--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I spent years growing up being told what…" description: "\"I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was.\" — George Michael" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png" --- # I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was. ![“I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was.” quote by George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png) > “I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was.” [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) ## 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 lifelong struggle with imposed labels, emphasizing the journey toward self‑definition beyond external definitions. **In simple terms:** I was told what my sexuality was, but I had to find my own truth. Key Takeaway Seek personal truth beyond imposed identities. Themes self‑discovery sexuality authenticity freedom Mood introspective empowering melancholic Type personal testimony social commentary When to use this quote - coming‑of‑age - public interviews - mental health - activism Key Concepts identity formation social conditioning Questions to Reflect On - How do external labels shape personal identity? - What steps help break free from imposed definitions? A Different Perspective Societal pressure can delay self‑acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) ## Related quotes > [This Is Me”: ”For the record, I am not gay and all my sexual experiences have been straight. I'm attracted to women, I love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-thorpe/this-is-me-for-the-record-i-am-not-gay-and-all-my-sexual-experiences/) [Ian Thorpe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-thorpe/) > [Growing up, I'd always been told that my biggest weakness was my body and how that was probably going to hold me back from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-anthony-towns/growing-up-i-d-always-been-told-that-my-biggest-weakness-was-my-body/) [Karl-Anthony Towns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-anthony-towns/) > [Growing up, I was told to expect the bare minimum - that I wasn't going to make anything of myself. I listened to those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-allin/growing-up-i-was-told-to-expect-the-bare-minimum-that-i-wasn-t-going/) [Darby Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darby-allin/) > [Growing up, I was told I could be anything I wanted to be. There were no limitations restraining me just because I was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-mcsally/growing-up-i-was-told-i-could-be-anything-i-wanted-to-be-there-were/) [Martha McSally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-mcsally/) > [Growing up, you're told there are things you're not capable of doing because you're a girl. That perception's starting to change and it's amazing.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becky-g/growing-up-you-re-told-there-are-things-you-re-not-capable-of-doing/) [Becky G](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becky-g/) > [I think for most of us, our biggest frailties are sexual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-think-for-most-of-us-our-biggest-frailties-are-sexual/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [In terms of my work, I've never been reticent in terms of defining my sexuality. I write about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/in-terms-of-my-work-i-ve-never-been-reticent-in-terms-of-defining-my/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I had spent years in the United States military. 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I had no idea what it was like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-hunter/by-the-time-i-was-29-i-d-spent-eight-years-with-someone-else-s-group/) [Rachel Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-hunter/) ## More by George Michael > [ When Andrew \[Ridgeley\] first met my family, he heard my mom calling me "Yorgos." He just abbreviated it to Yog, and unfortunately it stuck.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/when-andrew-ridgeley-first-met-my-family-he-heard-my-mom-calling-me/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [ \[My family\] is one of the strongest families you're ever likely to see. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/my-family-is-one-of-the-strongest-families-you-re-ever-likely-to-see/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [The first sign of real obsession with music was with an old wind-up gramophone that mum had thrown out into the garage. My parents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/the-first-sign-of-real-obsession-with-music-was-with-an-old-wind-up/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I'm a perfectionist. It's a big pain in the ass and it takes a lot of my time, but it really is going well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-m-a-perfectionist-it-s-a-big-pain-in-the-ass-and-it-takes-a-lot-of/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I find it difficult enough as it is to keep some kind of normality in my life. 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We're taught that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/because-of-the-media-the-way-the-world-is-perceived-is-as-a-place/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [ Obviously, \[Wham!\] made me a lot more comfortable as a musician. I was very confident that I would become a successful musician, but I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/obviously-wham-made-me-a-lot-more-comfortable-as-a-musician-i-was/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [“I should have known better than to cheat a friend / And waste the chance that I'd been given / So I'm never gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-should-have-known-better-than-to-cheat-a-friend-and-waste-the/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) > [I don't really feel I deserve something if I haven't had to fight for it. 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I write about my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/in-terms-of-my-work-i-ve-never-been-reticent-in-terms-of-defining-my/) [George Michael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) [Explore all 255 George Michael quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/) ## More Growing quotes > [I have a strong feeling about this quick movement and changing of society and populations growing - something scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-this-quick-movement-and-changing-of/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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But I do remember, if there was going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-henry-hwang/i-felt-pretty-good-growing-up-i-didnt-feel-a-lot-of-prejudice-or/) [David Henry Hwang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-henry-hwang/) > [But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-the-effect-of-her-being-on-those-around-her-was-incalculably/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I wasn't a kid growing up thinking, 'One day I'll get an Oscar and make a speech.' 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-doubleday/growing-up-i-did-commercials-and-things-like-that-but-nothing-serious/) [Portia Doubleday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-doubleday/) Browse all 7,266 Growing quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Michael" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what-my-sexuality-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Growing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what-my-sexuality-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/george-michael-1332_growing_i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what_3235488.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I spent years growing up being told what my sexuality was.” — George Michael", "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": "George Michael", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-michael/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I spent years growing up being...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what-my-sexuality-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-michael/i-spent-years-growing-up-being-told-what-my-sexuality-was/#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 } } ] } ```