Firstly, this post is dedicated to everyones favourite grandma and acting icon, Betty White.
With the recent passing of Betty, we have all been reminded of the continuous efforts she made to inspire both kindness and acceptance. She was the woman who shocked society in 1954 when she had a black man on her show and continued to fight racism and homophobia her whole life. Betty reminds us all that being from an older generation is never a reason to be homophobic. It is absolutely insane how often this excuse is used today; even in my own experience, I have been told many times to "let it go" because someone was from a different generation and was "never going to get it". Well why not? Betty White lived almost to her 100th birthday, making her decades older than most of the people I hear this excuse from and somehow she managed to choose love over hate... Why can't others?
This blog is a reminder that those same people who use this excuse are the ones that Betty did not like, and they are the ones who are stuck in the past, unable to move forward. When faced with this excuse, here are some of my responses:
"The generation you were born in should not reflect your values in our current society"
"If you refuse to educate yourself in today's day and age, then I no longer see a reason to have you in my life"
"Your generations lack of love and acceptance should not deter me from getting the love and acceptance I deserve today."
"If Betty White can do it, you can too"
I know from first-hand experience how hard it can be to stand up to these people, especially when most of them are probably a parent, family member, or authority figure in your life, but until EVERY generation can accept that homophobia will never be excused, society simply can not move forward.
Thank you Betty for inspiring us to be bold, brave, and accepting of ourselves and others. We will continue to fight for acceptance and hope to make you proud. Your light will always shine and you will never be forgotten.
Rest In Peace Betty.
Love,
Bailey
Very well written Bay and unfortunately you hit the nail on the head. Generational racism, sexism and homophobia among many others are alive and well and it tends to be glossed over. I cannot count how many times I was told as a child to just drop it because that’s how Grandpa grew up and he was never gonna change. Or being told, it was a different time back then or he has seen and experienced too much to change his way of thinking (set in his ways/old fashioned etc.). It’s very hurtful coming from anyone but like u said when it’s from someone you love, it’s extremely concerning and can damage any relationship beyond repair. However, all is not…
Hi Bailey!!
I love this post so much! I have always found it so frustrating that most Millennial and Gen Z populations have just accepted the fact that baby boomers and Gen X cannot fathom the existence of the LGBTQ+ community. When coming out to my family, my mom was hesitant at the thought of my grandparents finding out. This hurt. If my sister can freely discuss her love life with our grandparents then why can't I? By fearing the reaction of older generations, we are enabling generational homophobia!