Yellow flags or red flags?

I have been dating a guy with many positive qualities. I will list them here:

He's fun, hard-working, and likes to give me the lead in activities and dancing. He took time off after his last breakup to heal (1 year) He learned to be comfortable going places by himself while single (movies, dinner, etc) He can articulate his emotions, hopes, character defects, admit mistakes. (Such as being a workaholic in the past) He's open and I love that. He's generous.. welded me a piece of art just for me. Gives me flowers and other nice things and Jewelry. Seems to be very serious about me.

Concerns: (Are these yellow or red flags?)

Puts hands on my body in public. I expressed I was not comfortable with it and he reduced its frequency but still kinda does it (like putting his hand in my back pocket on my butt at store after the discussion that i dont like hands on those parts of my body in public). Questioned why I don't "paint my nails, wear lipstick (although I do, just not everyday), have no tattoos or multiple piercing." I told him I don't like when he questions about what I don't do and it sounds like he's asking because he wants me to do those things. He said no he asks because he wants to know about me and all women do their nails everyone has tattoos etc.. I said ask me about what I DO do not what don't do if he wants to know about me. When I continued to express what I was and wasn't comfortable with about him discussing about my body/appearance after maybe 20 minutes of the topic he put his hand on my mouth to shut it saying, "Things are best said with few words".. I had just been trying to elaborate that it was the questions about my appearance that bothered me.. not questions about say if I sprain my ankle.

I was really into him and now because of the comments and the way he touches my body in public even though i said i dont like it I'm feeling that hesitant feeling. Hes from another culture from me born in another country and maybe gender roles and expectations are too different. he doesn't like the way that women are treated in his home country and sees that they deserve better but at the same time I wonder if it still has influenced him because of what I mentioned above.

I'm a teacher and we don't all paint our nails.. We are busy. And I know that many people have tattoos but I don't really think every single person does... do they?

Any thoughts? Part of my growth in codependency is learning how to make decisions for myself without checking with everyone else but at the same time I am sometimes just so confused about what I should just discuss with a partner and what should be a red flag and just warrant a breakup.. I wish it were so clear to me but when I am in it is difficult. I just don't want to waste time so I am putting this here.

Red Flag (breakup) or yellow (discuss with him)

Thanks,

Submitted October 26, 2019 at 11:29PM by Madhamsterz https://ift.tt/2BKARCX