40 Best Queer Eye Quotes About Reinventing Yourself
The Fab Five know how to make you feel beautiful inside and out.
The show Queer Eye For The Straight Guy first aired in the United States on the Bravo network in July of 2003. The show focused on five gay men as they tried to improve the lives of straight men by improving their grooming habits, cultural knowledge, and the way they present themselves to the world. Through the process, the “Fab 5” taught men to confront their insecurities, breakdown gender stereotypes and help them realize their full potential.
The show’s main concept was designed to help normalize and de-stigmatize the gay culture. It was a huge success and ran for five seasons. It won an Emmy in 2004 for an outstanding reality program.
In 2018, Netflix decided to reboot the series, premiering Queer Eye with a whole new cast — Antoni Porowski, food and wine expert, Tan France, fashion expert, Karamo Brown, culture expert, Bobby Berk, design expert, and Jonathan Van Ness, grooming expert.
In the new season, the Fab Five makeover men and women alike, helping change their physical appearance, their living space, their eating habits, and the way they present themselves to the world by making them confront the insecurities that are holding them back.
While the first incarnation of the series was searching for acceptance, this new season is hoping for more inclusion and a general embracing of the gay culture.
The world is slowly changing. Hopefully one day it won’t matter if you’re gay or straight, perhaps it won’t even warrant a discussion. Maybe one day it will be like announcing your hair color. Sadly, the world isn’t there yet, though. So we need to take strides to help it along. That is why shows like Queer Eye are so important.
Here are some of the best Queer Eye quotes from the hit Netflix series and some of your favorite men of the Queer Eye cast.
1. Both men and women are gorgeous.
“And, like, whatever role you are whether it's like moon or sun. Moon being more feminine energy and sun being more masculine. I think there is gorgeous strength to be held in both.” —Jonathan Van Ness
2. It's okay to be vulnerable.
"Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. It shows you are in tune with yourself, which is the sexiest thing to men or women." — Karamo Brown
3. Everyone loves pickles.
"I Love A Pickle." — Antoni Porowski
4. You’re never too old to learn.
“When people say 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' it's not true, because you can reinvent yourself and learn new things whenever you want.” —Jonathan Van Ness
5. Sexy starts with how you think of yourself.
"Confidence is sexy. Knowing who you are is sexy." — Johnathan Van Ness
6. You are enough.
"I never want people to think they are not gay enough, or straight enough. It's so much more about what is in your heart." — Johnathan Van Ness
7. You can do it.
“If my gay black ass from the South could do it, your ass can do it. So, just believe in yourself.” —Karamo Brown
8. Don’t censor yourself.
“You being your true self isn't going to offend anybody. It's very unlikely that people are going to cause you an issue just because you are being yourself. And if they're concerned, that's on them. You're happy.” —Tan France
9. Sometimes we need brutal honesty.
“Neal's bathroom reminds me a lot of a skin tag. It's not hurting anything, but it doesn't look great.” —Jonathan Van Ness
10. Change it up a little.
"Don't get stuck in a rut with your margarita." — Antoni Porowski
11. Live your truth.
"But he’s living his truth and it’s cute." — Jonathan Van Ness
12. Don’t let fear take control.
“Don't let that fear hold you. Don't let it hold you anymore.” —Karamo Brown
13. Free yourself.
"I experienced the hate and ignorance, and it's scary. I started getting older and refusing to accept that. And refusing to accept the kind of chains that I've been having my whole life. I just wanted to be free." — Bobby Berk
14. You are cutest when you're comfy.
"I'm never massively concerned about what somebody is wearing, as long as it makes them feel really good about themselves." — Tan France
15. Respect is a two-way street.
“I want my partner to look at me and think I respect them enough to make an effort.” —Tan France
16. It’s not cooking for one its cooking for fun!
“You thought it's depressing to cook for one. My goal is to change your mind on that.” —Antoni Porowski
17. Your burdens will help you to grow.
“I heard a preacher once say sometimes when you are feeling buried, you're actually just planted” —Bobby Berk
18. Liberate yourself from the things that hold you back.
“I just wanted to be free.” —Bobby Berk
19. You aren't for everyone. Who cares?
"It's impossible to have everybody like you. No matter what you do." — Antoni Porowski
20. Don’t be afraid to feel your feelings.
"You can't selectively numb feelings. So, if you try to numb the vulnerability, you also numb joy, happiness, connection." —Jonathan Van Ness
21. Making an effort changes your life for the better.
"I'm sending this memo to every guy in the world. Making an effort with your wardrobe doesn't mean you're a wuss. Making an effort means you're serious about the life you want." — Tan France
22. Knock down those walls!
"When people build up walls, they end up keeping other people out. But they're also keeping themselves in." —Karamo Brown
23. Just be true to yourself.
"There's no right or wrong way to be gay. No right or wrong way to come out. It's your journey, do it the way you wanna do it." —Tan France
24. Take care of yourself.
"How you take care of yourself is how the world sees you. It's OK to have a relationship with yourself." —Jonathan Van Ness
25. Don’t count yourself out.
"You’re strong, you’re a Kelly Clarkson song, you got this." —Jonathan Van Ness
26. Take ownership of who you let in.
“By saying, 'I wanna let you know I'm inviting you into my life, and I want you to be a part of it,' is the healthiest thing you can do.” —Karamo Brown
27. Follow your heart.
"I never want people to feel like they aren't gay enough or straight enough. It's about what's in your heart. And what's in your heart is like [kissing sounds]" — Jonathan Van Ness
28. Food is powerful.
"Food Can offer a moment of pure emotional pleasure in an otherwise hard and difficult world." —Antoni Porowski
29. Don't feel ashamed of being yourself.
"My sexuality's something that's intimate. It's not anything that I'm ashamed of." —Antoni Porowski
30. Mac and cheese is always a personal experience.
"A Mac and Cheese is something that can actually be so personal." —Antoni Porowski
31. When Jonathan was all of us.
“Johnny’s loves pizza, yummers yummers yummers.” —Jonathan Van Ness
32. We all need a bold lip sometimes.
“There is a diva in there, but all she needs is a little bit of a bold lip.” —Jonathan Van Ness
33. Go after it, girl!
“Being an adult means being a person of action. But when you make your plan and go after that plan, you’ll succeed.” —Karamo Brown
34. He really paints a picture.
“The bathroom, it’s bleak in there. It’s like the Russian winter in World War I, honey.” —Jonathan Van Ness
35. Dress in a way that makes you feel beautiful.
“Style is not fashion. Fashion is not trendy after a season. I couldn’t give a sh** about fashion. Style is dressing the way that you feel confident and what is appropriate for you, your age, body type.” —Tan France
36. You can't fight who you are.
"It wasn't an option for me to be closeted or to keep it to myself. Sky's blue, grass is green. Can't fight it." — Jonathan Van Ness
37. Know how to WORK IT.
"This is what we call the sexy crawl." — Jonathan Van Ness
38. You are stronger than you think.
"You are the epitome of what it is to be a strong, beautiful, black, gay man." — Karamo Brown
39. Vulnerability is a strength.
“He needs to understand that being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. It shows that you are in tune with yourself, which is the sexiest thing to men or women.” —Karamo Brown
40. Let go of that fear.
"Don't let that fear hold you. Don't let it hold you anymore." — Karamo Brown
Kaitlin Kaiser is a writer who covers pop culture, astrology, and relationship topics.