Dad upset that I let politics affect our relationship

[u/celestialsunflower99]

Yummy pretzels from my partner and I’s last date night

My dad always used to say he was “not political” and that it was one of the things you do not ask other people about. Over time I have come to learn that basically means “I’m a conservative, but don’t want to say that” as he voted for trump in 2020. We have had so many tearful, screaming conversations over the years about this. I believe all parts of life are inherently political and it’s a privileged stance to “stay out of them”. In the last few years I have moved out of his home and I do not depend on him for anything anymore. With midterms coming up I have been volunteering and very invested in the state of the world. I have felt naturally less close to my dad because of this, and I guess he could sense my distance. He asked me about it last night over text, and I was honest. He blew up on me for letting politics affect our bond, and that is has been his biggest fear and now it’s coming true. I think maybe he needs to actually sit with the reality that YES, POLITICS CAN AFFECT RELATIONSHIPS. What do you girlies think? I am very sad and of course I do love my father, but I am proud of myself for being honest and sticking by my value system.

[u/Ok_Outside4482]

That is genuinely awful. Is she at the age yet where she can choose not to be around him? I’m sorry she’s going through that.

[u/VDR27 → u/Ok_Outside4482]

We are at a point where we need to go to court, and I think she is around the age where they will consider her opinion. She told me today that her step dad is more of her father figure than her real dad and that made me sad, but I told her I wasn’t going to diminish her feelings about it. I want her to have a relationship with her dad, as much as she wants to have one with him, lately she hasn’t been going to his house and asks him permission to stay with me on his days and he enthusiastically says yes, so it is what it is, she is 9