---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think homosexuality is a choice…"
description: "\"I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in one's nature. The choice is whether one expres..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg"
---

#  I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces…

![“I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in one's nature. The choice is whether one expresses one's nature truthfully or spends the rest of one's life lying about it.” quote by Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg)

> “I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in one's nature. The choice is whether one expresses one's nature truthfully or spends the rest of one's life lying about it.”

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

## About This Quote

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

Sexual orientation is innate, not a choice; the real decision is whether to live authentically or conceal it.

**In simple terms:** Orientation is innate; authenticity is a choice.

Key Takeaway

Choose authenticity over concealment.

Themes

identity authenticity LGBTQ+ choice truth

Mood

empathetic determined

Type

social inspirational

When to use this quote

- coming out
- support groups
- education
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

human rights psychology social stigma

Questions to Reflect On

- What barriers prevent authentic expression?
- How can society support truthfulness?

A Different Perspective

Societal pressure can still force concealment despite personal choice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/)

## Related quotes

> [I do not think homosexuality is immoral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-do-not-think-homosexuality-is-immoral/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [“sometimes I think homosexuality is wasted on gay people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-halerin/sometimes-i-think-homosexuality-is-wasted-on-gay-people/)

David Halerin

> [If you believe homosexuality is a choice - when did you try it and what made you choose heterosexuality ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/if-you-believe-homosexuality-is-a-choice-when-did-you-try-it-and-what/)

Unkown

> [Some people never change their mind through their whole lives, about anything, despite new information that comes in. And now that we know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-van-dyke/some-people-never-change-their-mind-through-their-whole-lives-about/)

[Dick Van Dyke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-van-dyke/)

> [Homosexuality isn't a choice. It's not. Society wants you to think that, but really it's was in the beauty of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/homosexuality-isn-t-a-choice-it-s-not-society-wants-you-to-think-that/)

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

> [We're in an age of enlightenment, and we have a choice as a society which path to take.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhys-ifans/we-re-in-an-age-of-enlightenment-and-we-have-a-choice-as-a-society/)

[Rhys Ifans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhys-ifans/)

> [We believe in personal choice, rather than society dictating how we must live our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-peters/we-believe-in-personal-choice-rather-than-society-dictating-how-we/)

[Mike Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-peters/)

> [I think that the Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, but the Bible also teaches that pride is a sin, jealousy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/i-think-that-the-bible-teaches-that-homosexuality-is-a-sin-but-the/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [You think homosexuality is disgusting? Then, it follows as the night the day, that you find sex disgusting, for there is nothing done between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/you-think-homosexuality-is-disgusting-then-it-follows-as-the-night/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [I'm sure that, on some level of the major-label and old-establishment industry, there are execs and agents who think homosexuality is a liability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/i-m-sure-that-on-some-level-of-the-major-label-and-old-establishment/)

[Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/)

> [“We can’t say it’s justifiable to deny some people their rights because we personally find something offensive. People have the right to their beliefs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-perry/we-can-t-say-it-s-justifiable-to-deny-some-people-their-rights/)

[Natalie Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-perry/)

> [I think, if I had my choice, I would spend all my time in the studio writing, and creating music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-condon/i-think-if-i-had-my-choice-i-would-spend-all-my-time-in-the-studio/)

[Zach Condon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-condon/)

> [No decision in business provides greater potential for the creation of wealth (or its destruction, come to think of it) than the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-heller/no-decision-in-business-provides-greater-potential-for-the-creation/)

[Robert Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-heller/)

> [I envy children who know that they're going to become doctors, know they're going to go into the forces or whatever. I think choice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irons/i-envy-children-who-know-that-they-re-going-to-become-doctors-know/)

[Jeremy Irons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irons/)

> [Once you're out there in front of people, I don't think there's any choice than to just give it your all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-marshall/once-you-re-out-there-in-front-of-people-i-don-t-think-there-s-any/)

[Winston Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-marshall/)

## More by Marlo Thomas

> [I know George Burns was a very happy man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-know-george-burns-was-a-very-happy-man/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [“Steady as she goes”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/steady-as-she-goes/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [What I love about the theater is the work ethic. I grew up with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/what-i-love-about-the-theater-is-the-work-ethic-i-grew-up-with-it/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [Marriage is like a vacuum cleaner. You stick it to your ear and it sucks out all your energy and ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/marriage-is-like-a-vacuum-cleaner-you-stick-it-to-your-ear-and-it/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [I realize now that I was a feminist and the minute I heard the word I certainly knew it meant me, but at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-realize-now-that-i-was-a-feminist-and-the-minute-i-heard-the-word-i/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [Living with these teenage boys allowed me to see how much their psyches were like their girl counterparts. They were more familiar to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/living-with-these-teenage-boys-allowed-me-to-see-how-much-their/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [I find that balancing my life with my work with the kids at St. Jude, working on books, working on my career as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-find-that-balancing-my-life-with-my-work-with-the-kids-at-st-jude/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [I wish someone would have told me that, just because I'm a girl, I don't have to get married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-wish-someone-would-have-told-me-that-just-because-i-m-a-girl-i-don/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [Laughter is important, not only because it makes us happy, it also has actual health benefits. And that's because laughter completely engages the body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/laughter-is-important-not-only-because-it-makes-us-happy-it-also-has/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [It's fascinating for us women to begin looking at our lives in five-year plans. It really does help you keep on track. If that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/it-s-fascinating-for-us-women-to-begin-looking-at-our-lives-in-five/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [The Golden Girls certainly proved that there was a large audience for a show about older women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/the-golden-girls-certainly-proved-that-there-was-a-large-audience-for/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [There's no doubt about it... I was born a feminist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/there-s-no-doubt-about-it-i-was-born-a-feminist/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [One woman is a pest and two women is a team, but three women or more is a coalition. If you can bring a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/one-woman-is-a-pest-and-two-women-is-a-team-but-three-women-or-more/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [Never face facts; if you do, you'll never get up in the morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/never-face-facts-if-you-do-you-ll-never-get-up-in-the-morning/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

> [What I'm loving about Hilary Clinton is that she has the job that's been held mostly by men. She's made it her job, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/what-i-m-loving-about-hilary-clinton-is-that-she-has-the-job-that-s/)

[Marlo Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

[Explore all 79 Marlo Thomas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/)

## More Choice quotes

> [Making the right decision is hard,telling someone your decision is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/making-the-right-decision-is-hard-telling-someone-your-decision-is/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/)

[Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/)

> [“In a world of fixed future, there can be no right or wrong. Right and wrong demand freedom of choice, but if each action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/in-a-world-of-fixed-future-there-can-be-no-right-or-wrong-right-and/)

[Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/)

> [“Exactly. So, what can't you take? Decide which of the two options is harder, and do the other. That way, no matter how hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josephine-angelini/exactly-so-what-can-t-you-take-decide-which-of-the-two-options-is/)

[Josephine Angelini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josephine-angelini/)

> [“too—I realized that my only hope was to give up the life that had been, in order to make room for the life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-lesser/too-i-realized-that-my-only-hope-was-to-give-up-the-life-that-had/)

[Elizabeth Lesser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-lesser/)

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

> [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [There has always been a feeling with people that they love my singing but not always the choice of material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/there-has-always-been-a-feeling-with-people-that-they-love-my-singing/)

[Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/)

> [I have too many options when it comes to guitars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-nielsen/i-have-too-many-options-when-it-comes-to-guitars/)

[Rick Nielsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-nielsen/)

> [“Amazing how a small choice can change your life forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-c-dockens/amazing-how-a-small-choice-can-change-your-life-forever/)

Randy C. Dockens

> [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Since I don't outline my books very much, I feel like sometimes I don't have a choice in what the characters do; they just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-todd/since-i-don-t-outline-my-books-very-much-i-feel-like-sometimes-i-don/)

[Anna Todd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-todd/)

> [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/)

[Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/)

> [Words can only have an effect on you if you choose to listen to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/words-can-only-have-an-effect-on-you-if-you-choose-to-listen-to-them/)

[Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/)

[Browse all 8,092 Choice quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choice/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in one's nature. The choice is whether one expresses one's nature truthfully or spends the rest of one's life lying about it.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Marlo Thomas"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice-society-forces-you-to-think/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Choice"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice-society-forces-you-to-think/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db4/marlo-thomas-8603_choice_i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice_2479181.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I don't think homosexuality is a choice. Society forces you to think it's a choice, but in fact, it's in…” — Marlo 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": "Marlo Thomas",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlo-thomas/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I don't think homosexuality is a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice-society-forces-you-to-think/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlo-thomas/i-don-t-think-homosexuality-is-a-choice-society-forces-you-to-think/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
