--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I was signed, at the age of 23...the…" description: "\"When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I presented myself as an out gay man was very, very unusual.\" — Rufus Wainwright" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png" --- # When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I… ![“When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I presented myself as an out gay man was very, very unusual.” quote by Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png) > “When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I presented myself as an out gay man was very, very unusual.” [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Being openly gay at 23 was rare, highlighting personal authenticity despite societal norms. **In simple terms:** Openly gay at 23 was unusual. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity even when uncommon. Themes identity courage social norms Mood candid empowering Type personal social When to use this quote - career launch - public speaking - activism - dating scenes Key Concepts LGBTQ+ visibility self‑acceptance media representation Questions to Reflect On - How does visibility affect others like you? - What challenges arise from being a pioneer? A Different Perspective Risk of discrimination; personal safety concerns. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-men/) [Homosexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homosexuality/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [“When everything looks unusual around you, your eyes and your mind mostly need anything usual! Unfamiliar disturbs us; familiar comforts us! But for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/when-everything-looks-unusual-around-you-your-eyes-and-your-mind/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Time changes every man. 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And that I had to be tempered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-think-everybody-identified-at-a-pretty-young-age-that-i-was-fairly/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [The song is about knowing the end result of every situation you're in, and being able to play it out in your mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/the-song-is-about-knowing-the-end-result-of-every-situation-you-re-in/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I like to make the mundane fabulous whenever I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/i-like-to-make-the-mundane-fabulous-whenever-i-can/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) [Explore all 176 Rufus Wainwright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. 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That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I presented myself as an out gay man was very, very unusual.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rufus Wainwright" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-fact-that-i-presented-myself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Age" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-fact-that-i-presented-myself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d7e/rufus-wainwright-2260_age_when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-f_1864554.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I was signed, at the age of 23...the fact that I presented myself as an out gay man was very, very…” — Rufus Wainwright", "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": "Rufus Wainwright", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I was signed, at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-fact-that-i-presented-myself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/when-i-was-signed-at-the-age-of-23-the-fact-that-i-presented-myself/#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 } } ] } ```