--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no such thing as a value-free…" description: "\"There is no such thing as a value-free concept of deviance; to say homosexuals are deviant because they are a statistical minority is, in practice, to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dennis-altman-60939_concepts_there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-value-free-c_1378833.jpg" --- # There is no such thing as a value-free concept of… ![“There is no such thing as a value-free concept of deviance; to say homosexuals are deviant because they are a statistical minority is, in practice, to stigmatize them. Nuns are rarely classed as deviants for the same reason, although if they obey their vows they clearly differ very significantly…” quote by Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dennis-altman-60939_concepts_there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-value-free-c_1378833.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dennis-altman-60939_concepts_there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-value-free-c_1378833.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee6/dennis-altman-60939_concepts_there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-value-free-c_1378833.jpg) > “There is no such thing as a value-free concept of deviance; to say homosexuals are deviant because they are a statistical minority is, in practice, to stigmatize them. Nuns are rarely classed as deviants for the same reason, although if they obey their vows they clearly differ very significantly from the great majority of people.” [Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He argues that labeling homosexuality as deviant because it’s a minority is stigmatizing, while similar minorities like nuns are not judged the same way. **In simple terms:** Minority status shouldn't dictate moral judgment. Key Takeaway Reject stigma based on numbers. Themes equality stigma social norms Mood critical analytical Type philosophical political. When to use this quote - advocacy work - policy reform - education campaigns Key Concepts minority rights social construction ethical labeling Questions to Reflect On - How can societies redefine “deviance”? - What policies can protect minority groups? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑rooted cultural biases is challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deviance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deviance/) [Deviants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deviants/) [Homosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual/) [Minorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/minorities/) [Nun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nun/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Practice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Vow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vow/) ## Related quotes > [Benedict XVI kept saying that homosexuals are deviant. They're not deviant. They're deviant only if you say that anyone who is different from me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-shelby-spong/benedict-xvi-kept-saying-that-homosexuals-are-deviant-they-re-not/) [John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-shelby-spong/) > [Ever since the Evil Empire turned out to be a collection of third-world countries, Americans aligned on the far right have tried to cast…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/ever-since-the-evil-empire-turned-out-to-be-a-collection-of-third/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [Most of the interesting people I've ever met have been deviant in one form or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-szandor-lavey/most-of-the-interesting-people-i-ve-ever-met-have-been-deviant-in-one/) [Anton Szandor LaVey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-szandor-lavey/) > [Yeah, well, I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid, hopefully. And I think we're all a bit crazy if we do anything that's deviant. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/yeah-well-i-m-crazy-but-i-m-not-stupid-hopefully-and-i-think-we-re/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Without deviance from normality, there can be no progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/without-deviance-from-normality-there-can-be-no-progress/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [“If little else, the brain is an educational toy. The problem with possessing such an engaging toy is that other people want to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/if-little-else-the-brain-is-an-educational-toy-the-problem-with/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [One thing is to have the protection of human rights for homosexuals and quite something else is this promotion of indecency. It would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/one-thing-is-to-have-the-protection-of-human-rights-for-homosexuals/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Talking about morality can be offensive. Morality is a politically incorrect subject. Many people are genuinely offended if someone speaks of morality and family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/talking-about-morality-can-be-offensive-morality-is-a-politically/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [“But the rhetoric of deviance was far from extinct.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-coe/but-the-rhetoric-of-deviance-was-far-from-extinct/) [Alexis Coe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-coe/) > [I think with any characterization there's a point where you empathize, no matter how much of a deviance his or her actions may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benedict-cumberbatch/i-think-with-any-characterization-there-s-a-point-where-you-empathize/) [Benedict Cumberbatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benedict-cumberbatch/) > [Schoolchildren make up their own rules and enforce their own conformities. They feel safest when leisure time is rationed and dosed. They like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-j-kaplan/schoolchildren-make-up-their-own-rules-and-enforce-their-own/) [Louise J. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-j-kaplan/) > [Homophobia's just one form of abjection, and wherever you have a marker of deviance - skin colour, gender, gender identity, disability - you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-duncan/homophobia-s-just-one-form-of-abjection-and-wherever-you-have-a/) [Hal Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-duncan/) > [It's my job to spread deviance to the American youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-mcgowan/it-s-my-job-to-spread-deviance-to-the-american-youth/) [Rose McGowan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-mcgowan/) > [“The deviant and the conformist...are creatures of the same culture, inventions of the same imagination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-erikson/the-deviant-and-the-conformist-are-creatures-of-the-same-culture/) Kai Erikson > [Normal is the average of deviance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-mae-brown/normal-is-the-average-of-deviance/) [Rita Mae Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-mae-brown/) ## More by Dennis Altman > [ “\[Queer theory is\] the bastard child of the gay and lesbian movement and postmodern literary theory, which like other unwed mothers has been very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-altman/queer-theory-is-the-bastard-child-of-the-gay-and-lesbian-movement-and/) [Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) > [Human beings are distinguished by a capacity for experience as well as by their behavior, and homosexuality is as much a matter ofemotion as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-altman/human-beings-are-distinguished-by-a-capacity-for-experience-as-well/) [Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) > [“While one would expect a liberated society to regard bisexuality as the norm, this view would not mean that all persons would behave bisexually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-altman/while-one-would-expect-a-liberated-society-to-regard-bisexuality-as/) [Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) > [Both the Moral Majority, who are recycling medieval language to explain AIDS, and those ultra-leftists who attribute AIDS to some sort of conspiracy, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-altman/both-the-moral-majority-who-are-recycling-medieval-language-to/) [Dennis Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) [Explore all 5 Dennis Altman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-altman/) ## More Concepts quotes > [Capability is just a concept of what is it we're looking at. 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To me, the party hasn't begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mercer/i-do-like-talking-with-friends-about-big-concepts-you-know-the-stuff/) [James Mercer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mercer/) > [You imagine that I look back on my life's work with calm satisfaction. But from nearby it looks quite different. 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We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [So many times we come to Jesus in worship and ask Him for things that He already IS and has already done... What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christy-nockels/so-many-times-we-come-to-jesus-in-worship-and-ask-him-for-things-that/) Christy Nockels > [ I don't think in national categories. For me it \[policy\] is about concepts and substance. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-claude-juncker/i-don-t-think-in-national-categories-for-me-it-policy-is-about/) [Jean-Claude Juncker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-claude-juncker/) > [In the very beginning, Yelp started as a service where we really didn't think people would write reviews for fun. 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