ALEX VAUGHN
John Galliano was arrested last Thursday for alleged racist slurs in Paris. The house of Dior suspended him immediately, pending an investigation. Since then a video has emerged showing the belligerent Brit engaging in an aggressive and foul mouthed diatribe. The fashion world was stunned and Dior dresses were removed from the Oscar line-up, bar Nicole Kidman. The fast reaction shows that even in the fickle world of fashion racism is unacceptable full stop. We will not tolerate racial slurs in the bars or in our homes or even from one of the most creative designers of the 21st century. However there is one area it would seem, where racism is acceptable. The internet, most specifically profiles on dating sites.
In an interesting result of the safety of the internet, racism in the community has become more prevalent. In the few lines one has to advertise one’s self for a hook up or a date, many men are turning that space into what is now being viewed as unabashed and clear racism. You can go onto at least 70% of profiles on dating sites and you will see, amongst other ‘preferences’ a clear line describing racial groups that are either preferred or excluded. Surely, this is just a specific of type? Well perhaps, but in all reality it is racist and prejudiced.
By excluding someone solely based on their ethnic background without any knowledge of the person is the definition of racism.
We have all seen; ‘No Asians, No Blacks, No Latinos, White Only. Latino’s only’. Imagine if you read a want ad with those words. There would be an uproar of epic proportions. For sex, it is largely ignored. The effect of this is a divide in the community between ethnic minorities and the creation of stereotypes. We hate to be stereotyped as murse carrying mincing queens. Yet when you see a ‘Gaysian’ in a bar, many assume he must want a white man, older, wealthy and that all comes to the fore of the mind without even having to talk to him. That attitude perpetuates myths and as a result we develop yet another barrier within our community. This pre-judgement is only exasperated by what we see online. The fall out is affecting people outside of cyber world.
The negative of course is that by excluding and pre judging, in a town where relationships are not readily available perhaps you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. ‘I never date Latinos’. Why not? Where did the preconceived notion come from? You weren’t born that way.
Many people suggest that as we learn little lessons from our parents we also develop racial perception. There is a lot of merit in this theory, racial attitudes here in Florida still seem very old fashioned considering the fact the state is a melting pot. Type is not like being gay, it is not inbuilt into our genetic coding, it is developed over time. Challenging those pre conceived notions would benefit you and everyone else. By examining why we think what we do in any situation develops a better understanding of ourselves and society. In this instance a more open view on race would minimise, what I condsider the largely ignored upset caused by the seeming ignorance of gay men. You see it’s obviously easier to just say ‘not my type’ rather than specify the reason as race. It’s more considerate and it allows for a more cohesive community. Now, that said, type is type, we can’t control what turns us on or why we are attracted to one person or the other, however a close examination as to why someone isn’t your type would probably outline other issues that aren’t to do with sex, but social ideals. If your choice is because certain races tend not to have physical attributes, remember it is just that. They ‘tend’ not to. Yet by saying ‘No Blacks’ you rule out an entire race. That is a huge population to dismiss on the basis of skin color or origin.
You may now be thinking that when you go to a site looking for a hook –up, political correctness is not as relevant. It is, perhaps even more so to show that the cyber world is as advanced in attitudes as the real world. That said we all know sites are as much an irritant as they are the modern way to meet people. So specifying type attributes you expect does cut the amount of incompatible responses.
Astoundingly when I asked people who had those lines in their profiles their views on racism. Everyone that said they were against racism, yet didn’t see the fact that writing on their profiles ‘ No GAMs’ is exactly the same principle as hearing an Asian guy was passed up for a role because of his race.
What could we do to change this, in the grander scheme of things? Look into your past, have you ever excluded someone solely on race, ask yourself, why do you think that is? If you can’t get past this and fundamentally see that it is simply a case of ‘type’. Then change your profile, re word it so you have not outlined to a guy reading your profile that you don’t want to even talk to him because of his race. How would you feel if you were or are in a minority ethnic group and you see endless profiles clearly saying because of where you are from you are no one’s type? Check out the suggestions below from a site about Sexual Racism. Remember, an open mind is a preferred preference.
