My family has a cabin. We’ve literally built it all by hand except for the cement foundation. It’s legit, signed off as meets code and everything. I brought a pride flag up knowing it might ruffle my grandparents feathers but I planned to talk to them respectfully. Before my grandparents ever saw it, my parents and uncle sat me down and said “we’re not going to allow that” and even going as far as saying “if you leave the flag here, we’re going to destroy it.” I didn’t fight them. I left. And despite my blood, sweat, and tears going into that cabin, I’m never going back.

I told them it wasn’t as simple as a difference of opinion, it was a difference in morality. They agreed.

I like the “tolerance is a social contract” approach to a tolerant society. My wife and I are thinking of growing our family. We both don’t want to subject a future child of ours to my family’s beliefs so we’re effectively estranged and I think my parents are slowly finding out we mean business and it’s not just “their kid throwing a fit.” Call me snowflake all you want, my child won’t hear it.