When I started making movies about weird people, I knew they were weird, I was infected with irony, and I wanted New York to notice.

I think it's all independent films. There aren't any! If they were looking for me when I was making Polyester, then it'd be perfect, but they're not. I'm not looking for that. TV is much bigger and better now; far more people see it.

I'm a film director. Gay is an adjective that I certainly am, but I don't know that it's my first one. I think if you're just a gay filmmaker, you get pigeonholed just like if you say I'm a black filmmaker, I'm a Spanish filmmaker, I'm a whatever.

I don't think I had a bad influence on anybody. I made people feel better about themselves.

Dreamland Studios then was my bedroom at my parents' house, mostly [starring] people who were in my high school. They look straight at the camera; they're uncomfortable doing it. So, are [early movies] good? No.

If you ever go home with somebody and they don't have books in their house, don't sleep with them. I think that's very important.

The only way I've learned to change anyone's mind politically is to make them laugh. My whole career has been about that.