I know I can't tell you what it's like to be gay. But I can tell you what it's not. It's not hiding behind words, Mama. Like family and decency and Christianity. Armistead Maupin More Quotes by Armistead Maupin More Quotes From Armistead Maupin The film itself involves a New York City radio storyteller, Gabriel Noone, who strikes up a friendship with one of his fans, an abused 14-year-old teenager who is suffering from AIDS, who does not have much longer to live. Armistead Maupin teenager new-york friendship I had been a storyteller by instinct all my life. I was that boring little kid who made the rest of his friends sit around the campfire and listen to his ghost stories. It's been very much a part of my makeup. Armistead Maupin makeup ghost kids Writing is too hard not to do exactly what you want to do. It's a very draining and agonizing process for me, and I don't want to live with any piece of work that I don't believe in completely. I have to believe completely in what I'm doing. It has grown organically out of my own experience. Armistead Maupin writing believe I've always drawn on bits and pieces of my own life Armistead Maupin bits my-own pieces Outing is a nasty word for telling the truth. Armistead Maupin nasty gay telling-the-truth I consider myself much better adjusted than Gabriel. Armistead Maupin gabriel aggravation In her opinion, the parrots were annoying arrogant. You could buy the most beautiful one in town, she observed, but that won't make it love you. You could feed it, care for it and exclaim over its loveliness, but there was nothing to guarantee that it would stay home with you. There had to be a lesson in there somewhere. Armistead Maupin breakup love-you beautiful If I had my way...We would lock ourselves away from that madness out there. Armistead Maupin locks madness way Solitude was no reason for sloppiness Armistead Maupin sloppiness solitude reason Don't listen when they scoff That you are too old and I am young, For I am old enough to know better And you are young enough not to care. Armistead Maupin care enough young I'm the age now that Rock was when he picked me up, so I can understand how he felt - how his fame limited his freedom. You get kinder as you go along. Armistead Maupin rocks age fame I tend to prefer the shelter of fiction. Armistead Maupin recycling shelter fiction But it's amazing how many people think that gay men should slink off into the shadows when it comes to having friendships with children. Armistead Maupin gay men children Taureans are stubborn as hell. They never want to tell you what sign they are.... But underneath that tough Taurus hide beats the heart of a hopeless romantic. Armistead Maupin hopeless-romantic stubborn heart I think a lot of gay people who are not dealing with their homosexuality get into right- wing politics. Armistead Maupin gay wings thinking I felt very close to God.... My friends say that's because I was always on my knees. Armistead Maupin knees my-friends felt My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short. Armistead Maupin yourself mistake life people I've included these little jokes and mysteries in my writing for the amusement of readers. Armistead Maupin little amusement jokes writing Too much of a good thing is wonderful. Armistead Maupin too good too-much wonderful I haven't lost faith in human nature and I haven't decided to be less compassionate to strangers. Armistead Maupin strangers human-nature nature faith