Parents won't let me get my ears pierced...

Hey guys, I'm new here, but I wanted to hear somebody else's 2 cents regarding this issue. Anyway...

A little background, I'm 17 years old and gay, parents have known since I was about 13, accepting of it. I'm essentially out at school and work. I haven't officially came out to everybody sort of thing, but I don't hide it if somebody asks or people start talking about guys, etc.

Now, I've wanted to get my ears pierced for a while because I like the way it looks. My parents said maybe, now come the day my mom was going to take me (today), they didn't think it was a good idea considering it would make me a target to get beat up, considering my school has a lot of people with "backwards" views. My parents thought it would call attention to the fact that I was gay (even though I told them I'm out at school), and that I could get beat up as a result and that they wanted to protect me. We argued over it, and things got really heated, and they asked me if I knew any straight boys with both of their ears pierced, and I told them a lot of the jocks did, but they said it's different for me because I'm gay. The jocks wouldn't get beat up for it, but I might.

Now at this point I'm really upset. I've never been told that I can't do something because I'm gay. I argued with my parents, told them they were being moderates and just trying to please people they shouldn't be worried about (no... they're protecting me), and I told them I didn't care if I got beat up, because in all actuality I've never heard of an LGBT person getting beat up at my school and there's a handful of open people, and I'd just press charges blah blah blah. And then my dad charged towards me and I ran out of the house and up the street in nothing but underwear and socks. His point? I just ran away like a baby, so I couldn't defend myself if I got into a fight.

I just felt so frustrated. They said they were doing it to protect me, and I think they thought I was just mad that I couldn't get my ears pierced, but I was mad at the bigger picture -> I should conceal myself. Now my question is, are my feelings toward this valid, or should I maybe take their view into consideration. I feel like they think the way to protect me is to oppress me, but I'm not about that. They said I could do it when I'm 18 because then it's my problem, but it's already my problem.

Well either way I know what I'm gonna get myself for my next birthday and ain't no one gonna stop me. (: