Homophobia was so widespread in the ambient environment for my entire life, so it’s not easy to say. The earliest incident that I specifically remember which fits the textbook definition was during a high-school Physics class, were a teacher known to go on about her personal views on anything all the time once, and one day homophobia was on the menu.

The reason it didn’t stink as much as other incidents was that a group of kids that recently found out I was gay immediately started challenging her (with very naive arguments, but their heart was in the right place).

I learned what being “gay” was. I’ve always been a bit effeminate, low crying threshold, I didn’t enjoy playing soccer with the boys. That was in first or second grade before even being attracted to anyone. They told me it was bad, gross and that the “gays” look just like me. It was the norm to be homophobic in my country. It still mostly is but not as much. This bullshit was repeated over and over until I left middle school. It took me until my late teens to realize I was indeed attracted to everyone.

So long story short the first bigoted people were my classmate kids, the second was myself.

Growing up with my parents.

Religious person must have missed Jesus’ reply when asked what he considered to be the most important advice for people

There were no “bigots”, the whole society was homophobic. So kinda difficult to say

Kid at school asked me what the fuck was wrong with me when I came out as bi.

Trigger warning: Abuse.

I grew up in households full of homophobia in a very conservative area. Homophobia was engrained in so much it’s hard to really put a finger on the first time I experienced it. It was also something I engaged in for a time before I accepted myself for who I am.

I’m not perfect, I was taught horrible things growing up. And I had to grow past them to even accept myself.

But one experience that sticks in my mind like a thorn is from my religious grandmother.

I was maybe 4 at the time.

My sister and my mom were painting their nails and I didn’t want to just sit and watch TV, I wanted to socialize with people.

So we painted each other’s nails and talked about random stuff.

That afternoon my siblings and I were dropped off at my grandparents house because mom had to go to work and dad was nowhere to be found.

We get there and my brother and I immediately go for the Legos.

My grandma saw my nails and stopped me.

“What is that?” Pointing at my nails.

“Mom and sis and I painted each other’s nails and talked about the birds.”

“Only girls and [F-slurs] paint their nails. Are you a girl or [F-slur]?”

“No I’m not a girl or [F-slur]”

“Then clean that off and don’t do it again.”

It was nail polish, and she didn’t have remover. She made me scrub my hands with a brush until they bled. Then said, “[F-slurs] don’t get to play with toys, they burn in hell.”

She then made me sit I the corner for the rest of the day watching my siblings play.

When grandpa got home he asked why I was sitting in the corner and grandma said it was because I was naughty and she didn’t want to repeat it it was so bad.

So they left me in the corner on that little chair.

So yeah, that’s the first one that sticks in my mind.

Honestly I could probably cite hundreds of examples of I really wanted too. Hell this isn’t even the worst one. But I won’t.

We can all build for a brighter more accepting future together.

And when you finally pass grandma, rest in piss.