--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was saving pills to kill myself, I…" description: "\"When I was saving pills to kill myself, I thought there was no hope. I thought my life was over because I was a homosexual.\" — Cleve Jones" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/cleve-jones-12503_homosexual_when-i-was-saving-pills-to-kill-myself-i_2910641.png" --- # When I was saving pills to kill myself, I thought there… ![“When I was saving pills to kill myself, I thought there was no hope. I thought my life was over because I was a homosexual.” quote by Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/cleve-jones-12503_homosexual_when-i-was-saving-pills-to-kill-myself-i_2910641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/cleve-jones-12503_homosexual_when-i-was-saving-pills-to-kill-myself-i_2910641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12c/cleve-jones-12503_homosexual_when-i-was-saving-pills-to-kill-myself-i_2910641.png) > “When I was saving pills to kill myself, I thought there was no hope. I thought my life was over because I was a homosexual.” [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) ## 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 describes a period of deep despair tied to sexual identity, hinting at eventual hope. **In simple terms:** Despair from identity stigma. Key Takeaway Seek hope beyond stigma. Themes mental health identity LGBTQ+ despair Mood sad hopeful Type personal advocacy When to use this quote - counseling - support groups - personal recovery Key Concepts psychology social stigma resilience Questions to Reflect On - How can communities support LGBTQ+ mental health? - What steps lead from despair to hope? A Different Perspective Stigma may persist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Homosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [No hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-hope/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) ## Related quotes > [The simple man, baby, pays for the thrills, the bills, and the pills that kill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-simple-man-baby-pays-for-the-thrills-the-bills-and-the-pills-that/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What can I do but stand with my mouth open, no sound emerging? My lips move and I wave my arms making gestures from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-doty/what-can-i-do-but-stand-with-my-mouth-open-no-sound-emerging-my-lips/) [Mark Doty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-doty/) > [Tom Paine was a great American visionary. His book, Common Sense, sold a couple of hundred thousand copies in a population of four or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/studs-terkel/tom-paine-was-a-great-american-visionary-his-book-common-sense-sold-a/) [Studs Terkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/studs-terkel/) > [A lifetime of what-ifs, carefully strung on a single hope thought for dead but the sun rose again today my heart whispered 'it's worth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-lifetime-of-what-ifs-carefully-strung-on-a-single-hope-thought-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Not hope that he would be rescued--that was gone. But hope in his knowledge. Hope in the fact that he could learn and survive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-paulsen/not-hope-that-he-would-be-rescued-that-was-gone-but-hope-in-his/) [Gary Paulsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-paulsen/) > [Hope is necessary. It's a necessary concept. And Barack Obama didn't just talk about hope because he thought it was just a nice slogan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/hope-is-necessary-it-s-a-necessary-concept-and-barack-obama-didn-t/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [When I was a kid, my father didn't really have much hope for me. He thought I was a dreamer; he didn't think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-gehry/when-i-was-a-kid-my-father-didn-t-really-have-much-hope-for-me-he/) [Frank Gehry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-gehry/) > [“Although you set your goal of getting a B, when your first exam score, worth 30% of your final grade is returned, you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/although-you-set-your-goal-of-getting-a-b-when-your-first-exam-score/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“We live in hope that the good we do here on earth will be rewarded in heaven. We also hope to win the war.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/connie-willis/we-live-in-hope-that-the-good-we-do-here-on-earth-will-be-rewarded-in/) [Connie Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/connie-willis/) > [When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always be worse. And when they are, we find hope in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/when-things-are-bad-we-take-comfort-in-the-thought-that-they-could/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [Whatsoever you are waiting for, you are waiting in vain. It is not going to happen, and what is going to happen has nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/whatsoever-you-are-waiting-for-you-are-waiting-in-vain-it-is-not/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [The tragedy in his life already existed. To love an atmospheric spirit. That was the real sorrow. Hopelessness itself. Nowhere on the printed page,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/the-tragedy-in-his-life-already-existed-to-love-an-atmospheric-spirit/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [We have no hope and yet we live in longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/we-have-no-hope-and-yet-we-live-in-longing/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Nothing to me is more distasteful than that entire complacency and satisfaction which beam in the countenances of a new married couple; in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/nothing-to-me-is-more-distasteful-than-that-entire-complacency-and/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Outside of Paris, there is no hope for the cultured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/outside-of-paris-there-is-no-hope-for-the-cultured/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) ## More by Cleve Jones > [If I had to say what my one greatest achievement is, it's that I lasted, and I'm still happy. I hope that comes through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/if-i-had-to-say-what-my-one-greatest-achievement-is-it-s-that-i/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [If you tell me I can't understand you because of my color or you can't understand me because of your sexual orientation or she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/if-you-tell-me-i-can-t-understand-you-because-of-my-color-or-you-can/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [Everybody will always find some way of diminishing your work, but it's all a lie!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/everybody-will-always-find-some-way-of-diminishing-your-work-but-it-s/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [During those days when you're exhausted and during those days when you're frustrated, during those days when you're being attacked by your own people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/during-those-days-when-you-re-exhausted-and-during-those-days-when/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [What people haven't quite grasped yet is that the rich are transforming cities all across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/what-people-haven-t-quite-grasped-yet-is-that-the-rich-are/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [Any social movement that seeks to benefit only its own members I think is a shallow movement and probably doomed to failure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/any-social-movement-that-seeks-to-benefit-only-its-own-members-i/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [I have no personal desire to get married whatsoever and I certainly have no desire to be a soldier. I'm old school, I'm from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/i-have-no-personal-desire-to-get-married-whatsoever-and-i-certainly/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [I saw great hope in the Sanders campaign - a flawed candidate, not perfect, but pretty damn close. Millions of young people were inspired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/i-saw-great-hope-in-the-sanders-campaign-a-flawed-candidate-not/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [The sense of urgency has almost completely vanished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/the-sense-of-urgency-has-almost-completely-vanished/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [The joy with which we denigrate each others' efforts, I hate that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/the-joy-with-which-we-denigrate-each-others-efforts-i-hate-that/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [ If we \[gays\] want to be equal under the law, we must now - as the great heroes of the Civil Rights movement of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/if-we-gays-want-to-be-equal-under-the-law-we-must-now-as-the-great/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [I don't have any hobbies! I don't golf, I can't imagine what I would do if I retired other than get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/i-don-t-have-any-hobbies-i-don-t-golf-i-can-t-imagine-what-i-would-do/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [Hello! The world is a mess!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/hello-the-world-is-a-mess/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [Dealing with Hollywood and commercial entertainment, you always have to worry that the political message is going to be skewed or obscured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/dealing-with-hollywood-and-commercial-entertainment-you-always-have/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) > [I go back to the parallels with 1963, 1964 when white America really became aware of the brutality of segregation, the cruelty of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cleve-jones/i-go-back-to-the-parallels-with-1963-1964-when-white-america-really/) [Cleve Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) [Explore all 54 Cleve Jones quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cleve-jones/) ## More Homosexual quotes > [I'm homosexual. How and why are idle questions. It's a little like wanting to know why my eyes are green.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/i-m-homosexual-how-and-why-are-idle-questions-it-s-a-little-like/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [Personally, I think that children should be left alone, they should be given an opportunity to grow up, to become aware of themselves and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-putin/personally-i-think-that-children-should-be-left-alone-they-should-be/) [Vladimir Putin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-putin/) > [People are messy and complex, particularly in the homosexual world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/people-are-messy-and-complex-particularly-in-the-homosexual-world/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [Hitler recruited around him homosexuals to make up his Stormtroopers, they were his enforcers, they were his thugs. And Hitler discovered that he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fischer/hitler-recruited-around-him-homosexuals-to-make-up-his-stormtroopers/) [Bryan Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fischer/) > [Selfish hedonism is not a pejorative. It is a description - an exactly accurate description of what is involved in homosexual relations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/selfish-hedonism-is-not-a-pejorative-it-is-a-description-an-exactly/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Persons who have cleansed themselves of any transgression and who have shown their ability to deal with homosexual inclinations and put them in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/persons-who-have-cleansed-themselves-of-any-transgression-and-who/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts. I do not believe that the Armed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-pace/i-believe-that-homosexual-acts-between-individuals-are-immoral-and/) [Peter Pace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-pace/) > [Something inside of me tells me that being homosexual is probably wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/something-inside-of-me-tells-me-that-being-homosexual-is-probably/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [New Rule: I don't give two fingleberries and a McShit-all that Dumbledore is gay. I never wanted to know who Dumbledore was in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/new-rule-i-don-t-give-two-fingleberries-and-a-mcshit-all-that/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [It's imprecise and insufficient, defining the homosexual as a person whose gender expression is at odds with his or her sex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-bechdel/it-s-imprecise-and-insufficient-defining-the-homosexual-as-a-person/) [Alison Bechdel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-bechdel/) > [The Bible was written between 3,000 and 2,000 years ago, and it's filled with the knowledge that people had in that period of time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/the-bible-was-written-between-3-000-and-2-000-years-ago-and-it-s/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [If you ask me:"An openly homosexual teacher can work as a teacher? I say no. (...) I'll not do anything to discriminate you, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-fini/if-you-ask-me-an-openly-homosexual-teacher-can-work-as-a-teacher-i/) [Gianfranco Fini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-fini/) > [Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage. It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/homosexuals-are-not-monogamous-they-want-to-destroy-the-institution/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky-martin/i-am-proud-to-say-that-i-am-a-fortunate-homosexual-man-i-am-very/) [Ricky Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ricky-martin/) [Browse all 594 Homosexual quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was saving pills to kill myself, I thought there was no hope. 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