--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What happy and successful single people…" description: "\"“What happy and successful single people are threatening is not the institution of marriage but the cultural consensus on its special value. Same-sex m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/bella-depaulo-ph-d-76753_gay-men_what-happy-and-successful-single-people_2185898.jpg" --- # What happy and successful single people are threatening is… ![“What happy and successful single people are threatening is not the institution of marriage but the cultural consensus on its special value. Same-sex marriage does not threaten the institution of marriage, either. The sticking point (or at least one of them) is that large numbers of Americans…” quote by Bella DePaulo Ph.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/bella-depaulo-ph-d-76753_gay-men_what-happy-and-successful-single-people_2185898.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/bella-depaulo-ph-d-76753_gay-men_what-happy-and-successful-single-people_2185898.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be1/bella-depaulo-ph-d-76753_gay-men_what-happy-and-successful-single-people_2185898.jpg) > ““What happy and successful single people are threatening is not the institution of marriage but the cultural consensus on its special value. Same-sex marriage does not threaten the institution of marriage, either. The sticking point (or at least one of them) is that large numbers of Americans remain unconvinced that gay men and lesbians are the moral equivalent of straight people. To them, keeping marriage pure and sacred means keeping same-sex partners out.”” Bella DePaulo Ph.D ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opposition to same‑sex marriage stems from cultural bias, not from a threat to the institution itself. **In simple terms:** Bias fuels opposition, not the marriage itself. Key Takeaway Challenge cultural assumptions. Themes equality culture marriage Mood analytical hopeful Type social educational When to use this quote - policy advocacy - educational outreach - community dialogue - legal reform Key Concepts social norms civil rights Questions to Reflect On - How can we shift cultural consensus toward inclusion? - What stories can illustrate moral equivalence? A Different Perspective Some view marriage as a religious symbol, complicating acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gay men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-men/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Single people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/single-people/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [I think marriage is a cultural thing - it's my opinion that nature doesn't tell someone to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhay-deol/i-think-marriage-is-a-cultural-thing-it-s-my-opinion-that-nature/) [Abhay Deol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhay-deol/) > [“The secret to keeping your marriage filled with love in a cup Whenever you’re wrong, admit it, whenever you’re right, shut up”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-cicero/the-secret-to-keeping-your-marriage-filled-with-love-in-a-cup/) Karen Cicero > [Marriage isn't about two people; it is the basis for the family. That's why it's unique, and therefore I think society can say we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-widdecombe/marriage-isn-t-about-two-people-it-is-the-basis-for-the-family-that-s/) [Ann Widdecombe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-widdecombe/) > [“I asked why we kept trying for so long, why we even came to Paris, if we both knew we never really stood a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-asked-why-we-kept-trying-for-so-long-why-we-even-came-to-paris-if/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [My mother, when I married, said you must have separate bathrooms and separate bedrooms. That was the only sure way of keeping a marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-michael-of-kent/my-mother-when-i-married-said-you-must-have-separate-bathrooms-and/) [Princess Michael of Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-michael-of-kent/) > [“Maybe that's what marriage does, Helen thought. One day you're holding your breath lest a ghost fly up your nose and the next your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonja-yoerg/maybe-that-s-what-marriage-does-helen-thought-one-day-you-re-holding/) Sonja Yoerg > [Of all actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all actions of our life tis most meddled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/of-all-actions-of-a-man-s-life-his-marriage-does-least-concern-other/) [John Selden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-selden/) > [Politics doesn't make strange bedfellows - marriage does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/politics-doesn-t-make-strange-bedfellows-marriage-does/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [Marriage does not exist for the benefit of the present generation but for the benefit of the next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/marriage-does-not-exist-for-the-benefit-of-the-present-generation-but/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [Marriage does not guarantee you will be together forever, it's only paper. It tales love, Trust, respect, understanding, friendship and faith in your relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-does-not-guarantee-you-will-be-together-forever-it-s-only/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnett-brickner/success-in-marriage-does-not-come-merely-through-finding-the-right/) Barnett Brickner > [It is not marriage that fails; it is people that fail. All that marriage does is to show people up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/it-is-not-marriage-that-fails-it-is-people-that-fail-all-that/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Marriage does figure in my life, as I do want to have children. But I could also consider having children without getting married. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-fernandez/marriage-does-figure-in-my-life-as-i-do-want-to-have-children-but-i/) [Jacqueline Fernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-fernandez/) > [Marriage does not happen because two people are inlove,you have to consider the families of both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marriage-does-not-happen-because-two-people-are-inlove-you-have-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Brian and I have ups and downs like every marriage does. Although he's a legend, he's still, inside, an ordinary man, and I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-dobson/brian-and-i-have-ups-and-downs-like-every-marriage-does-although-he-s/) [Anita Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-dobson/) ## More by Bella DePaulo Ph.D > [“As much as I find the soulmate concept sappy and silly, I also understand its appeal. The soulmate promises an all-in-one solution. Find that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-depaulo-ph-d/as-much-as-i-find-the-soulmate-concept-sappy-and-silly-i-also/) Bella DePaulo Ph.D > [“Moreover, the mythology may be mucking things up even while your partnership is alive and thriving. It is not wise to relegate all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-depaulo-ph-d/moreover-the-mythology-may-be-mucking-things-up-even-while-your/) Bella DePaulo Ph.D Explore all 3 Bella DePaulo Ph.D quotes ## More Gay men quotes > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [If I was a woman, I would spend the whole day kissing other women, I don't understand gay men or straight women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/if-i-was-a-woman-i-would-spend-the-whole-day-kissing-other-women-i/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [I used to look at gay men and think, 'I'm not like that, I don't want to be like that, that's not me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-used-to-look-at-gay-men-and-think-i-m-not-like-that-i-don-t-want-to/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) > [I'm allergic to dogs, so I couldn't even adopt what gay men typically adopt when they have that maternal gene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-m-allergic-to-dogs-so-i-couldn-t-even-adopt-what-gay-men-typically/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Lesbian humor is nothing like gay men's humor. We're sillier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jordan/lesbian-humor-is-nothing-like-gay-men-s-humor-we-re-sillier/) [Leslie Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jordan/) > [“No lies, my love, no lies between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-frohock/no-lies-my-love-no-lies-between-us/) Teresa Frohock > [A lot of gay men have a lot of sex. That's what we do. But I've stopped all that-the revolving door into my bedroom.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-clary/a-lot-of-gay-men-have-a-lot-of-sex-that-s-what-we-do-but-i-ve-stopped/) [Julian Clary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-clary/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [Have you walked around in heels? That's a workout. But like all good gay men, I have a gym membership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-del-rio/have-you-walked-around-in-heels-that-s-a-workout-but-like-all-good/) [Bianca Del Rio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-del-rio/) > [I thank God for creating gay men. Because if it wasn't for them, us fat women would have no one to dance with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/i-thank-god-for-creating-gay-men-because-if-it-wasn-t-for-them-us-fat/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [We must make it clear that a platform of 'I hate gay men and women' is not a way to become president of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/we-must-make-it-clear-that-a-platform-of-i-hate-gay-men-and-women-is/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Gay men are guardians of the masculine impulse. To have anonymous sex in a dark alleyway is to pay homage to the dream of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/gay-men-are-guardians-of-the-masculine-impulse-to-have-anonymous-sex/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [Black men, Indian men, and gay men have all have something in common: They do not provide an economic security blanket for women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/black-men-indian-men-and-gay-men-have-all-have-something-in-common/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [ “\[Bisexuality\] is seen as threatening the homosexual/heterosexual and male/female dichotomies, or binarisms, which underpin our gender and sexual identities to such a large extent.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dunphy/bisexuality-is-seen-as-threatening-the-homosexual-heterosexual-and/) [Richard Dunphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dunphy/) [Browse all 366 Gay men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What happy and successful single people are threatening is not the institution of marriage but the cultural consensus on its special value. 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