---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are not heterosexual or…"
description: "\"People are not heterosexual or homosexual, just sexual.\" — Quentin Crisp"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/quentin-crisp-1163_heterosexual_people-are-not-heterosexual-or-homosexua_1052776.png"
---

#  People are not heterosexual or homosexual, just sexual.

![“People are not heterosexual or homosexual, just sexual.” quote by Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/quentin-crisp-1163_heterosexual_people-are-not-heterosexual-or-homosexua_1052776.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/quentin-crisp-1163_heterosexual_people-are-not-heterosexual-or-homosexua_1052776.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/quentin-crisp-1163_heterosexual_people-are-not-heterosexual-or-homosexua_1052776.png)

> “People are not heterosexual or homosexual, just sexual.”

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

## 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 a spectrum, not binary.

**In simple terms:** Sex is fluid, not just gay or straight.

Key Takeaway

Accept fluidity in sexuality.

Themes

sexuality identity fluidity

Mood

thoughtful empathetic

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- dating
- relationship counseling
- education policy
- personal introspection

Key Concepts

gender studies human rights

Questions to Reflect On

- How does fluidity affect personal relationships?
- What challenges arise from non‑binary views?

A Different Perspective

Cultural norms often resist fluid concepts.

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[Heterosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexual/) [Homosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual/) [Homosexual Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexual-just-2528230/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Just Sexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-sexual-2528229/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Heterosexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-heterosexual-2528228/) [Sexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual/)

## Related quotes

> [“I'm not homosexual, I'm not heterosexual, I'm just sexual.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-m-not-homosexual-i-m-not-heterosexual-i-m-just-sexual/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [I'm not homosexual, I'm not hetrosexual, I'm just sexual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-stipe/i-m-not-homosexual-i-m-not-hetrosexual-i-m-just-sexual/)

[Michael Stipe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-stipe/)

> [Sexual performance problems, such as impotence and frigidity, are 70 to 90 percent changeable. But a homosexual who wants to be a heterosexual -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/sexual-performance-problems-such-as-impotence-and-frigidity-are-70-to/)

[Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/)

> [I'm not really a homosexual. I just help them out when they're busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-carson/i-m-not-really-a-homosexual-i-just-help-them-out-when-they-re-busy/)

[Frank Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-carson/)

> [I often tell audiences at the start of my shows that I'm not gay because I've got petitions from lesbian groups saying 'Can you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-brand/i-often-tell-audiences-at-the-start-of-my-shows-that-i-m-not-gay/)

[Jo Brand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-brand/)

> [I'm just waiting for the moment where it's accepted that women are just as sexual as men without women having to be overtly sexy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-and-the-diamonds/i-m-just-waiting-for-the-moment-where-it-s-accepted-that-women-are/)

[Marina and the Diamonds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-and-the-diamonds/)

> [“It's just sexual tension. Hardcore, animalistic, lick his body all over, sexual tension. - Norah”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-richardson/it-s-just-sexual-tension-hardcore-animalistic-lick-his-body-all-over/)

[Angela Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-richardson/)

> [There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-homosexual-or-a-heterosexual-person-there/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [I didn't know if I was heterosexual or homosexual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-reagan/i-didn-t-know-if-i-was-heterosexual-or-homosexual/)

[Michael Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-reagan/)

> [It happens that I'm heterosexual, but I don't care about that. I do care about protecting the rights of 10 percent of our population…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/it-happens-that-i-m-heterosexual-but-i-don-t-care-about-that-i-do/)

[Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/)

> [The fact that a person loves one particular person is what is important; the life lesson, whether you are homosexual or heterosexual, is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-devine/the-fact-that-a-person-loves-one-particular-person-is-what-is/)

[Loretta Devine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-devine/)

> [Before they're plumbers or writers or taxi drivers or unemployed or journalists, before everything else, men are men. Whether heterosexual or homosexual. The only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marguerite-duras/before-they-re-plumbers-or-writers-or-taxi-drivers-or-unemployed-or/)

[Marguerite Duras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marguerite-duras/)

> [The word heterosexual is an adjective, the word homosexual is an adjective. They describe an activity. Of course there's a homosexual activity; of course…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/the-word-heterosexual-is-an-adjective-the-word-homosexual-is-an/)

[Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/)

> [In many cases, it's a choice. There are many, many human beings through history - millions and millions and millions - who have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kristol/in-many-cases-it-s-a-choice-there-are-many-many-human-beings-through/)

[Bill Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kristol/)

> [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/)

[Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/)

## More by Quentin Crisp

> [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [“Masturbation is not only an expression of self-regard: it is also the natural emotional outlet of those who, before anything has reared its ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/masturbation-is-not-only-an-expression-of-self-regard-it-is-also-the/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/nothing-more-rapidly-inclines-a-person-to-go-into-a-monastery-than/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Vice is its own reward. It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/development-of-character-consists-solely-in-moving-toward-self/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Women have decided to be people, which is a great mistake. Women were nicer than people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/women-have-decided-to-be-people-which-is-a-great-mistake-women-were/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Sex is the last refuge of the misreable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/sex-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-misreable/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [I was amazed to receive later a substantial sum for sitting in my room and talking about myself. If only I could get some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-amazed-to-receive-later-a-substantial-sum-for-sitting-in-my/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [If you live in America, you don't have to work. You can just drift along in the smiling and nodding racket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-you-live-in-america-you-don-t-have-to-work-you-can-just-drift/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [“I was from birth an object of mild ridicule because of my movements - especially the perpetual flutter of my hands - and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-from-birth-an-object-of-mild-ridicule-because-of-my-movements/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [If a man were to look over the fence on one side of his garden and observe that the neighbor on his left had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-a-man-were-to-look-over-the-fence-on-one-side-of-his-garden-and/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

[Explore all 279 Quentin Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

## More Heterosexual quotes

> [Heterosexual intercourse is the pure, formalized expression of contempt for women's bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/heterosexual-intercourse-is-the-pure-formalized-expression-of/)

[Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/)

> [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/)

[Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/)

> [“heterosexual male who works in this building. Much to the chagrin of the members”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-siegel/heterosexual-male-who-works-in-this-building-much-to-the-chagrin-of/)

[Sheldon Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-siegel/)

> [Heterosexual marriage is the heart of our civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/heterosexual-marriage-is-the-heart-of-our-civilization/)

[Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/)

> [Gay men should not adopt the sophomoric model of heterosexual dating; gay men should always have sex first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-rechy/gay-men-should-not-adopt-the-sophomoric-model-of-heterosexual-dating/)

[John Rechy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-rechy/)

> [Do You Put I'm Heterosexual On Your Resume'? So If You're Homosexual Why Is It So Important ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquez-brown/do-you-put-i-m-heterosexual-on-your-resume-so-if-you-re-homosexual/)

[Marquez Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquez-brown/)

> [I think when you fall in love, whether you're heterosexual, transgender, gay, lesbian, whatever, straight, you feel like it's happening to you for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cate-blanchett/i-think-when-you-fall-in-love-whether-you-re-heterosexual-transgender/)

[Cate Blanchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cate-blanchett/)

> [“He’s like the most dangerous species of American there is: heterosexual white male who didn’t get what he wanted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-hill/he-s-like-the-most-dangerous-species-of-american-there-is/)

[Nathan Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-hill/)

> [I am the heterosexual Truman Capote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-epstein/i-am-the-heterosexual-truman-capote/)

[Joseph Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-epstein/)

> [Regardless of whether you're in a gay or heterosexual relationship, you're going to go through your ups and downs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/regardless-of-whether-you-re-in-a-gay-or-heterosexual-relationship/)

[Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/)

> [“Quite how a heterosexual couple hiring a female cleaner ends up as a betrayal of feminism isn't terribly clear- unless you believe running a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/quite-how-a-heterosexual-couple-hiring-a-female-cleaner-ends-up-as-a/)

[Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/)

> [People say, 'When did you decide you were gay?' and you think, 'When did you decide you were heterosexual?' It's not a decision: it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandi-toksvig/people-say-when-did-you-decide-you-were-gay-and-you-think-when-did/)

[Sandi Toksvig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandi-toksvig/)

> [“If heterosexual people can get married then gay and lesbian people can get married too”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/if-heterosexual-people-can-get-married-then-gay-and-lesbian-people/)

[Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/)

> [Once you're heterosexual and comfortable with that, you don't need to take out an announcement every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-bernhard/once-you-re-heterosexual-and-comfortable-with-that-you-don-t-need-to/)

[Sandra Bernhard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-bernhard/)

> [The problem is that television executives have got it into their heads that if one presenter on a show is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed heterosexual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-clarkson/the-problem-is-that-television-executives-have-got-it-into-their/)

[Jeremy Clarkson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-clarkson/)

[Browse all 176 Heterosexual quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heterosexual/)

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