--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes…" description: "\"“Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer. Yes, gay guys picked up strangers on the street, for that matter sometimes so did lesbians. A..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/marshall-thornton-2247_gay-guys_martin-hesitated-this-was-a-definite-yes_394228.jpg" --- # Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer… ![“Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer. Yes, gay guys picked up strangers on the street, for that matter sometimes so did lesbians. And certainly straight people did whether they'd admit it or not. Of course, straight people were encouraged not to pick up people on the street…” quote by Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/marshall-thornton-2247_gay-guys_martin-hesitated-this-was-a-definite-yes_394228.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/marshall-thornton-2247_gay-guys_martin-hesitated-this-was-a-definite-yes_394228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/42f/marshall-thornton-2247_gay-guys_martin-hesitated-this-was-a-definite-yes_394228.jpg) > ““Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer. Yes, gay guys picked up strangers on the street, for that matter sometimes so did lesbians. And certainly straight people did whether they'd admit it or not. Of course, straight people were encouraged not to pick up people on the street, while gays and lesbians were encouraged not to exist at all. But none of that was the point.”” [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage highlights how societal norms dictate who is allowed to express sexuality publicly, exposing double standards across orientations. **In simple terms:** Societal double standards shape sexual expression. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge unequal social expectations. Themes equality sexuality social norms Mood critical inquisitive Type analytical social When to use this quote - public dating - online dating - activism - policy debates Key Concepts Gender studies normative pressure Questions to Reflect On - What norms limit authentic expression? - How can we support equitable sexual freedom? A Different Perspective Ignoring underlying power structures can perpetuate discrimination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Gay Guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-guys/) [Gays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gays/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think it's the responsibility of gays and lesbians to reinvent the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-don-t-think-it-s-the-responsibility-of-gays-and-lesbians-to/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Gay marriage will be universally accepted in time. But if I may be so bold as to say to gays and lesbians, don't wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/gay-marriage-will-be-universally-accepted-in-time-but-if-i-may-be-so/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [I don't think there is any good answer to the question why shouldn't gays and lesbians who want to serve their country be allowed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bolton/i-don-t-think-there-is-any-good-answer-to-the-question-why-shouldn-t/) [John Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bolton/) > [Securing for gays and lesbians the basic right to have their relationships and families recognized as part of a community makes all of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/securing-for-gays-and-lesbians-the-basic-right-to-have-their/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [God did not create gays and lesbians so He could have something to hate!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-perry/god-did-not-create-gays-and-lesbians-so-he-could-have-something-to/) [Troy Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-perry/) > [While increasing acceptance of gays marks my generational experience - Ellen DeGeneres is welcomed into the living rooms of millions of Americans daily, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/while-increasing-acceptance-of-gays-marks-my-generational-experience/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [There are gays and lesbians in every country, so there should be no discrimination against them just because of their destiny,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hun-sen/there-are-gays-and-lesbians-in-every-country-so-there-should-be-no/) [Hun Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hun-sen/) > [It is my position that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do. No matter how I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/it-is-my-position-that-allowing-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [As a lifelong pacifist, Quaker, and a gay man, I despair that gays and lesbians are expending energy trying to get into the military…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-rorem/as-a-lifelong-pacifist-quaker-and-a-gay-man-i-despair-that-gays-and/) [Ned Rorem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-rorem/) > [Gays and lesbians are our friends, neighbors, doctors, colleagues, sisters and brothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-hoover/gays-and-lesbians-are-our-friends-neighbors-doctors-colleagues/) [Margaret Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-hoover/) > [Where gays and lesbians are the best organized and most concentrated in numbers are states that President Clinton must carry in order to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/where-gays-and-lesbians-are-the-best-organized-and-most-concentrated/) [David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/) > [We may disagree about gay marriage, but surely we can agree that it is unconscionable to target gays and lesbians for who they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-may-disagree-about-gay-marriage-but-surely-we-can-agree-that-it-is/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I am starting to try to understand our Gays & Lesbians brother's and Sister's. I am a Christian and I believe that Marriage should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/i-am-starting-to-try-to-understand-our-gays-lesbians-brother-s-and/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [For many years now, I have been an outspoken supporter of civil and human rights for gay and lesbian people. Gays and lesbians stood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/coretta-scott-king/for-many-years-now-i-have-been-an-outspoken-supporter-of-civil-and/) [Coretta Scott King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/coretta-scott-king/) > [But fairness is where we’re heading, at least in regard to marriage, which has emerged as the terrain on which Americans are hashing out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bruni/but-fairness-is-where-we-re-heading-at-least-in-regard-to-marriage/) [Frank Bruni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bruni/) ## More by Marshall Thornton > [“These days you don't need a country to have a flag, you don't need to win an election to become president, and you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/these-days-you-don-t-need-a-country-to-have-a-flag-you-don-t-need-to/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“ The Ten Commandments As Interpreted by Robin Palmetier 1. Don’t lie. Unless it’s to the police. 2. Don’t cheat your customers. Robin always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/the-ten-commandments-as-interpreted-by-robin-palmetier-1-don-t-lie/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“That was the problem with good friends. Eventually they knew enough about you to say terrible things for your own good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/that-was-the-problem-with-good-friends-eventually-they-knew-enough/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“You live your life like it's some kind of nuclear fallout shelter. The walls are three feet thick, you have enough food to last…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/you-live-your-life-like-it-s-some-kind-of-nuclear-fallout-shelter-the/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“So are you doing anything for your anniversary? I mean other than sitting around your backyard with a bottle of wine moping over lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/so-are-you-doing-anything-for-your-anniversary-i-mean-other-than/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“My wife threatened to divorce me if I don't lose ten pounds." Given that he could easily lose forty I figured she was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/my-wife-threatened-to-divorce-me-if-i-don-t-lose-ten-pounds-given/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“Some things were meaner if you said them calmly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/some-things-were-meaner-if-you-said-them-calmly/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“So help me, Mac, if you manage to kill me I will ruin your eternity. You will be the most miserable man to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/so-help-me-mac-if-you-manage-to-kill-me-i-will-ruin-your-eternity-you/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“Um…you’re four blocks away. Why can’t you walk?” “I’m naked.” Sometimes the truth was like a band-aid in need of removal; one had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/um-you-re-four-blocks-away-why-can-t-you-walk-i-m-naked-sometimes-the/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“It was simply against his makeup.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/it-was-simply-against-his-makeup/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“I'm not sure I should tell you. Not while you're alive, at least. Some things are better left for after death." (Mac)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/i-m-not-sure-i-should-tell-you-not-while-you-re-alive-at-least-some/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“Vincent inhaled sharply and mumbled something like "oh my God". I wasn't sure what he was oh-my-God-ing about since he was still struggling to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/vincent-inhaled-sharply-and-mumbled-something-like-oh-my-god-i-wasn-t/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“Everyone lies. They lie to the people they love; they lie to themselves. Once you admit it, it's not such a hard thing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/everyone-lies-they-lie-to-the-people-they-love-they-lie-to-themselves/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“I was staring down thirty-five in a few months. While I might have thought forty was old when I was her age, I’d since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/i-was-staring-down-thirty-five-in-a-few-months-while-i-might-have/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) > [“If you look out for the sunny side of the street, the sunny side of the street will look out for you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-thornton/if-you-look-out-for-the-sunny-side-of-the-street-the-sunny-side-of/) [Marshall Thornton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) [Explore all 176 Marshall Thornton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-thornton/) ## More Gays quotes > [The Bible is to gays what Mein Kampf is to Jews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tatchell/the-bible-is-to-gays-what-mein-kampf-is-to-jews/) [Peter Tatchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tatchell/) > [The hypocrisy and false piety of the deniers aside, the relationships of gays have no effect on heteros. Especially all the heteros who've done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ridley/the-hypocrisy-and-false-piety-of-the-deniers-aside-the-relationships/) [John Ridley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ridley/) > [Bisexuality started a long, long time ago. You just have to support it. There's nothing wrong with it. We all bleed the same, we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dereck-chisora/bisexuality-started-a-long-long-time-ago-you-just-have-to-support-it/) [Dereck Chisora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dereck-chisora/) > [First, I was opposed to gay marriage because it seemed like one more way that gays were wanting to assimilate. When I realized the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/first-i-was-opposed-to-gay-marriage-because-it-seemed-like-one-more/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Gays, lesbians, straights, feminists, fascist pigs, communists, Hare Krishnas - none of them bother me. I don't care what banner they raise. But what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/gays-lesbians-straights-feminists-fascist-pigs-communists-hare/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Many people secretly think that gays are a lot happier than they are, and want to punish them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weinberg/many-people-secretly-think-that-gays-are-a-lot-happier-than-they-are/) [George Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weinberg/) > [I don't think gays that should be married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angelina-pivarnick/i-don-t-think-gays-that-should-be-married/) [Angelina Pivarnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angelina-pivarnick/) > [We can't believe how many gays there are in heavy metal, people like...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/biff-byford/we-can-t-believe-how-many-gays-there-are-in-heavy-metal-people-like/) Biff Byford > [We've got gays working there. If they can demonstrate long-term relationships, we make same-sex benefits available just as we do with common-law marriages. Gays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-coors/we-ve-got-gays-working-there-if-they-can-demonstrate-long-term/) [Pete Coors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-coors/) > [Sometime in the not too distant future, denying gays the right to marry will be viewed as historically corrupt - as corrupt as denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sometime-in-the-not-too-distant-future-denying-gays-the-right-to/) [Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/) > [Gays being gay is wrong. Two women can't produce a baby, two men can't produce a baby, so it's not how it's supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-everett/gays-being-gay-is-wrong-two-women-can-t-produce-a-baby-two-men-can-t/) Carl Everett > [Originally, I was against gay marriage because I was opposed to all marriage, being an old-fashioned gay bohemian. The straight people I knew in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/originally-i-was-against-gay-marriage-because-i-was-opposed-to-all/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Where gays and lesbians are the best organized and most concentrated in numbers are states that President Clinton must carry in order to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mixner/where-gays-and-lesbians-are-the-best-organized-and-most-concentrated/) [David Mixner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mixner/) > [Coming out to gays is a way of affirming sanity and self-worth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-weinberg/coming-out-to-gays-is-a-way-of-affirming-sanity-and-self-worth/) [George Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-weinberg/) > [Gay rights is just a matter of time. Look at the polls. Worrying about gay marriage, let alone gay civil unions or gay employment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/gay-rights-is-just-a-matter-of-time-look-at-the-polls-worrying-about/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) [Browse all 127 Gays quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gays/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Martin hesitated. This was a definite yes and no answer. Yes, gay guys picked up strangers on the street, for that matter sometimes so did lesbians. And certainly straight people did whether they'd admit it or not. Of course, straight people were encouraged not to pick up people on the street, while gays and lesbians were encouraged not to exist at all. 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