---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pride became this dogma which meant you…"
description: "\"Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize anything gay - if you were the least bit critical of gay culture or people or any gay person..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg"
---

#  Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize…

![“Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize anything gay - if you were the least bit critical of gay culture or people or any gay person doing any gay thing, that was an insufficient display of pride. You were suffering from internalized homophobia. As opposed to external homophobia.” quote by Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg)

> “Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize anything gay - if you were the least bit critical of gay culture or people or any gay person doing any gay thing, that was an insufficient display of pride. You were suffering from internalized homophobia. As opposed to external homophobia.”

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Pride can become dogmatic, silencing legitimate critique of gay culture.

**In simple terms:** Pride shouldn't block honest discussion.

Key Takeaway

Balance pride with critical thinking.

Themes

LGBTQ+ rights pride critical discourse

Mood

thoughtful challenging

Type

social philosophical

When to use this quote

- activism
- community building
- media analysis

Key Concepts

internalized homophobia social dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- When does critique become prejudice?
- How can communities stay inclusive?

A Different Perspective

Risk of alienating allies if overly critical.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/) [Critical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critical/) [Criticize](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticize/) [Criticize Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticize-gay-3287936/) [Culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/culture/) [Display](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/display/) [Dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dogma/) [External Homophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/external-homophobia-3287934/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-culture/) [Homophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homophobia/) [Homophobia Opposed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homophobia-opposed-3287937/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Insufficient](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insufficient/) [Internalized Homophobia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internalized-homophobia-3287935/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Pride Dogma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride-dogma-3287933/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/)

## Related quotes

> [I always kind of divided the gay guys I met up into two groups when I first started coming out. There were the guys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-always-kind-of-divided-the-gay-guys-i-met-up-into-two-groups-when-i/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [“I'd never criticize gay people for being gay. That would be the same thing as criticizing someone for having brown eyes, as far as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-mayo/i-d-never-criticize-gay-people-for-being-gay-that-would-be-the-same/)

[Virginia Mayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-mayo/)

> [Once I was embraced by gay culture, I finally started to feel I was fitting in. I was understood by those people in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/once-i-was-embraced-by-gay-culture-i-finally-started-to-feel-i-was/)

[Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/)

> [In gay culture hookups are a way of escaping your class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-azaria/in-gay-culture-hookups-are-a-way-of-escaping-your-class/)

[Hank Azaria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-azaria/)

> [I don't think there is a 'gay lifestyle.' I think that's superficial crap, all that talk about gay culture. A couple of restaurants on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/i-don-t-think-there-is-a-gay-lifestyle-i-think-that-s-superficial/)

[Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/)

> [I very much want to inject gay culture into the mainstream. It's not an underground tool for me. It's my whole life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-very-much-want-to-inject-gay-culture-into-the-mainstream-it-s-not/)

[Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/)

> [A lot of what used to be known as gay culture - broadly speaking, homoeroticism and being camp - has been brought into mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-tennant/a-lot-of-what-used-to-be-known-as-gay-culture-broadly-speaking/)

[Neil Tennant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-tennant/)

> [There's a whole gay culture in DC, and there are as many gay Republicans as there are gay Democrats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirby-dick/there-s-a-whole-gay-culture-in-dc-and-there-are-as-many-gay/)

[Kirby Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirby-dick/)

> [And I found out about the wonderful world of sign language. I suddenly realized: If we as a society recognize Jewish culture, gay culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-solomon/and-i-found-out-about-the-wonderful-world-of-sign-language-i-suddenly/)

[Andrew Solomon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-solomon/)

> [I quickly found that I didn't really fit into 'gay culture,' as identified by many gay people, and that it can be just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/i-quickly-found-that-i-didn-t-really-fit-into-gay-culture-as/)

[John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/)

> [What gay culture is before it is anything else, before it is a culture of desire or a culture of subversion or a culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/what-gay-culture-is-before-it-is-anything-else-before-it-is-a-culture/)

[Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/)

> [Gay culture is surviving and thriving. Some activists believe the recent rise in homophobic violence might be a gauge of the success of positive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-loud/gay-culture-is-surviving-and-thriving-some-activists-believe-the/)

[Lance Loud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-loud/)

> [Gay culture is far from 'marginal,' being rather 'intersectional,' the conduits between unlike beings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-grahn/gay-culture-is-far-from-marginal-being-rather-intersectional-the/)

[Judy Grahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-grahn/)

> [I feel that gay people not being able to get married for generations, forever, meant that we came up with alternative ways of recognizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-maddow/i-feel-that-gay-people-not-being-able-to-get-married-for-generations/)

[Rachel Maddow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-maddow/)

> [Gay culture is in a coming-out process of its own. From out of the closets in the '60s, the culture moved onto the disco…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lance-loud/gay-culture-is-in-a-coming-out-process-of-its-own-from-out-of-the/)

[Lance Loud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lance-loud/)

## More by Dan Savage

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Bisexuals need to recognize that their being closeted is a huge contributing factor to the hostility they face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/bisexuals-need-to-recognize-that-their-being-closeted-is-a-huge/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [Really, when it comes to gay rights, there's two wars going on. The first war is political. But the culture war is over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/really-when-it-comes-to-gay-rights-there-s-two-wars-going-on-the/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I get letters every year from women who think Valentine's Day is an empty exercise, but are ironically pretty exercised when their boyfriends neglect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-get-letters-every-year-from-women-who-think-valentine-s-day-is-an/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [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/)

> [And that really captures the difference for the bullied straight kid versus the bullied gay kid, is that the bullied straight kid goes home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/and-that-really-captures-the-difference-for-the-bullied-straight-kid/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I'm one of those gay people who's constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live now and not to be Ennis and Jack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-m-one-of-those-gay-people-who-s-constantly-reminded-of-how/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I think the best thing for you to do is just live your life. Live a life that's worth living, one where you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-think-the-best-thing-for-you-to-do-is-just-live-your-life-live-a/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [the Bible is only as good and decent as the person reading it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/the-bible-is-only-as-good-and-decent-as-the-person-reading-it/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [There's a big mistake the left has made with talking to religious people, which is attempting to talk them out of their interpretations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/there-s-a-big-mistake-the-left-has-made-with-talking-to-religious/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [The mistake that straight people made was imposing the monogamous expectation on men. Men were never expected to be monogamous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/the-mistake-that-straight-people-made-was-imposing-the-monogamous/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I got picked on a lot, even by teachers too. I liked to listen to musicals and bake, and my homeroom teacher found out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-got-picked-on-a-lot-even-by-teachers-too-i-liked-to-listen-to/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [“Either way... you've got to tell him--in no uncertain terms--to knock it the fuck off already. Don't be measured, don't wrap it up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/either-way-you-ve-got-to-tell-him-in-no-uncertain-terms-to-knock-it/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [I wanted to be a priest when I was a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-wanted-to-be-a-priest-when-i-was-a-kid/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [When you're young and queer and closeted, you can end up in this place where you regard your straight peers as the enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/when-you-re-young-and-queer-and-closeted-you-can-end-up-in-this-place/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

[Explore all 147 Dan Savage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

## More Bits quotes

> [ Brad \[Dourif\] would tell himself that he was not intentionally trying to mimic Jack Nicholson in any way. I think that actually bothers him… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-kirschner/brad-dourif-would-tell-himself-that-he-was-not-intentionally-trying/)

[David Kirschner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-kirschner/)

> [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [I became a bit of a teacher's pet, and it became known in the school by both faculty and students that I really excelled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-smith/i-became-a-bit-of-a-teacher-s-pet-and-it-became-known-in-the-school/)

[Paul Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-smith/)

> [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/)

[Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/)

> [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/)

[Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/)

> [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/)

[Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/)

> [He referred to me as an 'insufferable puffed-up prat'. This is a bit rich coming from a man who actually married his own mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-morrissey/he-referred-to-me-as-an-insufferable-puffed-up-prat-this-is-a-bit/)

[Steven Morrissey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-morrissey/)

> [It won't do you a bit of good to know everything if you don't do anything with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-fitzhugh/it-won-t-do-you-a-bit-of-good-to-know-everything-if-you-don-t-do/)

[Louise Fitzhugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-fitzhugh/)

> [I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what's wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-boyle/i-was-told-i-had-brain-damage-i-always-knew-it-was-an-unfair-label/)

[Susan Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-boyle/)

> [I think that's the beauty of the current setup, is that Legends is meant to be a bit of a revolving door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wentworth-miller/i-think-that-s-the-beauty-of-the-current-setup-is-that-legends-is/)

[Wentworth Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wentworth-miller/)

> [We, as pop stars, are people not androids. We’ve got views. I’ve got opinions and I don’t see why I shouldn’t use a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-meddows-taylor/we-as-pop-stars-are-people-not-androids-we-ve-got-views-i-ve-got/)

[Roger Meddows Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-meddows-taylor/)

> [In terms of style, too, I think I've been working with a somewhat limited -- although intentionally limited -- set of tools. So I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-link/in-terms-of-style-too-i-think-i-ve-been-working-with-a-somewhat/)

[Kelly Link](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-link/)

> [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/)

[Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/)

> [When my name started popping up I was quite irritated and a little bit in shock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-snow/when-my-name-started-popping-up-i-was-quite-irritated-and-a-little/)

[Michael Snow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-snow/)

> [Don't get divorced after your first argument! I have a lot of friends that have one fight and that's it, they get divorced. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ripa/don-t-get-divorced-after-your-first-argument-i-have-a-lot-of-friends/)

[Kelly Ripa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ripa/)

[Browse all 5,709 Bits quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bits/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize anything gay - if you were the least bit critical of gay culture or people or any gay person doing any gay thing, that was an insufficient display of pride. You were suffering from internalized homophobia. As opposed to external homophobia.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dan Savage"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you-couldn-t-criticize-anything/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bits"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you-couldn-t-criticize-anything/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d3/dan-savage-2880_bits_pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you_2777834.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Pride became this dogma which meant you couldn't criticize anything gay - if you were the least bit critical…” — Dan Savage",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Dan Savage",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Pride became this dogma which meant...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you-couldn-t-criticize-anything/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/pride-became-this-dogma-which-meant-you-couldn-t-criticize-anything/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
