I came out to my conservative Christian parents this week.
I questioned them about how they could vote for this regime and think all this crap going on was ok. They gaslit me at every turn. Claimed they never said they support the regime or want brown people rounded up like criminals or other communities discriminated against.
Yet they stand by their idea that this is the party that best reflects their wants and ideals. I pointed out how what they are telling does not match what they do or the beliefs they tried to indoctrinate into me all through my childhood. They denied and said I can't lump them in a box if we've never talked directly about this.
Yet here we are talking about it and all of their takes on very relevant topics are either in denial of how bad it is out there, willful ignorance, or misinformation. I point out the misinformation and they backpedal saying there's no way to know what is true anymore. I tell them they should read books and fact check and look at sources. They can't be bothered.
My mom claims that she wanted ICE to get rid of the real criminals like pedophiles, drug Lords, gang members, and rapists, not all of this. After all "the law matters!" I ask what about the pedophile rapist and man who is in charge of these actions? She splits hairs and says SA and rape aren't the same thing and denies that his 34 convictions actually count. Denies that a man bragging about perving on young girls means anything.
As to the coming out part, I kinda wish they'd just disown me. Instead they did the thing where they gloss over it, say that they love me even if I "feel that way" because it isn't who I am to them it's a phase, a choice, a silly little thing. I was hoping they'd ask clarifying questions, try to understand. They moved on to the next topic. Is that better? Is that worse? All I know is that I'm sad. I'm angry. I feel gaslit. I feel like they are good at manipulating me into continuing to stay in contact because they "did nothing wrong"
But it's the same thing they've done my whole life. Pretend what's happening isn't happening and that life is a great and perfect. Take that sickly sweet family photo to show the world how happy we are, and forget the fact that we had a huge blowout fight before hand, forget the verbal and physical abuse,forget how my sister had mental health issues that they refused to address because it would tarnish their image, forget how I was fat shamed my whole life, forget the misogyny, forget the homophobia, forget the fact that I literally grew up hearing alt right media all the time (Rush Limbaugh etc). Nope never happened.
