To think these comments are not acceptable and age is no excuse?

[Sleepswithbutterflies]

Mentioned to pil that ds (5) has started a drama and dance class. He adores it. Sharp intake of breath from mil.
Me: what's wrong
Mil: sue sent her son to dance class when he was small and now he's...
Me: what?
Mil: Gay! She even took him to the dr's when he was 10 but he's still gay but I always thought it was her fault for taking him to dance in the first place.
Me: I don't think going to dance as a child affects someone's sexuality.
Mil: well it can't help can it? You should do football or rugby with him or something.
Me: well why would it matter if he was gay?
Mil (looking outraged): he won't be gay! No grandchild of ours will be gay.

Mil is 70 and FIL is 72. Is this just 'of their time'? They are very racist too actually. I don't think age should be used as an excuse tbh, I guess if someone is in their 90s then it might be harder to change their viewpoint but pil are generally reasonably young in their ways.

Humpty

Agree with you on the rise if UKIP.

Governments do need to listen to people's concerns. We can brand them stupid and racist but they have a vote and will use it.

Or sadly we will see the continued rise of the far right here in Britain

My DM hates the fact that my teen DDs belong to a football club. She keeps saying how unladylike it is and "they'll never find a man, as men don't like that kind of thing" . She's 87.

Yes my dds play rugby and despite being tiny and fairy like are bloody vicious on the pitch

Older dd asked dm for a mouth guard for Christmas

If I had only taken a photo of her face. It's unladylike!

Laugh just laugh. Seriously otherwise they will drive you mad.

I have friends in their 70s who most certainly do not have these attitudes. If you're 70, you were born in 1944 and were in your teens and 20s in the swinging 60s. So I don't think age is an excuse for ignorance or bigotry.

Depends what age. 50-60yo should know better, 70-80yo probably will never understand.

Sadly, not just the older generation.

A friend's dh is hideously homophobic. He uses vile terms like "sodomite" and thinks gay men are all a danger to children.

He once told me never to let a man cut my hair because he would inevitably be gay and do deliberate ruin my hair out of jealousy.

As for your ILs, their views are horrifically bigoted

Grey

Seriously though that hair comment would have had me howling with laughter

He's mad.

Oh god sake yes you can catch the gay from a bit of performing arts folk are so bloody ignorant your mum knows better she is just ignoring it. My dad shamefully is the same I got my 21yrold dd for her 3rd xmas my step dad said you will turn her TURN her ffs

Oh when dd was 3 my stepdad was 45 so not old just an arse

Age is no excuse. Why did you even mention their age? Why is it even relevant?

And you do realise that somebody who's 70 now was 20 in 1964- not in the nineteenth century?

My parents are in their 70's and I'm sure they aren't totally comfortable with the idea of gay marriage and all the anti discrimination laws.

But a lot of this is not because they are homophobic or racist it's that they are Anti white politically correct Guardian readers and London based politicians telling them what to think and what words to use!

Why do people think that little boys wear pink frilly tutus if they go to ballet?

They don't. The standard uniform is a white t-shirt and blue or black shorts and white or black leather shoes & socks. Almost exactly the same as they would wear for football.

For anyone who thinks ballet is pink and frilly and 'gay' - watch the performance of English National Ballet at Glastonbury this year (it is on youtube). Oh and by the way, the man and woman dancing together at the end - they are married.

My mum is mid seventies. She couldn't give a toss re her grandkids sexuality! Age is irrelevant.

Age is no excuse.

My dad is 75 and wouldn't give two hoots if his grandchild or anyone else way gay.

It's a homophobia thing. Not an age thing.

Wow they sound really lovely

I want my ds1 to start dancing. I think he'd love it.

"I think to state categorically that growing up in a society that was vastly different from ours today should have no impact on someone as an adult is being slightly ignorant.

Easy for us to say, as our reality has been so different."

Because homophobia is so much a thing of the past

Mine also racist of the "all Romanians are thieves" variety. The hilarious thing is that she herself is an immigrant but this doesn't seem occur to her.

Well I grew up in the good old racist sexist mysogynistic 70s and thank God things have changed.

There were thousands of DLTs out there and it was seen as completely normal to grope girls.

People have to change with the times.

It's not an age thing. Mum is in her 60's and hates everyone. Her parents if they'd lived would be 105 and they were not at all bigoted.

The EDL is packed with pensioners...........

Not an age thing. My mother's 76 and not remotely homophobic or sexist. She enrolled my brother in my ballet class when we were little. I'd have done the same for my DS but he wasn't interested -- does love acting though.