--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a fantasy as old as the modern…" description: "\"There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights movement that if all our skins turned lavender overnight, the majority, confounded by our numbers an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg" --- # There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights… ![“There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights movement that if all our skins turned lavender overnight, the majority, confounded by our numbers and our diversity, and recognising a few of our faces, would at once let go of prejudice forevermore.” quote by Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg) > “There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights movement that if all our skins turned lavender overnight, the majority, confounded by our numbers and our diversity, and recognising a few of our faces, would at once let go of prejudice forevermore.” [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If visible differences were exaggerated, prejudice would vanish, highlighting the absurdity of bias. **In simple terms:** Exaggerating differences would expose prejudice as irrational. Key Takeaway Challenge stereotypes by highlighting absurdities. Themes equality diversity prejudice identity social change Mood thoughtful hopeful Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - activism - education - media campaigns Key Concepts bias visibility social construct Questions to Reflect On - What would happen if we all looked the same? - How does visibility affect bias? A Different Perspective Prejudice may persist despite obvious differences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Confounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confounded/) [Diversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/diversity/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Few](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/few/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-rights/) [Gay Rights Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-rights-movement/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Let go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-go/) [Let Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/let-prejudice-2735730/) [Majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/majority/) [Modern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern/) [Modern Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-gay-4465966/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Overnight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overnight/) [Prejudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice/) [Prejudice Forevermore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prejudice-forevermore-4465965/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Rights movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights-movement/) [Skins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/skins/) [Turned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turned/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [I've been a very effective leader in the gay rights movement, though at times I've been controversial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-o-leary/i-ve-been-a-very-effective-leader-in-the-gay-rights-movement-though/) [Jean O'Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-o-leary/) > [I've always felt that homophobic attitudes and policies were unjust and unworthy of a free society and must be opposed by all Americans who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/i-ve-always-felt-that-homophobic-attitudes-and-policies-were-unjust/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [The gay rights movement of recent years has been an inspiring victory for humanity and it is in the tradition of the civil rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/the-gay-rights-movement-of-recent-years-has-been-an-inspiring-victory/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [The gay rights movement is not a party. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a hair style. It is not a fad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/urvashi-vaid/the-gay-rights-movement-is-not-a-party-it-is-not-a-lifestyle-it-is/) [Urvashi Vaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/urvashi-vaid/) > [One thing the gay rights movement taught the world is the importance of being visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-blow/one-thing-the-gay-rights-movement-taught-the-world-is-the-importance/) [Charles M. Blow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-blow/) > [In less than a century we experienced great movement. The youth movement! The labor movement! The civil rights movement! The peace movement! The solidarity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-near/in-less-than-a-century-we-experienced-great-movement-the-youth/) [Holly Near](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-near/) > [“Let a prejudice be bequeathed, carried in the air, adopted by hearsay, caught in through the eye,–however it may come, these minds will give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/let-a-prejudice-be-bequeathed-carried-in-the-air-adopted-by-hearsay/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I never let prejudice stop me from what I wanted to do in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-louise-delany/i-never-let-prejudice-stop-me-from-what-i-wanted-to-do-in-this-life/) [Sarah Louise Delany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-louise-delany/) > [Prejudice and bigotry are brought down...by the sheer force of determination of individuals to succeed and the refusal of a human being to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/prejudice-and-bigotry-are-brought-down-by-the-sheer-force-of/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [Before I was published, I thought men read car manuals or books about football. But once I started having really serious conversations with male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-faber/before-i-was-published-i-thought-men-read-car-manuals-or-books-about/) [Michel Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-faber/) > [Any of us who work on the task of solving the climate crisis have at times an internal struggle between hope and despair. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/any-of-us-who-work-on-the-task-of-solving-the-climate-crisis-have-at/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [“Say more about the Crips and the Bloods,” Richard said, stalling for time while he tried to get his mental house in order. “To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/say-more-about-the-crips-and-the-bloods-richard-said-stalling-for/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [It's a facet of the gay rights movement that people don't think about enough. Why suddenly marriage equality? Because it wasn't until 1981 that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-bader-ginsburg/it-s-a-facet-of-the-gay-rights-movement-that-people-don-t-think-about/) [Ruth Bader Ginsburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-bader-ginsburg/) > [There was a point in the latter 1990s at which, suddenly, every sitcom and drama in sight had to have a gay or lesbian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/there-was-a-point-in-the-latter-1990s-at-which-suddenly-every-sitcom/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [Because gay people were so much more visible, violence against gays was more common and reported on. But they were definitely related to each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-peck/because-gay-people-were-so-much-more-visible-violence-against-gays/) [Dale Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-peck/) ## More by Ian Mckellen > [I've always longed for the theatre and acting to be popular. No actor wants to play to an empty house. We only do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-ve-always-longed-for-the-theatre-and-acting-to-be-popular-no-actor/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [It's my impression that I've done every job that I've been asked to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/it-s-my-impression-that-i-ve-done-every-job-that-i-ve-been-asked-to-do/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm fortunate to be famous for two rather imposing characters like Magneto and Gandalf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-fortunate-to-be-famous-for-two-rather-imposing-characters-like/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Tolkien is as good as Dickens at sketching a scene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/tolkien-is-as-good-as-dickens-at-sketching-a-scene/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [If you are playing King Lear you are the centre of attention anyway. You don't need to draw attention to yourself. It's all laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/if-you-are-playing-king-lear-you-are-the-centre-of-attention-anyway/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Godot is whatever it is in life that you are waiting for: 'I'm waiting to win the lottery. I'm waiting to fall in love'.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/godot-is-whatever-it-is-in-life-that-you-are-waiting-for-i-m-waiting/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'm only an actor. I'm not a writer. I'm not going to leave any legacy. All I've ever done is learn the lines and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-m-only-an-actor-i-m-not-a-writer-i-m-not-going-to-leave-any-legacy/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [I'd never read 'Lord of the Rings' until I was asked to play Gandalf, so I didn't really know it was a frightfully famous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/i-d-never-read-lord-of-the-rings-until-i-was-asked-to-play-gandalf-so/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [You might be surprised by how interested young people are in older people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/you-might-be-surprised-by-how-interested-young-people-are-in-older/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [The strength of British theatre should be that these actors in their middle years know what they're doing and are good at it. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-strength-of-british-theatre-should-be-that-these-actors-in-their/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Until I came out, my acting was all about disguise, and thereafter it became about telling the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/until-i-came-out-my-acting-was-all-about-disguise-and-thereafter-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Elijah looks angelic but his beauty of spirit is what makes his Frodo leap out of the screen. Unalloyed goodness is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/elijah-looks-angelic-but-his-beauty-of-spirit-is-what-makes-his-frodo/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > ['The Lego Movie?' I've never heard of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/the-lego-movie-i-ve-never-heard-of-it/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [When I appeared in 'Coronation Street,' I lived in Manchester and enjoyed it very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/when-i-appeared-in-coronation-street-i-lived-in-manchester-and/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) > [Before acting, I wanted to become a journalist. I also toyed with the idea of being a chef - but that's only when people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/before-acting-i-wanted-to-become-a-journalist-i-also-toyed-with-the/) [Ian Mckellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) [Explore all 247 Ian Mckellen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/) ## More Confounded quotes > [I'm like anyone; I make a lot of my assumptions about actors I don't know from what I read about them. And then I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-strong/i-m-like-anyone-i-make-a-lot-of-my-assumptions-about-actors-i-don-t/) [Mark Strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-strong/) > [I am at peace with God; how then can I be confounded?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rumbold/i-am-at-peace-with-god-how-then-can-i-be-confounded/) [Richard Rumbold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rumbold/) > [“I look at you, and I think about you, and ... I don't know. No one has ever confounded me the way you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/i-look-at-you-and-i-think-about-you-and-i-don-t-know-no-one-has-ever/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [There are a few dogmas and double standards and really regrettable exports from philosophy that have confounded the thinking of scientists on the subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/there-are-a-few-dogmas-and-double-standards-and-really-regrettable/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [I can't be anonymous by reason of your confounded photographs. (To Julia Margaret Cameron)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/i-can-t-be-anonymous-by-reason-of-your-confounded-photographs-to/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [I wanted us to share the sense that the number of wrong moves far exceeds the number of good moves, to share the frightening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/i-wanted-us-to-share-the-sense-that-the-number-of-wrong-moves-far/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [“Ultimately, Bosch was confounded”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-connelly/ultimately-bosch-was-confounded/) [Michael Connelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-connelly/) > [They that trust in the Lord shall never be confounded!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-muller/they-that-trust-in-the-lord-shall-never-be-confounded/) [George Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-muller/) > [I am as confounded by dogs as I am indebted to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-caras/i-am-as-confounded-by-dogs-as-i-am-indebted-to-them/) [Roger Caras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-caras/) > [I'm still confounded by how few female directors there are. I don't get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-snider/i-m-still-confounded-by-how-few-female-directors-there-are-i-don-t/) [Stacey Snider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-snider/) > [When did I ever teach anything wrong from this stand? When was I ever confounded? I want to triumph in Israel before I depart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-smith-jr/when-did-i-ever-teach-anything-wrong-from-this-stand-when-was-i-ever/) [Joseph Smith, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-smith-jr/) > [“It's possible that Knight believed he was one of the few sane people left. He was confounded by the idea that passing the prime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-finkel/it-s-possible-that-knight-believed-he-was-one-of-the-few-sane-people/) [Michael Finkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-finkel/) > [We're all confounded by a lack of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-dobbs/we-re-all-confounded-by-a-lack-of-time/) [Lou Dobbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-dobbs/) > [A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/a-great-city-is-not-to-be-confounded-with-a-populous-one/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“I don't know. No one has ever so completely confounded me the way you do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/i-don-t-know-no-one-has-ever-so-completely-confounded-me-the-way-you/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) [Browse all 19 Confounded quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confounded/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights movement that if all our skins turned lavender overnight, the majority, confounded by our numbers and our diversity, and recognising a few of our faces, would at once let go of prejudice forevermore.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ian Mckellen" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern-gay-rights-movement-that-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Confounded" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern-gay-rights-movement-that-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/113/ian-mckellen-1396_confounded_there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern_2142245.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is a fantasy as old as the modern gay rights movement that if all our skins turned lavender overnight…” — Ian Mckellen", "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": "Ian Mckellen", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mckellen/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is a fantasy as old...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern-gay-rights-movement-that-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mckellen/there-is-a-fantasy-as-old-as-the-modern-gay-rights-movement-that-if/#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 } } ] } ```