--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: History moves fast. It's hard to believe…" description: "\"History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did!\" — Stephen ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png" --- # History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay… ![“History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did!” quote by Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png) > “History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did!” [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal progress can be swift, yet legal recognition for marginalized groups often lags behind corporate rights, highlighting inconsistencies. **In simple terms:** Progress is uneven; gay rights lag corporate rights. Key Takeaway Advocate for equal legal recognition. Themes justice progress Lity Mood critical hopeful Type political inspirational When to use this quote - legislative advocacy - public awareness campaigns - legal challenges - community organizing Key Concepts civil rights law political science Questions to Reflect On - Why do corporate rights advance faster? - What strategies can accelerate LGBTQ+ rights? A Different Perspective Legal change can be slow despite cultural shifts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Achieved Constitutional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieved-constitutional-5307928/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-gay-1048984/) [Constitutional Personhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitutional-personhood-5307927/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Five](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five/) [Five years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/five-years/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gay Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay-americans-1001072/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard to believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-to-believe/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Personhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personhood/) [Personhood Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personhood-just-5307929/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [It breaks my heart to know that millions of gay Americans still can't marry the one they love and I can. That makes no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-bell/it-breaks-my-heart-to-know-that-millions-of-gay-americans-still-can-t/) [Kristen Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-bell/) > [Conservatives don't need to change core convictions to embrace the growing support for equal rights for gay Americans,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/conservatives-don-t-need-to-change-core-convictions-to-embrace-the/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [Dear America, when you tell gay Americans that they can't serve their country openly or marry the person that they love, you're telling that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-silverman/dear-america-when-you-tell-gay-americans-that-they-can-t-serve-their/) [Sarah Silverman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-silverman/) > [I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/i-do-know-this-though-i-m-done-pretending-that-the-handful-of-racist/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [Fundamentalists tell us to fear the specter of special rights for gay citizens, though of course gay Americans aren't after special rights - merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-faircloth/fundamentalists-tell-us-to-fear-the-specter-of-special-rights-for-gay/) [Sean Faircloth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-faircloth/) > [The Republican path to victory is compromised when gay Americans are perceived as being attacked for just being how God created them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reince-priebus/the-republican-path-to-victory-is-compromised-when-gay-americans-are/) [Reince Priebus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reince-priebus/) > [I think there were two great gay Americans obviously, and that was Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/i-think-there-were-two-great-gay-americans-obviously-and-that-was/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [You know, American citizens, I don't think, ever thought that the right to the pursuit of happiness did not include the right to marry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-sullivan/you-know-american-citizens-i-don-t-think-ever-thought-that-the-right/) [Andrew Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-sullivan/) > [If gay Americans are not allowed to get married and have all the benefits that American citizens are entitled to by the Bill of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanne-phillips/if-gay-americans-are-not-allowed-to-get-married-and-have-all-the/) [Jeanne Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanne-phillips/) > [I do not believe being gay or lesbian is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-do-not-believe-being-gay-or-lesbian-is-a-choice/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ I believe the gay community is a good group of people but with groups like NAMBLA \[a pedophile group\] riding on their coattails. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-chambers/i-believe-the-gay-community-is-a-good-group-of-people-but-with-groups/) [Alan Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-chambers/) > [I believe in liberty and freedom for all. I believe in gay marriage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jewel/i-believe-in-liberty-and-freedom-for-all-i-believe-in-gay-marriage/) [Jewel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jewel/) > [I don't believe in gay marriage, but that doesn't mean I hate people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-diaz-sr/i-don-t-believe-in-gay-marriage-but-that-doesn-t-mean-i-hate-people/) [Ruben Diaz Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-diaz-sr/) > [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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-everett/) > [Do you believe in gay marriage? Yes, everyone falls in love, have an open mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-believe-in-gay-marriage-yes-everyone-falls-in-love-have-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Stephen Colbert > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [We all deserve credit for this new surveillance state that we live in because we the people voted for the Patriot Act. Democrats and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/we-all-deserve-credit-for-this-new-surveillance-state-that-we-live-in/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I've long been against illegal aliens, partly because they distract us from an even bigger threat: real aliens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-ve-long-been-against-illegal-aliens-partly-because-they-distract-us/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Believe in me, cause I don't believe in anything, and I wanna be someone to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/believe-in-me-cause-i-don-t-believe-in-anything-and-i-wanna-be/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Try to love others and serve others and hopefully find those who love and serve you in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/try-to-love-others-and-serve-others-and-hopefully-find-those-who-love/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Thirty seconds is the exact amount of time Americans can tolerate something they don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/thirty-seconds-is-the-exact-amount-of-time-americans-can-tolerate/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I used to make up stuff in my bio all the time, that I used to be a professional ice-skater and stuff like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-used-to-make-up-stuff-in-my-bio-all-the-time-that-i-used-to-be-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I live by syllogisms: God is love. Love is blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God. I don't know what I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-live-by-syllogisms-god-is-love-love-is-blind-stevie-wonder-is-blind/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Unlike Paul Newman, who seems to think that salad dressing is the cure-all for America's ills, I'm a man of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/unlike-paul-newman-who-seems-to-think-that-salad-dressing-is-the-cure/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/jesus-forgives-sinners-not-criminals/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Used books are the sluts of the literary world. Passed around from person to person, spreading their pages for anyone, getting cheaper and cheaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/used-books-are-the-sluts-of-the-literary-world-passed-around-from/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Divorce is a marital welfare. It's just couples asking society to bail them out because they didn't do enough research before they got married.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/divorce-is-a-marital-welfare-it-s-just-couples-asking-society-to-bail/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) [Explore all 514 Stephen Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) [Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just five years after corporations did!", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Colbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-gay-americans-achieved/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-gay-americans-achieved/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f7f/stephen-colbert-503_believe_history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe_1466081.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“History moves fast. It's hard to believe that gay Americans achieved full constitutional personhood just…” — Stephen Colbert", "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": "Stephen Colbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "History moves fast. It's hard to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-gay-americans-achieved/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/history-moves-fast-it-s-hard-to-believe-that-gay-americans-achieved/#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 } } ] } ```