--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think what you're seeing is a profound…" description: "\"I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/barack-obama-17_american_i-think-what-you-re-seeing-is-a-profound_2412313.jpg" --- # I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on… ![“I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they've got to be treated like every other American. And I think…” quote by Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/barack-obama-17_american_i-think-what-you-re-seeing-is-a-profound_2412313.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/barack-obama-17_american_i-think-what-you-re-seeing-is-a-profound_2412313.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/df0/barack-obama-17_american_i-think-what-you-re-seeing-is-a-profound_2412313.jpg) > “I think what you're seeing is a profound recognition on the part of the American people that gays and lesbians and transgender persons are our brothers, our sisters, our children, our cousins, our friends, our co-workers, and that they've got to be treated like every other American. And I think that principle will win out.” [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognition that LGBTQ+ individuals are integral members of families and society, deserving equal treatment. **In simple terms:** LGBTQ+ people deserve equal rights. Key Takeaway Treat everyone with respect and fairness. Themes equality human rights inclusion Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational political When to use this quote - workplace - family gatherings - policy making - community events Key Concepts civil rights social acceptance Questions to Reflect On - How can we foster empathy in resistant communities? - What actions can individuals take to support equality? A Different Perspective Resistance may persist in some regions or groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Brother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brother/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Recognition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recognition/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Transgender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transgender/) [Winning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/winning/) [Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/workers/) ## Related quotes > [What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-is-required-of-us-now-is-a-new-era-of-responsibility-a/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Americans know as much about Canada as straight people do about gays. Americans arrive at the border with skis in July, and straight people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-thompson/americans-know-as-much-about-canada-as-straight-people-do-about-gays/) [Scott Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-thompson/) > [I think that people are concerned about the breakdown of the family but they also don't want to see discrimination against gays and lesbians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-think-that-people-are-concerned-about-the-breakdown-of-the-family/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman, but what I also believe is that we have an obligation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-i-believe-is-that-marriage-is-between-a-man-and-a-woman-but-what/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-may-disagree-about-gay-marriage-but-surely-we-can-agree-that-it-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Every single American - gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, transgender - every single American deserves to be treated equally in the eyes of the law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/every-single-american-gay-straight-lesbian-bisexual-transgender-every/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Everybody deserves fair treatment, equal treatment in the eyes of the law and the state. And that includes gays, lesbians, transgender persons. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/everybody-deserves-fair-treatment-equal-treatment-in-the-eyes-of-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I am starting to try to understand our Gays & Lesbians brother's and Sister's. I am a Christian and I believe that Marriage should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/i-am-starting-to-try-to-understand-our-gays-lesbians-brother-s-and/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [Where gays and lesbians are the best organized and most concentrated in numbers are states that President Clinton must carry in order to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/where-gays-and-lesbians-are-the-best-organized-and-most-concentrated/) [David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/) > [For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. Gays and lesbians stood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/for-many-years-now-i-have-been-an-outspoken-supporter-of-civil-and/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [Gays and lesbians gained rights in this country though activism and organizing, creating political space and demanding change so that lawmakers and justices could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pramila-jayapal/gays-and-lesbians-gained-rights-in-this-country-though-activism-and/) [Pramila Jayapal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pramila-jayapal/) > [All Gays and Lesbians go to hell?? Well there is gonna be a party down there!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaykel-leighty/all-gays-and-lesbians-go-to-hell-well-there-is-gonna-be-a-party-down/) Jaykel Leighty > [“Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer. Yes, gay guys picked up strangers on the street, for that matter sometimes so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/martin-hesitated-this-was-a-definite-yes-and-no-answer-yes-gay-guys/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [Gays and lesbians are our friends, neighbors, doctors, colleagues, sisters and brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/gays-and-lesbians-are-our-friends-neighbors-doctors-colleagues/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [But fairness is where we’re heading, at least in regard to marriage, which has emerged as the terrain on which Americans are hashing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bruni/but-fairness-is-where-we-re-heading-at-least-in-regard-to-marriage/) [Frank Bruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bruni/) ## More by Barack Obama > [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/) > [The peaceful transition of power is one of the hallmarks of our democracy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-peaceful-transition-of-power-is-one-of-the-hallmarks-of-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [As opposed to getting into arguments about, well, these folks have been treated fairly so now we're going to be doing things that, very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/as-opposed-to-getting-into-arguments-about-well-these-folks-have-been/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/donald-trump-is-temperamentally-unfit/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [What we've said to the girls is: 'If you guys ever decide that you're going to get a tattoo, then mommy and me will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/what-we-ve-said-to-the-girls-is-if-you-guys-ever-decide-that-you-re/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Nobody is listening to your telephone calls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/nobody-is-listening-to-your-telephone-calls/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [All of us take offense to anyone who reaps the rewards of living in America without taking on the responsibilities of living in America.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/all-of-us-take-offense-to-anyone-who-reaps-the-rewards-of-living-in/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ That is another theme in the book \[Dreams from My Father\]. How do we exercise more empathy in our public discourse? How do we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/that-is-another-theme-in-the-book-dreams-from-my-father-how-do-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I can say across Europe that many principles that have been taken for granted here around free speech, and around civil liberties and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-can-say-across-europe-that-many-principles-that-have-been-taken-for/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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I think that it refreshes our democracy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-s-good-to-get-fresh-legs-in-the-white-house-i-think-that-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Believe it or not, entertainment is part of our American diplomacy, it is part of what makes us exceptional, part of what makes us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/believe-it-or-not-entertainment-is-part-of-our-american-diplomacy-it/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Explore all 3,624 Barack Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## 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. 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