In a world that strives for acceptance and inclusivity, it can be particularly distressing when homophobic sentiments come from within one’s own family. In this recent Reddit post, this woman was grappling with their decision to distance themselves from their autistic brother after he made hurtful and homophobic remarks.
She Is Openly Gay
The Original Poster, Alex, is a 20-year-old who is openly gay. She lives at home with her family when she’s not at college.
Her Family Accepts Her
She has been in a relationship with her girlfriend for around two years, and OP’s entire family is aware of her sexual orientation and has come to accept it.
Her Autistic Brother Blurts Out Unexpected Things
She has a younger brother, Bill, who is autistic and sometimes blurts out unexpected things.
The Problem Begins
A few weeks ago, Bill saw something on the news that upset him, and he suddenly said, “People like Alex are the cause of all the carnage in this world.”
She Was Hurt
Though what Bill said didn’t make any sense, OP was furious and hurt about what happened. As a result, OP chose not to speak with him for a few days.
Things Calmed Down
When OP’s dad finally got them down to discuss it, Bill said he was sorry.
Happy Summer Vibes
OP thought she might at least get by the rest of the summer without any more problems.
Things Went Downhill
However, things turned ugly when Bill recently became embroiled in a dispute between their parents and one of their other siblings.
Bill’s Aggression
Bill was aggressive and made the situation worse, and for some reason, he also involved OP.
Her Brother Called Her “Corrupted” and “Damaged Goods”
OP says she was not at all involved in the incident, but Bill suddenly started criticizing her and called her “damaged goods,” “corrupted,” and a lot of other homophobic things.
Parents Tried to Talk to Him
After the situation calmed down, their parents each made separate attempts to speak with Bill.
I Don’t Care
He was told directly by their mother that what he said about OP was wrong, but his reaction was, “I don’t care.”
Her Brother Was Not Sorry
Bill told OP that his earlier apologies were not genuine and that he truly believes that OP is damaged as a result of being gay.
She Stopped Speaking to Him
Since this incident, OP has refused to communicate with Bill in any form.
Bill Tries to Talk
But Bill continued to try to speak to OP as if nothing happened, even though it had only been a few days since that incident.
Her Father Supported Her Brother
OP’s dad, in particular, was upset that OP wouldn’t speak to Bill, and he argued that Bill didn’t mean what he said and that Bill’s autism prevents him from understanding.
OP says she used to be able to talk to Bill about being queer. He had previously said he had a good understanding of what it means to be queer and would show his support.
Her Brother Has Recently Become Extreme
But in the past year, Bill has been becoming more extreme with his feelings on social issues like sexuality, race, and gender.
OP says that being autistic and being homophobic are not mutually exclusive.
Her Father Told Her She Was Wrong
But OP’s dad thinks OP is in the wrong for breaking off communication with her brother.
“I’m Autistic, and I Am Giving You All the Permission in the World to Stand Up for Yourself”
So OP took to Reddit to ask if she was in the wrong, and several Redditors sided with her, saying that she was not wrong.
One Reddit user wrote, “Your dad is enabling his behavior. He will only get worse. He seems to honestly blame you whenever something bad happens, or you get in a fight.”
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She Lived With Her Brother and Provided Free Childcare for His 4 Kids, but When He Turned off the Heat It Was the Last Straw
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The post Embracing Inclusion: Navigating Homophobia Within Family Bonds – A Tale of Struggles, Love, and Growth in a World of Acceptance first appeared on Fistful of Dollars.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / insta_photos. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit