Thread by @wgsaraband

Stuff my very homophobic mother-in-law says to her son, about him, or about me, his long-term partner - a thread. This is a Portuguese woman in her mid 50s, living in a cosmopolitan area.

Don't feel bad if some of these make you laugh. Her homophobia can be hilariously stupid.

1. "What you need is to be taken to a brothel and try a prostitute. You just haven't tried the right woman."

2. "I would've preferred that you told me you were dating that black girl who is your friend and studying to become a doctor. She's black, but at least she's a woman and a doctor."

(Who knew homophobia & racism went so well together, eh?)

3. "I will pray until the day I die that you repent, and go back to being normal again. I have faith that god will make that happen."

4. "That man [meaning me, his partner - she always calls me "that man" 🤷‍♂️] is your brother, in the eyes of god. You're committing incest."

(No, we're not related)

5. "That man's parents are divorced because he is a homosexual. He destroyed his family, now he's destroying ours."

(my parents divorced because my dad couldn't keep his dick in his pants, amongst other reasons. they literally divorced because of his heterosexuality)

6. "I've put some vitamins in your tea. All you need is vitamins and you'll stop feeling like this ["this" meaning "gay"]

7. "I won't go to a psychologist, I'm not crazy. You're the crazy one thinking that you can be with a man."

8. "I've been to see a woman who cast a spell to make that man die and disappear from your life."

(she's a Catholic, but happy to wish for my death. I must've missed that bit of the Bible)

9. "I've talked to the priest, and he says young men can get lost. He can help you, he can treat your problems so that you're normal again."

10. "I am the only person in the world that loves you. No one will ever love you like me, your mother. That man will betray you and have sex with other man and you'll be left alone and then you'll wish you never left my side."

11. My partner shows her a photo of our cute cats. "I don't like black cats. They bring bad luck, they're related to the devil."

12. "Don't tell anyone about your condition [being gay] or they will fire you from jobs and you'll end up homeless and with HIV like they all do."

13. After my partner told her that I was from the Algarve, Portugal's most popular tourist destination. "That man will be prostituting himself to foreigners behind your back. You just listen to me, you'll see I'm right."

14. "I went to Jerusalem and prayed that this nightmare ended."

(she did this last year, 7+ years after he came out to her)

15. "You will no longer be allowed to take the car to go to university, because you'll use it to visit that man. If you want to continue to study, you'll have to use the train from now on."

(this changed his 15min commute into a 1h30min one, for his last two years of uni)

16. "You were always so nice with children, how could you have this evil thing inside you?"

17. "Don't you ever bring that man to our town, or you will kill me with the humiliation. Listen to me, the humiliation will kill me. You kill your own mother because of a man."

18. "Christ lived a life of suffering. I'm a good Christian woman, and your condition is my cross to bear. If I have to live a life of suffering and praying before you are cured, I will do so."

19. When my partner tells his mother that my whole family accepts us and loves him, including my grandmother. "They're all sick. Those people are sick and don't have god in their lives."

20. "That is a mental health problem. That man is sick because he's a vegetarian, and now he's making you sick too because you're eating his food. You need meat, and more vitamins."

21. "I'd rather have cancer than a homosexual son."

I could go on, but this paints a clear enough picture. Point here is that despite all the social conquests, we've got a very long way to go.

Many gay people are still ostracised from their families. My partner has me + my family. Some LGBTQ+ folk have no one and are thrown out.

And no, it doesn't always get better. I mean, not for other people. But if you're a struggling LGBTQ+ person, it does get better for you. Stay away from anyone injecting poison into your life. We can't choose our families, but we can choose our path to happiness. (end thread)