [If gay Americans are not allowed to get married and have all the benefits that American citizens are entitled to by the Bill of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-phillips/if-gay-americans-are-not-allowed-to-get-married-and-have-all-the/) [Jeanne Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-phillips/) > [So many times I've heard people say that the right to marry for gay and lesbian couples won't really change anything other than some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dreger/so-many-times-i-ve-heard-people-say-that-the-right-to-marry-for-gay/) [Alice Dreger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dreger/) > [Are not the gays who seek the right to marry, to formalise their commitment to each other, holding up a mirror to heterosexuals who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/are-not-the-gays-who-seek-the-right-to-marry-to-formalise-their/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [Any home where there is love constitutes a family and all families should have the same legal rights, including the right to marry and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/any-home-where-there-is-love-constitutes-a-family-and-all-families/) [Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/) ## More by Andrew Sullivan > [True belief is not about blind submission. 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I attempted to avoid the subject, in part because I felt, and often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/although-i-never-publicly-defended-promiscuity-i-never-publicly/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [The day of reckoning is not just coming for Saddam Hussein. It's coming for the anti-war movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/the-day-of-reckoning-is-not-just-coming-for-saddam-hussein-it-s/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [For me, friendship has always been the most accessible of relationships - certainly far more so than romantic love. Friendship, I learned, provided a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/for-me-friendship-has-always-been-the-most-accessible-of/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [The first person I came out to was God. And the first conversation I ever had with anybody was in prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/the-first-person-i-came-out-to-was-god-and-the-first-conversation-i/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [If religion is about truth, why is it so afraid of error?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/if-religion-is-about-truth-why-is-it-so-afraid-of-error/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [“Even if it's deep unhappiness, it's your unhappiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/even-if-it-s-deep-unhappiness-it-s-your-unhappiness/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [Monsters remain human beings. 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The Right was supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/well-in-the-past-the-size-of-government-was-one-of-the-more/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [I've never been a partisan, I've never been a Republican, I've never been a Democrat, ever, which is why I was very frustrated being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/i-ve-never-been-a-partisan-i-ve-never-been-a-republican-i-ve-never/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [I think essentially corrupting institutions in Washington are turning conservatism into something that is really very creepy, but also emotionally and psychically powerful for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/i-think-essentially-corrupting-institutions-in-washington-are-turning/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [I believe that there are moments in sex that are so awesome that they actually reflect God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/i-believe-that-there-are-moments-in-sex-that-are-so-awesome-that-they/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [Every generation is born into, for the most part, a heterosexual family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/every-generation-is-born-into-for-the-most-part-a-heterosexual-family/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) [Explore all 114 Andrew Sullivan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. 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The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. 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But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought that the right to the pursuit of happiness did not include the right to marry the person you love. 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