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Why do my parents juxtapose homosexuality an vegetarianism?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by Meagan, Mar 6, 2014.

  1. Meagan

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    I live in a really country conservative home, like, my mom grew up raising pigs for slaughter...yeah. Well, I've been vegetarian for almost 2 years now (but secretly bi/lesbian my entire life, but my parents dont know to this day nor did anybody else know till I was 13) but they DEFINATELY know I'm vegetarian. The thing is, every time I try to ease them into being a bit more accepting of homosexuality so they are not as shocked when I do finally come out, they go on about how I've become so left sided since I became a vegetarian and how all these "liberal thoughts" have been poisoning me and America. Is there anything I could do to help them remove the analogy they have in their mind of homosexuality and vegetarianism?
     
  2. AKTodd

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    It doesn't sound like they are associating homosexuality and vegetarianism so much as 'liberalism' and vegetarianism. The gay bit sounds like it's just under the 'liberal' umbrella in their minds.

    I have an aunt who associates vegetarianism with satanism (because God made the animals for us to eat, dontcha know), so it could be worse. She and my cousin (who is a vegetarian) fight constantly about this.

    Rightly or wrongly, there is a strong social idea out there that vegetarians are also more liberal or left-leaning and it sounds like your parents have bought into it.

    I don't know that there's anything you can do to change their minds, unfortunately. Maybe introduce them to a homosexual who loves to hunt and pack in their own kill? Cognitive dissonance can sometimes be rather liberating.

    You might do better to try and get them to see gay people as real people instead of as 'the other'. People who are gay but also embody some of the principles your parents hold dear or the like might work as examples.

    My 2c worth,

    Todd