I'm in my forties, my mum is in her 70s.
My childhood was okay, worst thing that ever happened to me was being smacked but that was not often and normal among my peers at the time.
Parents (dad now long dead) were never overtly anything but there was a drip feed of racism and homophobia and bias against certain groups.
I remember my dad telling me he would disown me if I came home with a black man. My mum tells me he 'loathed' homosexuals though I don't recall him ever saying anything - he was never a verbose man.
A massive childhood memory of mine is my Nan telling me that black people were brought over to help us but now we don't need them anymore they should all go home. I remember telling her that was unfair and she fell out with me for weeks - I was about 9!
Constant 'little' racist comments over the years from my mum. We lived in a very white area so anyone who did not conform to that, according to mum, did not belong for a variety of ridiculous reasons.
I was not allowed to play with the kids off the council estate even though they were friends from school because they were 'rough' - my mum grew up in council houses!
My mum had (and still does) a massive disdain of anyone who claimed benefits long term. She worked at the local authority assessing benefit claims!
Fast forward to now. We are mum's bubble and I visit, sort out her shopping etc. I mildly resent it but that's probably another thread. I popped in with some shopping and stayed for a coffee on NYE.
Conversation included -
BAME should not get the COVID vaccine, they should all 'go home'.
She likes Rylan Clark-Neal even though he's gay.
She hates Steph McGovern because she's a lesbian and lesbians should not have children.
Relief that Brexit is finally happening, now we can stop immigrants.
That was quite a full on conversation of hate tbh, it's not always that heavy, but she has got worse as she's got older. After each comment I tell her to stop being racist, homophobic or whatever it is she's going on about that day. It's so frustrating. I'm fed up of arguing about it.
Anyway, the question is, how did I grow up with such opposing views when this bullshit has been fed to me my entire life? My sister too, she did vote Brexit but not for immigration reasons (and now regrets it) but otherwise she thinks like I do.
I didn't vote Brexit, I don't vote Tory (mum does), I don't read the Daily Mail (mum does), I don't judge people by the colour of their skin, I make a lot of additional income writing gay romances on top of my days job (but have not told mum this as I cant face the reaction, but maybe I should?), I don't care what benefits people may or may not be on as it's not my business. I could go on.
Has anyone else had a similar upbringing but not taken on the beliefs?