---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Through my political work in D.C., and…"
description: "\"Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk' I got to know a lot of gay octogenarians. They are lovely and they like to tell their stories..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg"
---

#  Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk'…

![“Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk' I got to know a lot of gay octogenarians. They are lovely and they like to tell their stories, and I like hearing them.” quote by Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg)

> “Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk' I got to know a lot of gay octogenarians. They are lovely and they like to tell their stories, and I like hearing them.”

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

## About This Quote

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

Engaging with older LGBTQ+ individuals reveals their rich stories and humanity.

**In simple terms:** Listening to gay elders shares valuable stories.

Key Takeaway

Seek out and honor diverse narratives.

Themes

storytelling LGBTQ+ age empathy

Mood

empathetic respectful

Type

cultural educational

When to use this quote

- documentary work
- community outreach
- education

Key Concepts

intergenerational dialogue social history

Questions to Reflect On

- What can we learn from elder LGBTQ+ voices?
- How can we amplify their stories?

A Different Perspective

Stories may be overlooked without active listening.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/)

## Related quotes

> [The octogenarians who have pictures of Hillary Clinton under their toilet-bowl covers - they've completely accepted me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/the-octogenarians-who-have-pictures-of-hillary-clinton-under-their/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [“The world is not divided up into bits and classified for those from four to six, from six to eight, from eight to twelve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-lathrop/the-world-is-not-divided-up-into-bits-and-classified-for-those-from/)

Dorothy Lathrop

> [as we age we are more alive than seems likely, convenient, or even bearble. Too often our problem is the fervor of life within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florida-scott-maxwell/as-we-age-we-are-more-alive-than-seems-likely-convenient-or-even/)

[Florida Scott-Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florida-scott-maxwell/)

> [“I think it's something like Mr. Peter Sloane and the octogenarians. The other evening Mrs. Sloane was reading a newspaper ans she said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery-2/i-think-it-s-something-like-mr-peter-sloane-and-the-octogenarians-the/)

[L. M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery-2/)

> [“The ideal elder may suffer from bodily ailments and weaknesses, but his mind is quick and sharp, and he has eighty years of insights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-ideal-elder-may-suffer-from-bodily-ailments-and-weaknesses-but/)

[Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/)

> [It may become Bob as time goes on. My dad was a Bob and his father was a Bob. That seems to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-plant/it-may-become-bob-as-time-goes-on-my-dad-was-a-bob-and-his-father-was/)

[Robert Plant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-plant/)

> [I watched Sean Penn, you know, bring Harvey Milk to life. I was on the set every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-watched-sean-penn-you-know-bring-harvey-milk-to-life-i-was-on-the/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I wrote 'Milk' for me. I wrote it for the younger version of me that had no clue that there are people who'd ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-wrote-milk-for-me-i-wrote-it-for-the-younger-version-of-me-that-had/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [Read a lot. Read broadly... Tell stories to your friends, and pay attention to when they get bored... Write a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/read-a-lot-read-broadly-tell-stories-to-your-friends-and-pay/)

[John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/)

> [Those of us with this ancient compulsion to tell stories sometimes start with a single kernel of something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-p-jones/those-of-us-with-this-ancient-compulsion-to-tell-stories-sometimes/)

[Edward P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-p-jones/)

> [I have always wanted to tell stories. Even as a classical dancer, I revel in telling stories through my dance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sobhita-dhulipala/i-have-always-wanted-to-tell-stories-even-as-a-classical-dancer-i/)

[Sobhita Dhulipala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sobhita-dhulipala/)

> [I make no distinction between writing and storytelling; I've always wanted to tell stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-lindelof/i-make-no-distinction-between-writing-and-storytelling-i-ve-always/)

[Damon Lindelof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-lindelof/)

> [This is my life - I want to tell stories. There is something huge inside me that pushes me to tell stories, and tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-argento/this-is-my-life-i-want-to-tell-stories-there-is-something-huge-inside/)

[Dario Argento](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-argento/)

> [I always want to surprise audiences and tell stories that are entertaining and challenging at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-hechinger/i-always-want-to-surprise-audiences-and-tell-stories-that-are/)

[Fred Hechinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-hechinger/)

> [I like to tell stories in my writing but I definitely use my own life experiences to tell that story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoh-aalegra/i-like-to-tell-stories-in-my-writing-but-i-definitely-use-my-own-life/)

[Snoh Aalegra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoh-aalegra/)

## More by Dustin Lance Black

> [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I watched Sean Penn, you know, bring Harvey Milk to life. I was on the set every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-watched-sean-penn-you-know-bring-harvey-milk-to-life-i-was-on-the/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I love the true life stories and the biopics - people say I'm pigeonholed, but it's a fantastic kind of pigeonhole - but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-love-the-true-life-stories-and-the-biopics-people-say-i-m/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [Gay people are more powerful when they work with lesbians. We become more powerful when we're L, G, B and T.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/gay-people-are-more-powerful-when-they-work-with-lesbians-we-become/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I get emotionally attached to someone if I talk to them on the street corner for five minutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-get-emotionally-attached-to-someone-if-i-talk-to-them-on-the-street/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [For Coca-Cola to take a pro-diversity, pro-equality stance creates a lot of goodwill in the LGBT community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/for-coca-cola-to-take-a-pro-diversity-pro-equality-stance-creates-a/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [In this miraculous, beautiful universe of ours, where it's an absolute miracle that our eyes and ears can witness it all, we somehow have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/in-this-miraculous-beautiful-universe-of-ours-where-it-s-an-absolute/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [You can't keep treating people differently under the law because of their differences. That's not America. I dare say that's not even a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/you-can-t-keep-treating-people-differently-under-the-law-because-of/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [There has been this resurgence in anti-LGBT language in the U.K. and the U.S., and the rest of the world. In the U.S. we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/there-has-been-this-resurgence-in-anti-lgbt-language-in-the-u-k-and/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [Have I always agreed with my Southern, military, Mormon family? Absolutely not. Have we always figured out how to get along? Yes! At the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/have-i-always-agreed-with-my-southern-military-mormon-family/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I think of the biopics I've written as exploring a more grown-up side of myself, through other characters' lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-think-of-the-biopics-i-ve-written-as-exploring-a-more-grown-up-side/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I wrote 'Milk' for me. I wrote it for the younger version of me that had no clue that there are people who'd ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-wrote-milk-for-me-i-wrote-it-for-the-younger-version-of-me-that-had/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I'd say I'm not sure about Christianity, but I sure do like their Christ and the lessons about turning the other cheek, about forgiveness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-d-say-i-m-not-sure-about-christianity-but-i-sure-do-like-their/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [I like the gray movies. I don't know if audiences always... it makes them work a little harder. And they have to work hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-like-the-gray-movies-i-don-t-know-if-audiences-always-it-makes-them/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

> [Being right is overrated! If someone is saying that they're right about the future, that's a claim only a fool would make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/being-right-is-overrated-if-someone-is-saying-that-they-re-right/)

[Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

[Explore all 109 Dustin Lance Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/)

## More Done quotes

> [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/)

[Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/)

> [Usually male directors have to use foul language to get the job done. But I never came down to that level as being a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-khosla-kumar/usually-male-directors-have-to-use-foul-language-to-get-the-job-done/)

[Divya Khosla Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-khosla-kumar/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Forcing modern speakers of English to not - whoops, not to split an infinitive because it isn't done in Latin makes about as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/forcing-modern-speakers-of-english-to-not-whoops-not-to-split-an/)

[Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/)

> [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/)

[Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/)

> [Against his own will, almost, Will felt himself understanding; he would have done anything, he thought, told any lie, taken any risk, to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/against-his-own-will-almost-will-felt-himself-understanding-he-would/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/)

[Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/)

> [If the members of parliament no longer consider themselves mandatories of the taxpayers but deputies of those receiving salaries, wages, subsidies, doles, and other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/if-the-members-of-parliament-no-longer-consider-themselves/)

[Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/)

[Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/)

> [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/)

[Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/)

> [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/)

[Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/)

> [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/)

[Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/)

> [I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/i-don-t-enjoy-killing-but-when-done-righteously-it-s-just-a-chore/)

[Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/)

> [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/)

[Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/)

Browse all 25,653 Done quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk' I got to know a lot of gay octogenarians. They are lovely and they like to tell their stories, and I like hearing them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Dustin Lance Black"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-having-done-milk-i-got-to-know-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Done"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-having-done-milk-i-got-to-know-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cd3/dustin-lance-black-4536_done_through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-hav_341937.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Through my political work in D.C., and having done 'Milk' I got to know a lot of gay octogenarians. They are…” — Dustin Lance Black",
                "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": "Dustin Lance Black",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Through my political work in D.C.,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-having-done-milk-i-got-to-know-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/through-my-political-work-in-d-c-and-having-done-milk-i-got-to-know-a/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
