For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 13, 2022

Ask Dad when he “chose” his life.

“your kind” is excellent. Greg could be both a racist and a homophobe.

The line in the final panel is one of the best Lynn Johnston ever wrote and for me, the highlight of this story. It says it all in just a few words.

Time to knock on the Patterson’s door.

This is how you “talk sense”?

From the look on Connie’s face, this is not what she expected from Greg.

Wow, I did not expect that.

Just move in with your BF, Lawrence.

And be glad to be rid of your so-called “parents”!!

I remember this arc when it first ran in newspapers; eventually the “parents” recant and accept Lawrence as he was.

Very abruptly, IMO!! IRL, bigots never change!!

Sadly, this has happened to so many teens who have come out that we have had to set up a shelter for homeless teens. In order to do this, the legislature had to change a law that made it illegal to harbor a homeless teen.

AND THERE’S MY FAVORITE LINE!!

I can see Connie regrets asking Greg to intervene. Instead of talking sense into him as she asked, his true colors came out and he kicked her kid out of the house. It is actually HER house. I guess she did not see this side of Greg before. Had she known, I doubt she would have married him. She was in a relationship with Lawrence’s father who was South American and POC. And she gave birth to a POC child. Had she known Greg is a hater, she might hesitate at marrying him. Usually, a hater encompasses all other kinds, not just one. Greg and Connie’s reactions to Lawrence’s coming out of the closet are different. Greg is clearly a homophobe while Connie is upset that her child is not “normal.” Many parents think having gay child is their fault. Something they did while raising them or pass on something to them. No doubt Connie is thinking that. At least, she is probably thinking she hadn’t paid much attention to Lawrence, citing how she complained to Elly about Lawrence never being home. She probably now feels she should’ve inquired on where he went, asking what he is doing. Now she is acting out guilt more than anything. Greg. Pfft. Purely a hater.

Lawrence doesn’t live there any more, possibly Mike’s family will take him in, after all Mike is the one who convinced him to tell his parents.

Greg needs needs a Homocil prescription https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/homocil/2869234

All while Connie stands there with that dumb look on her face..

In God’s eyes your his chip no matter what he dad to hear this to.

You all do remember these are old reruns of this strip right?

What would they do if it was a pregnant teenage girl? Throw her out too? Go sleep in the Patterson’s Car.

Greg’s reaction was exactly what I was expecting from my parents (I was about 21 when this strip ran, and was still living at home, going to college). I stayed in the closet until I was 26 years old and living on my own. I had actually moved out a few years before coming out but still couldn’t deal with the anticipated rejection. They couldn’t kick me out of their house anymore but I was worried they’d kick me out of their lives. Thankfully, when I did come out, their reaction was not at all what I had been dreading.

I’ve had a lot of friends that this has happened to. Mom needs to step in and step up. How a parent can turn their own out is sickening to me.

oof

How terrible for people like Lawrence, and to know that this is the true state of the worlds ignorance of life in this matter. And too realize Ignorant so called leaders like Florida republican governor ron desantis are allowed to tell their constituents “we will not educate your children about the different beliefs of people known as Gays, because I want them to stay as Ignorant as I am” and pass a state law enforcing his ignorant beliefs. So much for the ignorant beliefs of many republicans this day and time.

D*mn this poor kid has sh*tty parents!!!!

I am so sad now

Gosh, I really don’t remember this part of the story (though I do remember that Lawrence is gay). How painful.

Oh yeah. I remember these guys.

Ouch! Lawrence’s mother looks rather aghast at the turn of events. Tune in tomorrow. (Anyone remember when “tune in” meant something? Like “a quarter to” and “dial a number.” Ah, the good ol’ analog days.)

Wow so rude

In real life, I would hope this sort of unkindness would be minimized by the kid knowing his parents well enough to not “go there.” Everybody has trigger points that are best left alone.

Wasn’t this Lawrence’s home before Greg moved in?

Connie seems dazed by the Greg’s vehemence. It looks like she is regretting bringing him into it at all – he was just supposed to “talk sense into” Lawrence.

One of the most powerful comic strip ever done.

I remember reading these strips when they first ran, and crying. I swore I’d never do this sort of thing if I had kids. Well, I had kids, and they’re both lgbtq, and I love them unconditionally.

How about having a calm discussion.

heartwrenching

Is it really legal to tell your 17 year old child to leave the home? Sounds like putting that child into danger. There must be consequences to this set of parent’s actions today.

Lynn’s Notes: For years, I was under the impression that anyone who had objections to homosexuality were of one kind of belief or political persuasion. I learned how wrong I was during a lecture tour, afterwards where one man gave me a book about a place where LGBT people had been sentenced to death. This had surprised me in more ways than one because the name of this place was Cuba. The book, which was titled Exposing the Real Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots who Idolize Him was also an eye opener as I had grown up as a “child of the 60s”. One part revealed that Ernesto “Che” Guevara had Cubans who were in rock and roll bands sentenced to death on the basis they did not “figure it out” or get with the socialist “program”. I loved to sing, so killing someone for making music was a barbaric act to me. What was also revealed that “Che” had extreme hatred for LGBT people, sentencing homosexuals in Cuba to hard labor at gulags which were festooned with a banner “Work Will Make a Man Out of You”. Many gays and lesbians were worked to death in these gulags. I was still reading the book at the time when Phil told the kids about Elly being a hippie, so I saved my remarks until I was done, but I now know the 1960s were not entirely the “good ol’ days” that Elly and Phil toasted, especially not when homosexuals suffered under such a horrible man in Cuba.

dropping this strip.

I remember those days, and how sad it was. Reminded me of families who said their kids were ‘dead to them’ when they married someone of a different religion…

Something I noticed during an earlier strip. Why is Lawrence a different color shade than his parents? Was he adopted?

Note spineless Connie with mouth closed and hands at sides. In real life, this situation would be permanent in most cases, especially with a stepfather. A neighborhood 16 year old, one of my stepdaughter schoolmates, was thrown out by his stepfather and went to live with a friend’s family. Soon after, his younger brother hit on my stepdaughter, an open attempt to be sure everyone knew that he wasn’t gay.

His “kind” are nurturing generous people. He’s still the little boy you watched grow up and help raise. If anyone deserves to be kicked out of the house it’s you.

Just wrong :-(

At least he isn’t in a Middle East country when they would put him to death

That man isn’t going to win Father of the Year…

I can not hit the “like” icon, because this is a very bad thing for everyone.

This still puzzles me: How can a parent throw out a child? Never did understand it.

Some parents act this way because of fear, fear of what people will say, fear they failed their kid, and plain old ignorance. Always remember Lawrenc there is nothing wrong with you, it is your dad’s problem, not yours.

“His kind” have been known for their arugula salads and $12 martinis. Whoever heard of a gay person living below the poverty line?

This is sickening and not funny! We come here for a comic, not to see more hatred, we can get that on the news. :( My niece is gay, I would hate for her to be treated that way!

At least Lawrence is not alone. There was the strip where Elly saw Michael owned a girlie magazine, so she woke him up with her screeching about it. What is wrong Elly; you have a problem that Michael is heterosexual?

I’ll have to open the door of hope a little here.

Lawrence’s exile doesn’t last long.Guilt-ridden Mike is already on the hunt for him.

Tomorrow—-special performance by Joel Grey and The Gorilla.

Don’t think my local newspaper ran all of this storyline, but I remember hearing about it.

FBorFW takes place in a fictional suburb of Toronto., Ontario. While I’ve never been to Toronto (farthest Canada I’ve ever gone was Victoria, British Columbia), where do LGBTQ+ Torontonians usually hang out with one another?

For those of you that don’t like this story you can always come back in a couple of weeks . No one is forcing you to stay!!

There’s a huge difference between sexual experimentation and sexual orientation.

There is only one person to blame for all this: Michael.

Michael Aaron Patterson is 100% at fault for all of this. He is the one who goaded Lawrence into saying this to his parents. Lawrence did not do this by himself.

SPOILER ALERT: Connie sobs to Elly (as usual) and Elly sends Michael out—in the middle of the night—to find Lawrence.

Michael is successful.

Sadly, this is very representative of some people’s reality. I have a gay friend who told me that when he came out to his mother, she said, “oh, I’ve known forever…. but don’t tell your dad. He’d kill you.” Imagine how living with that in your head while growing up.

I think that’s his point. I know many queer people who were kicked out of their “Christian” home using exactly those words, and more. This strip is staying very accurate to this experience.

I don’t think this is what Connie had in mind.

This is basically what happened to a friend of mine when he told his family he was gay back around 1976. The only family member who would talk to him was his sister, who I was dating at the time. She and I didn’t date long but I remained friends with him until I left the state.

Ignorance and intolerance is overwhelming, now jet propelled by the GOP.

And I thought Canadians were supposed to be nicer than Americans.

Horrid man. Connie should kick HIM out, but she’s too busy feeling sorry for herself.

I’ve had gay friends since high school, and several gay relatives. Our oldest niece here married her wife last year shortly after they had a daughter. She’s still our girl and always will be!

I’m not gong to read all the reply’s as this was already probably said, but if I were Connie, after the dust settles and she’s had time to think about all this I hope her response to this is to remove Greg from the picture ASAP, and beg her son to come home. Nobody deserves to be treated in this manner and Greg is to old to change his ways.

Don’t worry, Greg will feel bad.

Bet he votes Conservative.

THROW GREG OUT

WOW!!! I had yet to see a comic character THIS evil-hearted! D8 My guess is he stays with his confused buddy Michael! (I’d let the poor guy stay with me if I was their age.)

Doesn’t live there anymore. Maybe if Michael has come to terms with it, he could crash there.

Wow, a lot of comments. Go to Michael.

Greg (like far too many people) does not understand the difference between being and doing.

I know this particular scenario (ie Lawrence and Greg) isn’t real . . . but it makes my mother-heart weep for those children for whom this IS far too real. I wish I could take them all into my home.

Man, that’s just pathetic.

a new story line!!!! thanks lynne

Poor child; this happens to so very many children :-(

I am having a hard time ‘liking’ this arc as I am hating everyone’s reaction to Lawrence.

Well, those parents handled that well…not

Astounding, considering the roof isn’t even his! That bastard Greg doesn’t even show up in the strip in the six years since he and Connie eloped to get a free watch, so it can be assumed that he completely ignores Lawrence, and suddenly he kicks him out on the street! LAWRENCE AND CONNIE HAVE FAR MORE RIGHT TO LIVE THERE THAN THAT PIG EVER HAD!

The (probably coincidental) timing of this strip is both perfect . . . . . and horrifying.

What HORRIBLE reaction as parents. Lawrence deserves better.

If I were his mother, I’d kick my HUSBAND out and bring my son back in. I feel so bad for Lawrence. With parents like them, who needs enemies?

Sadly, this scene has played out this way in far too many households.

This makes me sad and angry!