--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I once read an old statue in law school…" description: "\"“I once read an old statue in law school that had two notable exceptions to criminal homosexuality: same-sex relations in prison and in the military......" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg" --- # I once read an old statue in law school that had two… ![“I once read an old statue in law school that had two notable exceptions to criminal homosexuality: same-sex relations in prison and in the military...in the absence of females, what is a little dalliance between men?” quote by M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg) > ““I once read an old statue in law school that had two notable exceptions to criminal homosexuality: same-sex relations in prison and in the military...in the absence of females, what is a little dalliance between men?”” [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He notes historical legal exceptions for same‑sex relations in prisons and military, questioning gender‑based norms. **In simple terms:** He cites rare legal allowances for male same‑sex relations. Key Takeaway Question societal assumptions about sexuality. Themes law gender sexuality history Mood critical inquisitive Type historical social When to use this quote - law school discussions - policy analysis - activism Key Concepts sociology legal studies Questions to Reflect On - Why were these exceptions made? - How do modern laws compare? A Different Perspective Legal exceptions may not reflect broader acceptance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criminal Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criminal-homosexuality-3485286/) [Exceptions Criminal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exceptions-criminal-3485289/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Law school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law-school/) [Relations Prison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relations-prison-3485288/) [Statue Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/statue-law-3485287/) ## Related quotes > [When I went to law school, which after all was back in the dark ages, we never looked beyond our borders for precedents. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/when-i-went-to-law-school-which-after-all-was-back-in-the-dark-ages/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [Throughout college and law school, as well as in my career as a lawyer and police reform advocate, I've faced various toxic combinations of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lori-lightfoot/throughout-college-and-law-school-as-well-as-in-my-career-as-a-lawyer/) [Lori Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lori-lightfoot/) > [If nothing else came out of all of this debacle over Obamacare, one thing that should is a class-action lawsuit against the University of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-gohmert/if-nothing-else-came-out-of-all-of-this-debacle-over-obamacare-one/) [Louie Gohmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-gohmert/) > [“I always liked your piety, Jack.” “I’m a lot cuter than the women of your generation,” Betsy said, playing up to Capers and Mike.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/i-always-liked-your-piety-jack-i-m-a-lot-cuter-than-the-women-of-your/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [But I decided I wanted more education and I had to make a choice between starting law school, which was interesting to me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-evans/but-i-decided-i-wanted-more-education-and-i-had-to-make-a-choice/) [Daniel J. Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-evans/) > [From the day I got out, it was an evolutionary process. I was sick for, like, two years - that's the best way I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-wright-jr/from-the-day-i-got-out-it-was-an-evolutionary-process-i-was-sick-for/) [Isaac Wright Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-wright-jr/) > [“And yet sometimes she worried about what those musty old books were doing to her. Some people majored in English to prepare for law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides-the-marriage-plot-2/and-yet-sometimes-she-worried-about-what-those-musty-old-books-were/) [Jeffrey Eugenides, The Marriage Plot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides-the-marriage-plot-2/) > [I wasn't meant to be an attorney, but I was meant to go to law school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-huang/i-wasn-t-meant-to-be-an-attorney-but-i-was-meant-to-go-to-law-school/) [Eddie Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-huang/) > [It always rankled me - in law school and the legal profession - when lawyers would speak to each other in their own exclusive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-melber/it-always-rankled-me-in-law-school-and-the-legal-profession-when/) [Ari Melber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-melber/) > [Because my graduate academic training at law school was not one that included most of the intellectual traditions I find useful for understanding the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-spade/because-my-graduate-academic-training-at-law-school-was-not-one-that/) [Dean Spade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-spade/) > [I never really thought I would practice law because I always thought it was too slow-moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-travis/i-never-really-thought-i-would-practice-law-because-i-always-thought/) [Clay Travis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-travis/) > [I figured my wife was about to start law school. If that whole baseball pitching thing didn't work out, I had something to fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hudson/i-figured-my-wife-was-about-to-start-law-school-if-that-whole/) [Tim Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hudson/) > [As a matter of fact, even when I finished law school, I had no notion of public service then.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dinkins/as-a-matter-of-fact-even-when-i-finished-law-school-i-had-no-notion/) [David Dinkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dinkins/) > [I'm always telling my students go to law school or become a doctor, do something, and then write. First of all you should have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/i-m-always-telling-my-students-go-to-law-school-or-become-a-doctor-do/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [The conventional explanation for Jewish success, of course, is that Jews come from a literate, intellectual culture. They are famously "the people of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-conventional-explanation-for-jewish-success-of-course-is-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) ## More by M.E. Thomas > [“People like to hear words like pleasure and decadent. They think of Roman orgies or chocolate”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/people-like-to-hear-words-like-pleasure-and-decadent-they-think-of/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It isn't enough that the bad guy is prevented from doing his bad deeds; he must suffer as much as possible. It is as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-isn-t-enough-that-the-bad-guy-is-prevented-from-doing-his-bad/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“While my self-image was that of a pagan god, hers was of an avenging angel”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/while-my-self-image-was-that-of-a-pagan-god-hers-was-of-an-avenging/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Ruining people. I love the way the phrase rolls around on my tongue and inside my mouth. Ruining people is delicious. We're all hungry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/ruining-people-i-love-the-way-the-phrase-rolls-around-on-my-tongue/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I do not expect things to go right in the world. I don’t even believe in right. I believe that everything just is. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-do-not-expect-things-to-go-right-in-the-world-i-don-t-even-believe/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Outwardly I was all confidence and openness; inwardly I was spiteful and lonely and unaware of how to relate to the world. I wanted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/outwardly-i-was-all-confidence-and-openness-inwardly-i-was-spiteful/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“One nurse thought I was "brave." I think she was talking about my steely-eyed, grin-and-bear-it kind of attitude. There were no tears, no complaints…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/one-nurse-thought-i-was-brave-i-think-she-was-talking-about-my-steely/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“We lawyers are all prestige whores”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/we-lawyers-are-all-prestige-whores/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I'm not unhappy, for the most part, although I do think there is a certain emptiness and meaningless that I feel, sort of like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-m-not-unhappy-for-the-most-part-although-i-do-think-there-is-a/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“It was too late, though: I was already too smart for the therapist. Or maybe I was never amenable to therapy. Either way, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/it-was-too-late-though-i-was-already-too-smart-for-the-therapist-or/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“(Sociopaths are highly immune to depression, and this ability to tell ourselves wonderful stories about how attractive, smart, and wily we are, and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/sociopaths-are-highly-immune-to-depression-and-this-ability-to-tell/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Many sociopaths use the shortcut of “anything goes,” or “I am only in it for me.” These sociopaths have decided that the rational way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/many-sociopaths-use-the-shortcut-of-anything-goes-or-i-am-only-in-it/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“I often wish I could just passively watch people without being expected to participate myself, like television.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-often-wish-i-could-just-passively-watch-people-without-being/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“When you grow up as a girl, it is like there are faint chalk lines traced approximately three inches around your entire body at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/when-you-grow-up-as-a-girl-it-is-like-there-are-faint-chalk-lines/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) > [“Asked to choose between having power and giving up power to a “trusted” entity, people often prefer to give it up rather than have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/asked-to-choose-between-having-power-and-giving-up-power-to-a-trusted/) [M.E. Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) [Explore all 23 M.E. Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/) ## More Homosexuality quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/) [Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/) > [You're on Facebook, and you're supposed to know your sexual orientation at 13... Nobody really knows what's going on at that time, and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cameron-mitchell/you-re-on-facebook-and-you-re-supposed-to-know-your-sexual/) [John Cameron Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cameron-mitchell/) > [ I will not agree to have this bill \[to repeal DADT \] go forward, because our economy is in the tank. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-will-not-agree-to-have-this-bill-to-repeal-dadt-go-forward-because/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I had to smile when stories emerged questioning whether I was gay. Obviously I knew I wasn't but people were curiously desperate to suggest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-radcliffe/i-had-to-smile-when-stories-emerged-questioning-whether-i-was-gay/) [Daniel Radcliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-radcliffe/) > [Jesus never said a word about homosexuality. In all of his teachings about multiple things - he never said that gay people should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/jesus-never-said-a-word-about-homosexuality-in-all-of-his-teachings/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Since 'coming out,' I've marched in gay pride parades all around the world, I've filled my home full of rainbow tat and I've become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/since-coming-out-i-ve-marched-in-gay-pride-parades-all-around-the/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) > [“Now, in the old days, Indians used to be forgiving of any kind of eccentricity. In fact, weird people were often celebrated. Epileptics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/now-in-the-old-days-indians-used-to-be-forgiving-of-any-kind-of/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [I think, even though homophobia still exists, there is much more of a dialogue and a taboo around being homophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-think-even-though-homophobia-still-exists-there-is-much-more-of-a/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [“The motive behind my arguments have always been to come at truth. I am not interested in conquering anyone with my ideologies or seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crystal-evans/the-motive-behind-my-arguments-have-always-been-to-come-at-truth-i-am/) [Crystal Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/crystal-evans/) > [I'm homosexual. How and why are idle questions. It's a little like wanting to know why my eyes are green.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-genet/i-m-homosexual-how-and-why-are-idle-questions-it-s-a-little-like/) [Jean Genet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-genet/) > [Unless you're of a certain age, you may not know my name, but you can Google it - I was a pretty big movie…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tab-hunter/unless-you-re-of-a-certain-age-you-may-not-know-my-name-but-you-can/) [Tab Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tab-hunter/) > [I didn't want to be gay. I wanted to be... I wanted an easy life. And you know what? I am gay, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lynch/i-didn-t-want-to-be-gay-i-wanted-to-be-i-wanted-an-easy-life-and-you/) [Jane Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lynch/) > [I believe that those who promote discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or any other grounds are gravely mistaken about the values that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-clinton/i-believe-that-those-who-promote-discrimination-on-the-basis-of/) [Bill Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-clinton/) [Browse all 3,495 Homosexuality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I once read an old statue in law school that had two notable exceptions to criminal homosexuality: same-sex relations in prison and in the military...in the absence of females, what is a little dalliance between men?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "M.E. Thomas" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school-that-had-two-notable/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Homosexuality" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school-that-had-two-notable/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/56b/m-e-thomas-25269_homosexuality_i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school_2805997.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I once read an old statue in law school that had two notable exceptions to criminal homosexuality: same-sex…” — M.E. Thomas", "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": "M.E. Thomas", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-e-thomas/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“I once read an old statue...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school-that-had-two-notable/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-e-thomas/i-once-read-an-old-statue-in-law-school-that-had-two-notable/#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 } } ] } ```