Much is made by conservatives of LGBTQ+ people having agendas, because of them doing things like living their lives where conservatives might see them or know they exist.
Conservatives also rail against anything related to rainbows, claiming it’s a secret signal from the Alphabet Mafia. Like Kermit the Frog singing about the “Rainbow Connection” in 1979 or the Teletubbies in 1997 were brainwashing kids to make them all gay.
A mom turned to the turned to the “Am I The A**Hole” (AITAH) subReddit for feedback after her homophobic family freaked out over her 7-year-old child’s love of rainbows.
Similar to AITA, the AITAH subReddit allows posters to ask for advice and post about ending romantic relationships—both things that are banned on AITA. However there are no required voting acronyms—only suggested ones—and no official final judgment declared.
Princesspeach0614 asked:
“AITAH for refusing to get my son new glasses?”
The original poster (OP) explained:
“I (28, female) have a son (7, male) who just got new glasses earlier this year. We went online and I let him pick out the style that he wanted.”
“He chose a very cool rainbow frame and was very excited about it. They arrived just in time for school pictures and he had the biggest smile.”
“He was so happy. He gets compliments all the time when we’re out.”
“Only when it comes to my family, it’s become a big issue. My siblings and stepdad have told me that he should have never gotten those glasses because rainbows for any age mean that you’re associated with the LGBTQ+ community.”
“So they now think it’s appropriate to ask if he’s gay. Again, he is 7.
“I do not have a problem with LGBTQ+ community because love is love. Who am I to judge?
“My family feel very differently.”
“Last night my sister was over and point blank asked my child if he had a boyfriend. He looked at her confused and said no.”
“Then after she left stepdad accused me of ‘having an agenda’ by purchasing rainbow glasses for my son and that I’m just ‘looking for attention and to cause drama’.”
“He pointed out that the majority of my siblings have had a problem with him having rainbow glasses. He then said I’m jepordizing my relationships with the siblings because I didn’t override my son’s choice of picking out the rainbow glasses.”
“I said if my relationships with them are so fragile that they can’t deal with the color of my son’s glasses, then the relationships weren’t strong enough to begin with.”
“He had no comeback for that, but continued to tell me that it was inappropriate for my son to have the rainbow glasses.”
“So am I the a**hole for letting my son express himself in this way?”
Some Redditors weighed in by using the AITA voting acronyms:
- NTA – Not The A**hole
- YTA – You’re The A**hole
- NAH – No A**holes Here
- ESH – Everyone Sucks Here
Redditors decided the OP should keep the glasses and lose the homophobic a**holes in her family (NTA).
“NTA. Rainbow glasses at 7 means something very important…that your son likes rainbow glasses.”
“They’ve shown you who they are. Not sure I’d want my son around them.” ~ ProfessorDistinct835
“I feel my son would have done the same. Rainbow was his favorite color at that age.
“He at the time, and an older age, would have said he had a boyfriend if asked, because almost all of his friends were boys.”
“He literally referred to them as his boyfriends at one point. Can we maybe just let kids be kids for f*ck’s sake?” ~ Cardsfan1
“I’d ask him (and any siblings with an issue) why he’s being a creep and sexualising a 7 year old. Heavily imply their interest in a little child’s sexuality is deviant and makes them unsafe for your child to be around alone.” ~ Beth21286
“I’d start talking with your siblings and stepdad about their sex life with them in public. When they balk, say, ‘Oh, it’s inappropriate, you say. So is your opinion on my son’s choice of glasses’.” ~ City_Girl_at_heart
“Creeps is right! Why does they care so much?” ~ SirDerpingt0n
“Can we stop using CHILDREN as tools in peoples’ weird bigotry? Kids like rainbows and bright primary colors. Like their first box of crayons or blocks. It’s the homophobes that make it weird.” ~ BusinessLetterhead47
“My husband flew a rainbow flag on our boat because he liked rainbows. I had to gently explain what the flag it meant. He was fine with it. So kids are not the only ones who just love rainbows.” ~ Ultrawhiner
“My sweet dad had a rainbow belt back twenty years ago. I don’t think he bought it to make a statement, but I gently asked if he knew the connotation—he’d been married to my mom for thirty years even then.”
“He told me he did. I still don’t know if dad is just too cool to care about what he wears or quietly showing support for the gay community in belt form. Love that guy.” ~ Ok_Exit5778
“I too chose rainbow when I was given the choice to choose my ‘color’ on my first bedroom makeover. I think I was his age, maybe a little older.”
“Rainbows are awesome, and homophobic Christian right wingers are babies.” ~ carlitospig
“Then kids get older….then they want black. And the same right wing bigots have a fit that they’re not wearing bright colors and claim that all black is Satanic.”
Almost all kids like rainbow colours: ice cream, cake, clothes, toys, etc… My nephew loves his rainbow flip-flops.”
“But it’s really inappropriate to ask a kid if he has a boyfriend just to force your own narrow minded, homophobic opinion.” ~ moanaw123
“OP simply let her son express himself. The problem lies with her family’s prejudice, not a pair of rainbow glasses.”
“Yes, for many kids, rainbow was their ‘favorite’ color at that age.” ~ tyj0306
“These same people screaming about rainbows are sexually indoctrinating children literally can’t stop themselves from being major hypocrites by constantly fixating on children’s sexuality.” ~ WesternUnusual2713
“I cannot imagine telling your child that they can’t get something they like because there’s a bigoted social constraint out there against colors. Again, let kids be kids.”
“Also tell your family not to sexualize your 7-year-old son. It’s creepy and gross that they fixate on a young child’s sexuality just because the kid likes rainbows.” ~ qualified_alienist
“OP, it’s very strange for ‘Christian’ conservatives to be so absolutely obsessed with sex, LGBTQ+ people, other people’s sex lives, body parts, etc…”
“And to think a 7 year old boy is gay and ask him if he has a boyfriend because he picked brightly colored glasses? What the hell is wrong with these people?”
“Rainbows are beautiful and colorful, something that nearly everyone likes, except for mean and angry people scared of an innocent boy liking colors.”
“Go low or no contact with your family. They suck the joy out of everything. Your sweet little boy does not need to be around them.”
“God makes rainbows. Does that mean God is gay? If their God is LGBTQ+, these people are in serious trouble.” ~ Specialist-Jello7544
“I’m mostly conservative and think this family are a bunch of a**hats.”
“My son has to wear a leg brace. He gets to choose the pattern on the outside. When he was 5, he chose rainbow swirls.”
“No one we know said a word because they don’t sexualize kids and they aren’t jerks. He just liked all the colors because he was 5.
“He’s 19 now and has had all kinds of patterns on his braces. Oh and he’s straight. Turns out liking rainbows when you’re a kid doesn’t make one gay. OP’s family sucks.” ~ SinglePermission9373
“Didn’t you know those nefarious gays stole the rainbow from God?”
“A long time ago, going into 4th grade, it was time for a new winter coat. I picked one that was royal purple.”
“My mom was a little leery, with the ‘are you sure? You’re sure you want the purple coat?’ And yes I did, and I told the kids that called it girly to f*ck off.”
“Now, as a middle aged straight guy, I kinda want rainbow frames next time I get glasses.” ~ hicow
“OP wrote, ‘So they think it’s appropriate to ask if he’s gay’.”
“In other words…they think it’s appropriate to bully a 7-year-old. Why is OP still in contact with these losers?” ~ PrideofCapetown
“I wouldn’t want the OP’s family around my kid if had one.” ~ SelkieSweetheart
“Yeah, Jesus H. Christ, the kid is 7! Rainbows are just colorful. What is wrong with these family members going off about being gay just because one accessory is rainbow? Sometimes a rainbow is just a rainbow.” ~ dbx999
“He’s 7! I’d be asking why they think it’s appropriate to ask a young child about their non existent romantic life.”
“I’d encourage my kid to start asking some outlandish relationship questions to them, especially if your sister is single, start asking when she’s getting married and having babies.”
“NTA, way to go mom. Kids just like bright colors. Have they never seen a ball pit or one of those big classic Lego sets? Almost all the rainbow colors.” ~ Intelligent-Ask-3264
“NTA. Tell your homophobic family to stop asking if your 7-year-old child is gay just because he likes rainbows. And to STFU in general because it’s gross to sexualize a child for liking colors.”
“Take your kid away from these people. They’re all a**holes.” ~ NYCStoryteller
Conservatives frequently claim they’re protecting children and want kids to be kids when they attack drag queens or transgender children and adults, or anything or anyone that they even suspect supports LGBTQ+ people’s right to exist.
Their excuse is that they want adults who they claim are forcing an agenda on children to let kids be kids.
Yet it’s those same conservatives constantly sexualizing children and demanding to know what body parts a child they don’t know has under their clothes.
Maybe they should listen to their own demands, mind their own business, and just let other people’s kids be kids.