My dad likes to tell me this story of how he took part in Swedish history. Before 1979, Sweden considered homosexuality as a mental disorder. My dad was aware of this but didn’t think too much about it until his boss came into the office angry one day and started shouting at all of them.
Boss: “All of you! If any of you are f****** [gay slurs] or friends with [gay slurs], you’re f****** fired!”
Office Worker: “Are you okay, [Boss]? Where is all this coming from?”
After some cajoling, it was discovered that the boss had just caught his son kissing his boyfriend, and he’d then kicked him out.
Dad: “So… wait, where is he now?”
Boss: “F****** on the streets for all I care! No [gay slur] is a son of mine!”
My dad was very disheartened to see this, and for the first time, he realised what homophobia was and how ugly it could be. My dad is also quite petty and inventive, and he inadvertently got involved with a movement he didn’t realise until later that other Swedes were doing at the time.
In protest to the boss’s behaviour, (he was taking his anger out abusively on all the staff) my dad decided he’d had enough and called in sick, but what he said was:
Dad: “I’m calling in gay.”
Boss: “You’re what?!”
Dad: “I’m calling in gay. You said if anyone was gay, they’re fired.”
Boss: “That’s not funny, [Dad]. I know you just got married.”
Dad: “Yes, but I’m feeling a little gay today. I might be coming down with something.”
The boss played it off as a prank and thought my dad was just hungover and gave him the day off. When my dad didn’t go in the next day:
Boss: “Where are you?”
Dad: “Oh, I’m even gayer than I was yesterday. I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.”
Boss: “Are you trying to get fired?”
Dad: “Of course not, but since you said—”
Boss: “I know what I said, but you’re obviously just trying to make a point, and I don’t appreciate you doing it at my expense! Come in today or you’re fired!”
Dad: “So, just to be clear, you’re firing me because I have what the law calls a mental disorder?”
His boss tried to backpedal but it was laid out clearly that my dad was effectively calling in sick, and the boss was firing him for it, which was illegal. The boss actually tried to apologise, but my dad said it was his son he needed to apologise to.
My dad eventually found a new job after claiming a few months of benefits from social services who had to fork out money because, under their laws, he had a “mental disorder”. Sweden saw the light in 1979 and changed the law so that no one had to “call in gay” anymore.
It wasn’t until decades later that my dad realised he was doing the same thing the Swedish gay movement was doing at the time. He was just trying to prove that his boss was an a**hole and get paid while he looked for another job!
