GRSJ224/Sexual Racism

Common racist disclaimers.

Overview

Racism is “fundamentally a set of judgements made about a person, not based on how you perceive the person, but based on generalisations you already believe about all the people who share their ethnic background” . Sexual racism by definition is the discrimination of one’s sexual or romantic partner based on their racial identity. Simply, prioritizing a person on the basis of their race. As our society intersects significantly with white privilege, many racial minorities are further marginalized through sexual racism, especially in the online community. This form of racism has become increasingly prevalent in the LGBTQ online dating world, where people openly talk and publicise their sexual and romantic preferences. These public stereotypes normalize discrimination by perpetuating rejection on a racial basis .

History

Throughout history there has been much controversy surrounding “the sexual coupling of Whites, Blacks [and other races]” . Since 1864, there have been laws prohibiting interracial sex and marriage. There has been notable “emphasis placed on the purity of the White race”, thus perpetuating sexual racism despite the term not being officially spoken . Studies have “revealed hierarchies of attraction that influence the sexual lives of gay men of White and non-White racial backgrounds”, prioritizing Whiteness over other racial groups . The term “Sexual Racism” was coined in 1975 when Charles C. Stember used the words in his book to represent the “sexual rejection of a racial minority” .

Racism or Sexual Preference?

“It just blows my mind that people could write off entire minorities without any exception and not see that as at all problematic.” -The Daily Beast

Despite claiming that a sexual preference on the basis of race is not inherently racist, trends prove otherwise. A study “Is Sexual Racism Really Racism” concludes that it in fact is “associated with generic racist attitudes, which challenges the idea of racial attraction as solely a matter of personal preference”. Although having a preference based on one’s appearance isn’t inherently wrong, dismissing opportunities to meet men of other looks ultimately perpetuates racial bias.

Headlines describing the phenomenon have surfaced in recent years.

LGBTQ Online Community

The LGBTQ community on it’s own is marginalized and this issue of sexual racism within the community is unethical and damaging. Sexual racism intersects with White privilege and could could a way for white gay males to privilege their own identity while “leaving many people out of the movement toward greater sexual freedom and equality”. The use of dating services and apps encourages men to use racial categories when seeking a partner. This self-perpetuating cycle seems to strongly reinforce racism making it appropriate to define individuals on the basis of their outward appearances. It is easier to share attitudes and speak freely online compared to offline settings, making these apps a breeding ground for racist attitudes and remarks. As online applications are the most popular way for the LGBTQ community to meet partners, perhaps sexual racism seems to be far more common in the gay community simply because of it’s online usage and the ability to witness and track textual evidence .

Sexual Racism in Dating Apps

Online applications have become a common form of meeting potential sexual and romantic partners. Dating apps are mostly about appearance, thus perpetuating appearance based biases. It is disturbingly common in the LGBTQ community to see “race-based profiles”, where people list their particular preferences. It almost encourages individuals to be specific on what ethnic groups they are interested in, solely on race. However, below are examples of “direct and exclusionary” racial disclaimers that are more than common.

1. ”Not looking for Fat. Old. Or anything but White”
2. ”I love men from different cultures. Just no Asians”
3. ”No Blacks, No Fems”
4. Vanilla or spice, no chocolate nor rice

The video below displays other racial disclaimers casually found on a gay dating app “Grindr”. The participants in the video describe their reactions and experiences from the LGBTQ online dating world. They also share their opinion on the difference between preference and being inherently racist - which they all believe Grindr users listing their preferences in a stereotypical way are.

This rejection of sexual partners “based on perceptions of their racial origin are equally discriminatory, generalising and violent acts”. Interestingly, in the LGBTQ community, race is considering a qualifier or disqualifier on a higher basis than body type, height, and hair colour”. There is also reported animosity and hatred towards those who try to defy or justify those “preferences”. Although many believe that by simply stating their sexual preference they are not by definition racist, they are perpetuating a prejudice. As you can see in the above video, labelling people as "rice" or "chocolate" is pushing way past discussing personal preferences and is just discriminatory. This electronic harassment shows how mobile apps have given individuals a "platform to express their like or dislike of a certain race" . The negative speech in the racial disclaimers found on online dating apps are simply narrow-minded and exclusionist. Although trying to argue otherwise, there is nothing kind or open about this mode of communication. These apps are an opportunity to simply communicate hatred. Sexual racism is alive and well in the LGBTQ community, with online communication as a means of further perpetuating it.

References

Eliana Horvath