Girls, I'm a brown (Indian) woman dating a white man and because of cultural differences my extended family are saying he's taking advantage of me?

[Anonymous]

He's tall and strong compared to a lot of brown guys, also very relaxed. We've been dating for three months. My family is very conservative, and he came to a gathering to see me. I introduced him around. He got along well with my male cousins. Later in the evening we were sitting together, and he put his arm around me and tickled my waist. He also touched my arm a bit. I think one of my aunts saw and she came and pulled me aside and told me not to let him take advantage of me because he doesn't know our values. I don't want to have sex until marriage and he understands that, but every now and then we steal private moments where we kiss and he usually lifts my shirt and kisses my belly. He respects my body a lot more than some brown guys who make you feel like a piece of meat, he always asks if I'm comfortable. How do I make my family see that?

[WonderBell99]

As long as you are happy with him, nothing else matters. Your family should stay out of your relationship with your boyfriend. You mentioned that your family is conservative, so it is expected for them to react this way. If you are planning on getting married, your family needs to like him or it will be extremely tough for him to get along, so ask him to keep his hands to himself when your family is around.

You cannot make your family see or understand anything because they seem too fixated on their distorted perception of Caucasian men. Focus on creating healthy boundaries between you and your family and also, educate your partner on some Indian etiquettes and traditions. That would help your family like him better. It's just cultural differences, really. Nothing a little bit of quality time cannot resolve!