--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years…" description: "\"I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years before the Stonewall.\" — Marsha P. Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/173/marsha-p-johnson-21798_been_i-d-been-going-to-jail-for-like-10-years_1042843.jpg" --- # I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years before the… ![“I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years before the Stonewall.” quote by Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/173/marsha-p-johnson-21798_been_i-d-been-going-to-jail-for-like-10-years_1042843.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/173/marsha-p-johnson-21798_been_i-d-been-going-to-jail-for-like-10-years_1042843.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/173/marsha-p-johnson-21798_been_i-d-been-going-to-jail-for-like-10-years_1042843.jpg) > “I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years before the Stonewall.” [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living as a queer activist in the 1960s involved constant threat of imprisonment. **In simple terms:** Facing legal danger was part of early activism. Key Takeaway Recognize the risks faced by early LGBTQ activists. Themes activism LGBTQ+ risk history Mood historical defiant Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - pride marches - legal advocacy - community organizing - personal safety Key Concepts Civil rights Community building Resistance Questions to Reflect On - How did fear shape activism strategies? - What can we learn from past sacrifices? A Different Perspective Legal threats limited visibility and resources. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) ## Related quotes > [I think that we've made a lot of progress in the years since the Stonewall uprising, and as far as equality for marriage and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alaska/i-think-that-we-ve-made-a-lot-of-progress-in-the-years-since-the/) [Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alaska/) > [If anything’s going on in our lives, we have each other. One time, I was having a bad day, and I called Chris Colfer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lea-michele/if-anything-s-going-on-in-our-lives-we-have-each-other-one-time-i-was/) [Lea Michele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lea-michele/) > [If anyone said anything sideways about my children, I would literally be in jail like, just straight up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-glanville/if-anyone-said-anything-sideways-about-my-children-i-would-literally/) [Brandi Glanville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-glanville/) > [I am not brave enough to not pay my income tax and risk going to jail. But I can say rather freely what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corita-kent/i-am-not-brave-enough-to-not-pay-my-income-tax-and-risk-going-to-jail/) [Corita Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corita-kent/) > [I ain't going to jail no more. The only way we gonna stop them white men from whuppin' us is to take over. What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stokely-carmichael/i-ain-t-going-to-jail-no-more-the-only-way-we-gonna-stop-them-white/) [Stokely Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stokely-carmichael/) > [..living in this life where people having sympathy. going to jail all the time living with no discipline..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-williams/living-in-this-life-where-people-having-sympathy-going-to-jail-all/) [Christopher Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-williams/) > [ As entertainers, you're afraid \[about\] loss of income - but if other people start going to jail for free speech, then we've lost this… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/killer-mike/as-entertainers-you-re-afraid-about-loss-of-income-but-if-other/) [Killer Mike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/killer-mike/) > [We have a situation where we have a lawmaker here in California who says that if you spank the child, you spank them, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/we-have-a-situation-where-we-have-a-lawmaker-here-in-california-who/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [The men who have gotten women pregnant need to be accountable if we are. If we are going to jail, the men are coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neko-case/the-men-who-have-gotten-women-pregnant-need-to-be-accountable-if-we/) [Neko Case](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neko-case/) > [“Nothing's wrong with going to jail for something you believe in. Remember, jail was made for people. Not horses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/nothing-s-wrong-with-going-to-jail-for-something-you-believe-in/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [People don't understand that you can actually lose your life going to jail. There's more violence in the jail-house than there is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/people-don-t-understand-that-you-can-actually-lose-your-life-going-to/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [I was kind of excited about going to jail the first time and I learnt some great dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/i-was-kind-of-excited-about-going-to-jail-the-first-time-and-i-learnt/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I don't know if I'm going to jail for three weeks, three months, or three years, but I think what I've done to motivate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-don-t-know-if-i-m-going-to-jail-for-three-weeks-three-months-or/) [Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/) > [Blind Curve,' the book I'm working on now, sprang from a crazy incident that happened to me last year while on my book tour.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-gross/blind-curve-the-book-i-m-working-on-now-sprang-from-a-crazy-incident/) [Andrew Gross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-gross/) > [The beauty, the poetry of the fear in their eyes. I didn't mind going to jail for, what, five, six hours? It was absolutely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-depp/the-beauty-the-poetry-of-the-fear-in-their-eyes-i-didn-t-mind-going/) [Johnny Depp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-depp/) ## More by Marsha P. Johnson > [How many years has it taken people to realize that we are all brothers and sisters and human beings in the human race? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/how-many-years-has-it-taken-people-to-realize-that-we-are-all/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I'm still stuck in the Stonewall in 1968. I never left the Stonewall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-m-still-stuck-in-the-stonewall-in-1968-i-never-left-the-stonewall/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [A drag queen is one that usually goes to a ball and that's the only time she gets dressed up. Transvestites live in drag.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/a-drag-queen-is-one-that-usually-goes-to-a-ball-and-that-s-the-only/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [They call me a legend in my own time, because there were so many queens gone that I'm one of the few queens left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/they-call-me-a-legend-in-my-own-time-because-there-were-so-many/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I may be crazy, but that don't make me wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-may-be-crazy-but-that-don-t-make-me-wrong/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [Now they got two little nice statues in Chariot Park to remember the gay movement. How many people have died for these two little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/now-they-got-two-little-nice-statues-in-chariot-park-to-remember-the/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [There are a lot of gay transvestites who have been in jail for no reason at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/there-are-a-lot-of-gay-transvestites-who-have-been-in-jail-for-no/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I got lost in the music in 1963 at Stonewall... No! No, it was Stonewall - it was 1967 that I got lost. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-got-lost-in-the-music-in-1963-at-stonewall-no-no-it-was-stonewall/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I know people think I'm a stupid little street queen out there begging for change cause there's nothing else she knows how to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-know-people-think-i-m-a-stupid-little-street-queen-out-there/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [We just were saying no more police brutality. And we had enough of police harassment in the Village and other places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/we-just-were-saying-no-more-police-brutality-and-we-had-enough-of/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I don't think you should be ashamed of anybody that you know that has AIDS. You should stand as close to them as you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-don-t-think-you-should-be-ashamed-of-anybody-that-you-know-that-has/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I'll always be known reaching out to young people who have no one to help them out, so I help them out with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-ll-always-be-known-reaching-out-to-young-people-who-have-no-one-to/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [STAR is a very revolutionary group. We believe in picking up the gun, starting a revolution if necessary. Our main goal is to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/star-is-a-very-revolutionary-group-we-believe-in-picking-up-the-gun/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [A lot of times I've reached my hand out to people in the gay community that just didn't have nobody to help them when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/a-lot-of-times-i-ve-reached-my-hand-out-to-people-in-the-gay/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) > [I was no one, nobody from Nowheresville, until I became a drag queen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsha-p-johnson/i-was-no-one-nobody-from-nowheresville-until-i-became-a-drag-queen/) [Marsha P. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) [Explore all 28 Marsha P. Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsha-p-johnson/) ## More Been quotes > [When I was trying to come up with a stage name, I thought 'Lord' was super rad, but really masculine - ever since I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorde/when-i-was-trying-to-come-up-with-a-stage-name-i-thought-lord-was/) [Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorde/) > [I once told someone I could act. They totally bought it. I've been getting away with it ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshay-kumar/i-once-told-someone-i-could-act-they-totally-bought-it-i-ve-been/) [Akshay Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshay-kumar/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Here's the reality. The image of a white Jesus has been used to justify enslavement, conquest, colonialism, the genocide of indigenous peoples. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wise/here-s-the-reality-the-image-of-a-white-jesus-has-been-used-to/) [Tim Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wise/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) > [Well, I've been politically involved for a really long time. Growing up in the segregated South, it was a very painful experience for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cybill-shepherd/well-i-ve-been-politically-involved-for-a-really-long-time-growing-up/) [Cybill Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cybill-shepherd/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [Windmills and solar cells are carbon-free sources of electricity. But they are costly. If you've been investing in those, give it up. That game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/windmills-and-solar-cells-are-carbon-free-sources-of-electricity-but/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [Once I committed to acting, this has been it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernie-hudson/once-i-committed-to-acting-this-has-been-it/) [Ernie Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernie-hudson/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [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've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) Browse all 13,699 Been quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd been going to jail for like, 10 years before the Stonewall.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marsha P. 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