Ranting because I want this off of my chest
So this belgian minister Theo Francken posted on facebook yesterday mocking an article that said “lingerie now for men”. These were his words, and I quote: “Men that wear makeup, pluck their eyebrows, wear lingerie and a handbag, get pregnant… has the world gone upside down or is it just me? Long live the men who don’t need all this nonsense to feel good in their skin”
Now obviously to nobody’s surprise people got offended (and are completely in their right!!! This is completely homophobic and transphobic and disgusting!) and asked him to apologise. He refused because he has the right of free speech and is allowed to say these kinds of things wether or not people get offended. This debate made national news, with loads of people taking sides. The reason why is that this man works for a political party that claims they’re for lgbtq+ rights, and this opinion proves the opposite. This particular party has had many controversies, people often claim they’re racist scumbags too. Honestly I agree with those people.
Now my parents and I were watching the news, and this came up. My parents (baby boomers, ages 62 and 59) immediately jumped to the ministers defense. “He has the right to express his opinion, even in public!” “These men wearing skirts and tights, handbags, lingerie out on the street, that doesn’t belong!”
Me (19 years old, gen z) tried to keep calm and shut up about it for as long as possible, but that last line said by my dad tipped me over the edge. I support lgtbq+ with all my heart. I hate it when people have such closed minded opinions. So I asked my dad why it bothers him so much. What are these men doing to him personally? I asked my mom the same, because honestly the chance of seeing a gay man or trans woman out and proud on the streets is slim! And they didn’t even have an answer!! They kept saying the same thing: it doesn’t belong. They insisted they weren’t being homophobic. My mom even got angry (which she barely ever does, my dad is usually the hot head in the house) saying “all of a sudden all minorities claim all power, they’re the ones shouting the loudest! It’s all about minorities now a days!”
I got very defensive, because yes, this is an opinion, but nazi’s also share opinions with the world. Not all opinions should be said out loud, especially by a minister (right before elections too. We vote in november). My dad told me “no, you’re wrong.” No dad I’m sharing my opinion aren’t I? An opinion has no right or wrong. He yelled “well you are wrong in this situation and you are making your mother and I very angry, so shut up about it will you?!”
This sort of stuff happens so many times in my house. I’m the younger one. I haven’t “seen what they’ve seen”, I’m apparantly not entitled to an opinion. And because they’re my parents I have to obey them. Right? They can say anything they want that makes me mad, I can’t say anything that makes them mad, right?
Eventually I just shut my mouth because I was getting yelled at from both my parents, and tears started to come. Not because I was being yelled at but because I cry when I’m feeling extreme emotions. Especially when frustrated and furious.
So yeah I hate it that my parents abuse their power to say hateful shit towards people who never did them any wrong, while I have to shut up when defending them because I’m making my parents mad.
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