1. You weren't allowed to take part in trends and games because literally everything was tainted with sin.
My super religious parents wouldn't let me play pokemon growing up because "they evolve."
2. Which meant not being allowed to read Harry Potter because it’s about wizards and witches.
3. And turning the lights off to pretend you weren't home on Halloween while all your friends were trick-or-treating.
4. You secretly watched “explicit” music videos hoping your parents wouldn’t catch you.
5. You used to think pretty much everything was a swear word.
6. And you always got told off for asking too many questions.
#Growingupblack and asking one of your parents where y'all going & they say "to hell if we don't pray" 😂
7. You were deemed the "snitch" by your friends because you genuinely thought lying was a sin.
8. And were relentlessly told you'd be punished if you got any piercings or tattoos.
9. Whenever you had a problem, the best advice was always to pray.
10. Because prayer can fix anything.
11. Like, ANYTHING.
12. You learned how to clear your internet browsing history at a very early age.
13. And God forbid they found any of your online conversations.
14. You were called out for wearing things most parents wouldn't bat an eyelid at.
15. Which led to your parents being super helpful and gifting you with more "appropriate" clothes.
16. You weren't allowed to go to sleepovers or parties because your friends' parents had "questionable morals".
17. So the only way you could go out was after a full interrogation and background check.
18. Anytime you did anything "bad" the blame would be placed on your wild friends.
19. Which made you never want to actually invite your friends over.
20. You often had to let a good meal go cold because you spent too long praying over it.
21. Your family made you afraid of mixing with the opposite sex.
22. But harassed you about your boyfriend or girlfriend.
#GrowingUpGay Church members: You just haven't met the right girl yet. Me:
23. At first you probably thought that drinking alcohol would destroy everything good in your life.
24. Probably until you discovered the endless powers of all things alcohol.
25. Pretty soon you were probably sneaking home at ridiculous hours, and pretending you weren't hungover in the morning.
26. As an adult, it's still hard to sit through family gatherings...
27. And put up with constantly hearing “Oh you’re doing so well with your life, but why are you still single?”
28. Even though you're an adult now, your upbringing will always be a part of you.
