--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What do you call it when a straight…" description: "\"“What do you call it when a straight person comes out? ... A conversation”\" — Bill Konigsberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/bill-konigsberg-14554_communication_what-do-you-call-it-when-a-straight-pers_2602880.jpg" --- # What do you call it when a straight person comes out?… ![“What do you call it when a straight person comes out? ... A conversation” quote by Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/bill-konigsberg-14554_communication_what-do-you-call-it-when-a-straight-pers_2602880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/bill-konigsberg-14554_communication_what-do-you-call-it-when-a-straight-pers_2602880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68b/bill-konigsberg-14554_communication_what-do-you-call-it-when-a-straight-pers_2602880.jpg) > ““What do you call it when a straight person comes out? ... A conversation”” [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A straight person “coming out” is framed as a conversation, highlighting social norms. **In simple terms:** Straight coming out equals a talk. Key Takeaway Normalize all identities. Themes identity social norms conversation Mood thoughtful hopeful Type literary social When to use this quote - school - family gatherings - media interviews Key Concepts LGBTQ+ visibility language framing cultural expectations Questions to Reflect On - How can language reshape acceptance? - What conversations change perceptions? A Different Perspective Conversations may oversimplify complex identities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Comes Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comes-conversation-1960696/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Lgbt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lgbt/) [Person Comes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-comes-1960697/) [Straight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight/) [Straight Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/straight-person-1227214/) ## Related quotes > [To be a straight person and discover you're infertile is almost like discovering you're not a straight person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/to-be-a-straight-person-and-discover-you-re-infertile-is-almost-like/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [I’m never going to be considered brave for playing a straight person, and nor should I be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-page/i-m-never-going-to-be-considered-brave-for-playing-a-straight-person/) [Ellen Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-page/) > [I've never considered myself a locked-down straight person. I've had relationships with girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kt-tunstall/i-ve-never-considered-myself-a-locked-down-straight-person-i-ve-had/) [KT Tunstall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kt-tunstall/) > [It is by speech that many of our best gains are made. A large part of the good we receive comes to us in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-gladden/it-is-by-speech-that-many-of-our-best-gains-are-made-a-large-part-of/) [Washington Gladden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-gladden/) > [When you get to 60, the word "retirement" comes in on every conversation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/when-you-get-to-60-the-word-retirement-comes-in-on-every-conversation/) [Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/) > [Race always comes up in the conversation of Detroit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-mehretu/race-always-comes-up-in-the-conversation-of-detroit/) [Julie Mehretu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-mehretu/) > [Sometimes a person comes into an audience after a rough day, and they want to hear something they know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-hahn/sometimes-a-person-comes-into-an-audience-after-a-rough-day-and-they/) [Hilary Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-hahn/) > [Once you lose someone, its never exactly the same person who comes back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-you-lose-someone-its-never-exactly-the-same-person-who-comes-back/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Not everyone's as strong as they appear, then there's that one person that comes along and they know, they know from the start, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendall-fithian/not-everyone-s-as-strong-as-they-appear-then-there-s-that-one-person/) [Kendall Fithian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendall-fithian/) > [When a happy person comes into the room, it is as if another candle has been lit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/when-a-happy-person-comes-into-the-room-it-is-as-if-another-candle/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I stand at a distance, like a person who comes from another world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andreas-gursky/i-stand-at-a-distance-like-a-person-who-comes-from-another-world/) [Andreas Gursky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andreas-gursky/) > [Once you lose someone it is never exactly the same person who comes back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-you-lose-someone-it-is-never-exactly-the-same-person-who-comes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The right person when he comes, he will not be keeping score.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehwish-younus/the-right-person-when-he-comes-he-will-not-be-keeping-score/) [Mehwish Younus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehwish-younus/) > [I'm not a liar. I'm a pretty straight up person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hunt/i-m-not-a-liar-i-m-a-pretty-straight-up-person/) [Mark Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-hunt/) > [I do a lot of comedy and I like that. I am happy doing funny films. I am often the straight person in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-davis/i-do-a-lot-of-comedy-and-i-like-that-i-am-happy-doing-funny-films-i/) [Kristin Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-davis/) ## More by Bill Konigsberg > [“I shivered. Careful, I told myself. You don't want to set yourself up for a fall. Be happy. Just not too happy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/i-shivered-careful-i-told-myself-you-don-t-want-to-set-yourself-up/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“It’s hard when you open your heart and let someone in and then suddenly they’re not in it anymore. It doesn’t matter whose fault…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/it-s-hard-when-you-open-your-heart-and-let-someone-in-and-then/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a world where no one thought being gay was even something to ride someone about?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/wouldn-t-it-be-nice-if-we-lived-in-a-world-where-no-one-thought-being/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [The world needs people who are more comfortable standing still. We keep the earth on it axis when everybody else is bouncing around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/the-world-needs-people-who-are-more-comfortable-standing-still-we/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“To agape,” we all echoed, raising our wineglasses and drinking to higher love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/to-agape-we-all-echoed-raising-our-wineglasses-and-drinking-to-higher/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“Then Albie reached into his pocket and pulled out one shiny Jonathan apple. “Hungry?” he asked us. “How’d you do that?” I asked, wondering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/then-albie-reached-into-his-pocket-and-pulled-out-one-shiny-jonathan/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“I think some people are bi, definitely.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/i-think-some-people-are-bi-definitely/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“When trust is violated, it's like you're left with an empty piggy bank. Building trust again, she said, is like putting big, fat nickels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/when-trust-is-violated-it-s-like-you-re-left-with-an-empty-piggy-bank/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“I had the strong sensation that I'd underestimated my parents and their devotion to me. Of course they'd be on my side, whether they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/i-had-the-strong-sensation-that-i-d-underestimated-my-parents-and/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“Why can’t I just be bad?” I asked, figuring my mom would have no idea what I was talking about. “Well, that’s easy, sweetie.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/why-can-t-i-just-be-bad-i-asked-figuring-my-mom-would-have-no-idea/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“We hugged, and my dad cried a little. I don't have a macho-type dad, who hunts and fishes and collects guns. He's sensitive and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/we-hugged-and-my-dad-cried-a-little-i-don-t-have-a-macho-type-dad-who/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“A thought came to me. What do I think about the date with Rafe? Here I am thinking about what everyone else would think,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/a-thought-came-to-me-what-do-i-think-about-the-date-with-rafe-here-i/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“was an amazing guy, really. Totally himself. Totally unapologetic about having all these different sides of his personality that didn’t quite mesh. He didn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/was-an-amazing-guy-really-totally-himself-totally-unapologetic-about/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [I don't think about relatability (when writing), I think about the heart of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/i-don-t-think-about-relatability-when-writing-i-think-about-the-heart/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) > [“And during, I realized that the labels didn’t matter, because when two people feel that sort of pull toward each other, it just works,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-konigsberg/and-during-i-realized-that-the-labels-didn-t-matter-because-when-two/) [Bill Konigsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) [Explore all 46 Bill Konigsberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-konigsberg/) ## More Communication quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The problem posed by indirect speech acts is the problem of how it is possible for the speaker to say one thing and mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-searle/the-problem-posed-by-indirect-speech-acts-is-the-problem-of-how-it-is/) [John Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-searle/) > [We should have a conversation when we hang up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/we-should-have-a-conversation-when-we-hang-up/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [A poet is wounded into speech, and he examines these wounds, meticulously, to discover how to heal them. The bad poet harangues at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-r-delany/a-poet-is-wounded-into-speech-and-he-examines-these-wounds/) [Samuel R. Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-r-delany/) > [“To engage in dialogue is to serve others via whatever is real inside you; to engage in debate is to ultimately serve the illusions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oli-anderson/to-engage-in-dialogue-is-to-serve-others-via-whatever-is-real-inside/) [Oli Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oli-anderson/) > [What it comes down to for me is this: Will the technologies of communication in our culture, serve to enlighten us and help us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-waters/what-it-comes-down-to-for-me-is-this-will-the-technologies-of/) [Roger Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-waters/) > [In dialogue, there is opposition, yes, but no head-on collision. Smashing heads does not open minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-tannen/in-dialogue-there-is-opposition-yes-but-no-head-on-collision-smashing/) [Deborah Tannen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-tannen/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've been in a serious conversation with one of my children, and a fan has come up. 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