It's 2019, and homophobia and transphobia is running rampant. Everyone assumed that when gay marriage was won in the Supreme Court the mountaintop was reached... this is not so. There is a silver lining, for every homophobe, there are two reformed homophobes. It takes meeting and accepting those we don't understand and shows change is possible.
Redditor u/sweet_kanra wanted to hear when the time came that people realized a few things about themselves that needed some reform by asking.... Previous homophobic people, when did you realize you were one and what changed your mind?
Beyblade Truth....
GiphyThere's a serious tag on this post and I am being completely, one-hundred-percent serious: when I was a child, I read a Beyblade fanfiction about how homophobia was bad, and it made me realize that I had to rethink the way I viewed the world. I was maybe twelve at the time, so Beyblade was fairly influential to me. enjollras
It's Not Me.
I realized someone else being gay has nothing to do with me and realizing the hypocrisy behind claiming to hate racism while hating a demographic at the same time, for something they had no choice over. Furthermore, my niece come out as trans, I refused to let my ignorance dictate our relationship. DearestVelvet
I'm no Polly....
I was just parroting what other kids where doing. They were calling kids gay so I did it too.
There were some kids that were openly proud and I realized I was just being insecure.
Decided to have my own opinion. Spidercoffee
Bi the way....
When I realized I was following the teachings of the church without questioning it's ethics. Eventually, I saw documentaries about the LGBT+ experience of and realized the truth through compassion (a thing that most churches preach but don't practice).
Also, I suppressed my bisexuality back then because said religion condemns it. I'm embracing it now but I'm still not fully out. remooseloopin
Sorry Pops...
GiphyWhen I couldn't have my friend over for my birthday because she was black and my grandfather was racist. I realized he wasn't the shining beacon of wisdom I'd been raised to believe and he could be so so so wrong bc my friend was awesome. ValkyrieClaire
It's Me.
I realized I was gay. This was WAY back when I was a teen.
Because I could easily see myself attracted to a man, being gay seemed more like a life choice. It was in the same thought category as stealing; 'sure, I could easily steal something, but its morally wrong.'
Then I realized that women weren't really doing it for me, and then it eventually clicked that this isn't a choice. squeeeeenis
It's not Easy....
My first college friend came out to me and I realized how incredibly vulnerable he was and how difficult it was for him to say; as well as how human he was. To my credit I just took care of him and that was that.
It took another year or so for me to be fully aware of how toxic my views were and another few years before I left Christianity altogether (agnostic now).
I don't know that I was truly homophobic but I definitely had some problematic ideas/beliefs.
I've done some serious ally work in the meantime (without making it about me), so I like to think I've made up for it. Hell, I'm a single straight dude living with a single gay dude and it's a non-issue. Kinmorn
The Idols....
It's like a common sense in my country that gay people are a joke because of the way they wear and walk and speak. We have tons of joke lines. Until I become a fan of several U.S. idols and activists that I realized that I was pure mean. I stopped joking about gay with my friends. miale92
Meet the World....
I was very naïve as a child. Growing up in a homophobic environment I just repeated what everyone else always presented to me as a fact and did not even dare to question it. Then at age 14 I went abroad on my own for a few months, where I could start over. I met different people, heard different opinions, and started to think for myself for the first time in my life. I finally understood that there's nothing wrong with being gay.
When I came back home with a changed and improved mindset, I started being very vocal about LGBTQ+ issues and how there's nothing wrong with any of it. Ruined my reputation of being the "quiet nerdy girl" and branded me as "that bloody SJW" instead.
Most of my friends stopped talking to me, but in return I met new friends who had similar opinions (half of whom later turned out to be queer too).
Oh, last but not least: I also met a cute girl and realized I'm actually bi. That was three years ago; we're dating now and went to a Pride parade together last week. iamprobablywriting
Willow & Tara... I'm still Shook!
GiphyMy dad had some pretty negative views/harsh words on that topic, so that's what I grew up being taught to think. Then when I was ~13ish I watched Tara and Willow in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and thought "what the heck... there's nothing wrong with that."
Go Joss Whedon. ObsessiveAboutCats
LGBTQ+ Youth can get help through:
TrevorChat — 24/7/365 at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now/#services
TrevorLifeline — phone service available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386
TrevorText — Text "START" to 678678. Available 24/7/365.
TrevorSpace — online international peer-to-peer community for LGBTQ young people and their friends at https://www.trevorspace.org/
Trevor Support Center — LGBTQ youth & allies can find answers to FAQs and explore resources at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/trevor-support-center/#sm.0000121hx9lvicotqs52mb1saenel
Transgender people can get help through the Trans Lifeline at https://www.translifeline.org/ or call US: 877-565-8860 Canada: 877-330-6366
Curious to hear from strangers online who never saw themselves in their current positions in life, Redditor graces-taylor12 asked:
"What about becoming an adult caught you completely off guard?"
The following Redditors were not ready to process the inevitable when it came to their parents.
A Role Reversal
"Watching your parents becoming old and frail."
– Mrbusybaconandeggs
"Dealing with this yesterday and it is an eye-opener. Its hard seeing someone you’ve known as a pillar of strength for 30+ years in a position of such weakness, and knowing that he might improve but generally the decline is coming."
– Rook1872
Age-Defying
"I've had a weird atypical experience. My dad was pretty old when I was born and always had a bad knee he could never afford to get fixed. He could barely walk and has never been able to run since I could remember. It got so bad that he couldn't even walk up or down the stairs in our house."
"Well he eventually got a knee replacement and he's now more agile at 73 than he was at 53. It's weird to see."
– Downtown_Skill
Sad Epiphany
"I'll never forget when I first realized how frail they actually were. I went over to their house to help out with some chores, and they couldn't even clean out any of the pens by themselves. They ended up selling most of their animals that year because they couldn't look after them."
– thecanadiancowboy
Life Can Be Cruel
"It’s slowly beginning with my parents, small hints here and there, they’re in their mid 50s.The big freak out for me has been watching my grandparents slowly declining over the last 3ish years. One set of grandparents have been gone since I was a kid, so these two are all I’ve got now. My Pap’s arthritis and sciatica is to the point now where it’s a process for him just to stand up. 2020 I saved him from a fall, if I wasn’t there to catch him, he would’ve easily been in the hospital for quite a while. That was the first 'Oh sh*t, he’s not immortal' moment."
– NoinePiecesOfVinyl
These Redditors discovered older doesn't always mean wiser.
Wake-Up Call
"I can do whatever the f'k I want. But I don't really want to do anything..."
– IcarusWax
"Yup, the idea of doing whatever you want as an adult was the biggest scam cartoons sold us."
"Yeah, you can do anything you want but you're gonna need money. So you get a job, there goes most of your day to your job."
"So now you have money but that'll go to bills first and by the time you can do what you want you don't have the energy or funds. Then the loop continues.."
– JimmyJackJericho
Fake It Til You Make It
"How clueless other adults are. I really thought adults had their sh*t in order while in reality most people are winging it."
–= xepci0
"Maturity is a skill. Some people learn it quickly. Others never do."
"Children are limited by their youth. Their brains aren't fully developed. But adults are not guaranteed to get more mature without working for it."
"Some people never grow up. They just get old."
– snapwillow
Being Independent
"I'm surprised by the amount of people who genuinely couldn't live by themselves if they had to. They somehow never learned basic life skills like simple cooking or cleaning and always had someone else to do it for them."
– CliffExcellent123
People became more aware of time.
Not Enough Me Time
"How little free time you have. You have to work, you have to prepare for work, drive to work, drive home from work. You also have to do household chores. You have to take care of kids if you have some. When do I get to enjoy my hobbies?"
– lllSnowmanlll
Point Of Exhaustion
"Most of the time I'm so tired from the day, I just don't have the mental capacity to do anything but go right to bed and watch tv ;_;"
– WitherWithout
Never Going Back
"Transitioning from college student + part time worker to full time worker I gained a bunch of time back. I was shocked that I could just decide to do laundry tomorrow if I didn't feel like it. Every evening I had this huge chunk of time that was just open."
"But then, moving from an apartment to a house, now there's a bunch more chores to do. Then introducing kids, now there's all that. But still, I wouldn't go back to the hectic college life."
– civilwarcorpses
Marking Time
"How it just goes on endlessly."
"When you're a kid, there's a summer break every year, and a new school to go to in a couple of years. Whatever part of your life you are in is clearly delimited and there is something new to look forward to after it."
"Once you're an adult, it's just 5 days of work and 2 days of weekend over and over and over until you die."
– Suitable_Mistake2208
After having a decent, long run in the entertainment business as a dancer, I've long held the belief I was invincible.
I was physically stronger, more agile, and foolish enough to think I could perpetually live in such a state.
All of a sudden, reality smacked me in the face one morning when I woke up and heard and felt various parts of my body crackle and pop like when milk hits a bowl of Rice Krispies.
My tired body had the audacity to inform me:
"Not today and from this day forward."
We're currently not on speaking terms.
Redditor AdRealistic03 wanted to discuss the shocking things we've all learned about our armed forces, so they asked:
"What are some NSFW secrets about the military?"
The military is littered with secrets, and I love secrets. Tell me more...
Hey Girl
Fight Dance GIF by tv2norgeGiphy"Been in for a long while now, the most apt descriptor I've heard:"
"'Gayest bunch of straight dudes you'll ever meet.'"
Tak_Jaehon
Baby Guards
"Our Air Force’s most critical asset, nuclear weapons, are primarily guarded by a bunch of really bored teenagers."
it_helper
"Navy is the same. The guy that Naruto runs to the galley is the same one that stands watch over the nuclear reactor."
satanyourdarklord
"Lowest ranks pull guard duties more often."
"Who's the lowest rank? That baby faced 18 year old who just joined up."
"Guard duties are up there as one of the most bone taskings going."
Daewoo40
The Side Hustle
"Sometimes the guy that administers the drug test is the same one that you get the drugs from."
Lazy-Plum-19
"I was our unit's drug test guy. I smoked weed every day because I obviously would not drug test myself. I was also really good at it so they wouldn't give the job to someone else. I could get our tests done and completed without mistakes in like 1/5 of the time of my predecessor. Didn't sell drugs, but I've given plenty away."
Changnesia_survivor
Oh My
"Swingers exist on every single base in the world, in Sigonella, they would use different boxes of detergent in the windows to show what they were into and what age range they were looking for. Patrolling the housing area became much more interesting when you see who lives in the houses and what they’re into."
catfartzz
Multi-Purpose
Hungry Labor Day GIF by BounceGiphy"The food boxes that come in literally say 'For prison and military use only.'"
BlackLotus8888
"My husband was watching a documentary with people in prison and was like hey we have the same blankets on the ship."
PricklyPix
No matter who eats it, it's been said nobody thinks any of that food tastes good.
How many?
Oh My Reaction GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy"I was selected 6 times in a row to be a urinalysis checker. Have seen over 2000 penises involuntarily."
Jarhead-Coffee
Bad Intentions
"The number of people who get sick and tired of being in the service who will go out and do some drug or another to get kicked out. During our Iraq/Afghanistan years, you wouldn't believe how many people would purposely pee hot or, females would intentionally get pregnant to get out of going."
Blackhawk-388
Not Sexy
"A friend of mine in the special forces told me since they are out in the field a lot, they get plenty of ticks. And while you can inspect yourself fairly well, you can’t inspect everything, so they pair up and spread their cheeks, and your mate has to stare into your anus to check you for ticks in there. Not very glamorous."
Litenpes
Health Issues
Okaay What GIF by ABC NetworkGiphy"Looooooottttts of chlamydia."
Triatomine
"My unit in Okinawa had the highest STD rate for the island. I was so glad I wasn't a part of any of that."
FightingNymph
Trashed
"Our oceans are loaded with garbage. LOADED."
"I would watch the long trail of garbage follow my ship, in the wake, as crew dumped the s**t off the fantail. Every single day. Miles and miles of trash. And this was just one ship. This was just one nation. Our oceans are full of garbage that will take centuries to erode. Our waters are littered with sh*t that fish are eating and dying on."
eyehate
Sounds like there is A LOT of fraternization in our Armed services.
Be careful out there.