Katlego Sekhu

A listener shared that her boyfriend has met her family and now wants her to meet his family. However, he has one condition: she needs to cover up all her tattoos because his parents are strict. While she is excited to meet her future in-laws, her biggest concern is that her tattoos are a part of who she is, and by concealing them, she feels like she wouldn’t be true to herself.
“My boyfriend will be introducing me to his family soon. We have been together for two years, and he says it’s time his family knows me as my family has already met him. I am excited and nervous because my boyfriend asked that I cover my tattoos when the day comes. He says his parents are strict and very old-school, so my tattoos might give them a wrong impression.
“I found this offensive because my tattoos are part of who I am. I have 10 of them, and should we get married, they will eventually get to see them. I told him that the weather would determine how many of them were hidden, but I would not go out of my way to hide them. He got mad at me saying I don’t respect his family.
“It is 2024, surely his parents can’t be that backwards. I feel as though he is ashamed of my body art, and that bothers me. I also want to get more tattoos, one covering my whole back.
“I will dress accordingly whenever we go to his family but some tattoos will just always be visible. I am even thinking that on the day of the meeting, I must make them more visible so his family can see their future Makoti is a tattoo addict. Am I being rebellious? Why should hide who I am?”
Anonymous



