Homophobic Aunt Attacks Her Teenage Nephew for Coloring His Hair in Theme with the Bisexual Pride Flag
He colored his hair in solidarity with a classmate who came out and was bullied for it.
No matter how modern and progressive society becomes, there always seems to be an abundance of narrow-minded people who can't cope with change. Unless you fit into their box, they treat you as less than and threaten that you will be punished for it.
OP (original poster) recently came face to face with a person who thinks this way. OP's sister confronted him for allowing his son to dye his hair in pink, purple, and blue — the colors of the bisexual flag.
A bit of background information: OP's wife passed away five years ago, and he is raising their 16-year-old son by himself. OP has a 39-year-old conservative sister who recently got divorced from the father of her three children.
The sister's ex-husband is now engaged to another man, and the sister is deeply upset about this fact, forcing everyone to keep their mouths shut about it. On to the story.
OP's son approached him and asked if he could dye his hair in the colors of the bi flag (blue, purple, and pink). OP was surprised by his son's request, given that he had never shown any interest in changing his appearance before.
He asked his son why; the teenager told him that a classmate recently came out as bisexual and has been severely bullied for it. He and a group of classmates decided they would color their hair to show solidarity.
He remembered his agreement with his late wife that their son was prohibited from majorly altering his appearance until he was 18 years old. OP decided to forgo the agreement in light of the good cause, so he said yes and paid for the dye job.
Enter OP's Conservative Sister...
OP hosted a family barbecue, and when his sister saw her nephew's hair, she was mortified. She immediately approached OP to tell him his son needed to dye his hair brown before he "influenced the younger children of the family into sin."
He told her it was none of her business, but she refused to back down. She accosted her niece with a hat and told him she would kick him out of the barbecue his father was hosting.
She also added that his appearance would turn his younger cousins gay. To which OP's son loudly replied, "Oh yes, because God forbid they divorce their miserable wives so they can be happy with men."
Homophobic auntie burst into tears and stormed off. The grandparents weren't thrilled about the conflict, but they don't blame their grandson.
OP's brother, the father of the younger cousins who are at risk of turning gay because of someone's hair color, thought the whole ordeal was hilarious. The next day, OP's sister called him.
She asked OP how he would punish his son. OP boldly said there wouldn't be any punishment because she attacked him first, and he was only defending himself.
She is now refusing to talk to OP and is instead holed up in their parents' home, being a complete mess. Their parents are also mad at OP because when his wife died, the sister was supportive of him, yet OP is refusing to consider her feelings.
aitasondyed
The Messy Situation as Regaled by OP Can Be Read Below:
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After Receiving a Ton of Comments, OP Added a Few Details to Clarify Some Things
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OP Needs to Open His Eyes Because His Sister Is an Outright Homophobic Person
fizzbangwhiz
She Wasn't Even Subtle About It
RexJacobus
She Said, in Not So Many Words, That the Kid's Hair Color Will Influence Other Children into a Life of Sin
Willowed-Wisp
It's False Equivalency, and It's Wrong to Cash in Your Kindness to Excuse Your Homophobia
F0xFr33k
F0xFr33k
Couldn't Have Said It Better
tonystarksanxieties
OP's Son Went for the Jugular, but Is It Deserved?
AlanFromRochester
Some Claim the Response Was Justified
AanAllein117
While Others Think It Crossed a Line
government_candy
Honestly, the Son Is Justified for Responding That Way. It Wasn't Like the Aunt Was a Model of Decency.
Lowbacca1977
OP's Brother Is Right; It Was Hilarious!
Kayos9999
Why Do You Need Moral High Ground When Dealing with People Who Were Rude to You in the First Place?
type1error
Does the Son's Low-Blow Response Nullify the Aunt's Homophobia?
plsletmestayincanada
He May Feel Guilty for Responding to an Elder That Way, but He Doesn't Owe Her an Apology
purple235
Your Kindness or Moral High Ground Won't Change Their Skewed Beliefs Anyway
tripbin
One Thing Is for Sure: OP Is Doing an Amazing Job Raising His Son
ummherewego
Sure, OP's son's response was mean, but it was necessary. His aunt had no right to give him an ultimatum just because she wrongly believes his sinful hair color will turn other children gay.
It's tough to face that your own family can be so blatantly homophobic, but calling out and standing up against their hurtful beliefs is needed. Ignorance is not an excuse to be rude to other people, and it doesn't cost you anything to show kindness.
