One of the advantages of being a journalist is getting to talk to celebrities, newsmakers, up-and-comers and even some certifiable legends, and have them share anecdotes, opinions and histories with our audiences. Some are openly queer; others are openly allied to queer issues.  

And since we believe in really doing the year in review up right — we already published our best-ofs for theater, film and culture; music, TV and books come tomorrow, and restaurants and auto next week — we decided to revisit 20 of our favorite celebrity quotes from 2018. Enjoy!

“There’s been sometimes where I was just, you know, heartbroken about things, but it always gives you hope when there are people who think that you’re cute and worthwhile and an artist.” – Cher, on her LGBTQ fans

“The picture that was supposed to ruin my life is the picture that made me the eighth-most Googled person in the world.” — Kathy Griffin, on the fallout and resurrection occasioned by here blacklisting in 2017

“It’s like your queer uncle that was marching back in ’78: Maybe he doesn’t have the loud voice, maybe he can’t march as fast now, but he is still just as important.” — Eric McCormack on the Will & Grace revival

“Do I care anymore about mass appeal? Do I care about universality if it’s not moving people?” — Lesbian musician Brandi Carlile, the most nominated female at this year’s Grammys

“I had these real-life characters that I’ve known in my life who were just waiting in the wings to make it into one of my scripts. Originally I was going to [write a play telling] how I met them and then do monologues. But as a writer, I go a little nuts; they just took over from me.” — Del Shores, on his one-man play

“[MeToo] is not just about victimhood but the women who have beaten down the doors. We don’t do programs about victims; it’s about people who triumphed.” — Legendary magazine editor Tina Brown, on how her live traveling salon Women of the World reaches out

“Before [Drag Race], the farthest I had ever gone was New Jersey,” Hamasaki says. “Now I get to travel the world. I get to travel all different places. Hopefully, I will get to travel everywhere, even Mars, Jupiter, Uranus … everywhere!” — Drag Racer Yuhua Yamasaki

“I think I haven’t had that emotional love for a lady, which isn’t saying it could never happen to me, but I think I’m more of an Emily than a Stephanie.” — Anna Kendrick, who played opposite Blake Lively’s sexually fluid Emily in A Simple Favor

“Even as a 13-year-old, I saw my friends be conflicted with their sexuality and religion and I was thinking, ‘OK, something’s wrong here.’” — Dan Reynolds, Imagine Dragons frontman

“If the people are listening to you, you should say something worth hearing.” — Jussie Smollett

“I feel extremely proud to be able to perform for my people. I love being able to live in my truth and share moments with other people that are living in their truth. I hope that my actions, and me being so open, will inspire others to do the same. I really want to continue bringing our community together.” — TV star Bobby Lytes, on performing at Dallas Southern Pride’s Juneteenth festival.

“At the time, there was that kind of question when you’d go into the audition: ‘Are you comfortable kissing a guy?’ ‘Yeah, of course.’” — Justin Theroux on playing gay in the late ’90s

“That was a first for me. I can’t say that I’ve walked in on any gay orgies in the past.” — Margot Robbie on the gay orgy in The Wolf of Wall Street

“Who knows how and why and who you pick as your friends, but it’s usually me and all my lovely, dear gay friends that I’ve had forever.” — Melissa McCarthy

“However you define yourself or don’t define yourself, you should be able to do that with total freedom.” — Antoni Porowski, Queer Eye star

“I was always me, but I didn’t always own it. And when I owned it, that’s when I found that I was my strongest.” — Adam Rippon

“If you’re queer, your subjectivity is not in the margins – it’s front and center for the life you’re leading. But mainstream stories have pushed queer stories into the margins of storytelling…” — Rachel Weisz, star of two lesbian-led films in 2018: Disobedience and The Favourite

“There are people on all spectrums of human behavior in the gay community, just like there are people on all spectrums of human behavior in the straight community, so I nix that and I say ‘bye’ to that – I say, ‘bye, Felicia!.’” — Sean Hayes on dismissing those who say Jack is too flamboyant

“So, the thought of going to a program like the one in the film at that crucial, vulnerable moment and being told, ‘No, this is 100 percent back on you, and you’re filling a God-shaped hole in your life with these tendencies’ was one of the most harmful and hurtful things that I can imagine.” — Troye Sivan on his role in Boy Erased

“I just wanted to be a beacon for moms who are confused…” — Jennifer Garner on playing the mother of a gay son in Love, Simon

— Arnold Wayne Jones and Chris Azzopardi