How to Deal With Racism While Online Dating

Who knew sexual racism could be a thing. Sexual racism is defined as discriminating against a certain minority when looking for romantic partners. Sexual racism is a highly debated term, as some will argue it isn’t really racist to simply state that you prefer a romantic partner who looks a certain way. What do y’all think?

I don’t date Asians — sorry, not sorry.

You’re cute … for an Asian.

I usually like “bears,” but no “panda bears.”

I usually only like pink nipples.

Sadly, these are all terms we’ve seen before. But what do the facts say? Are there any stats to back up the idea that dating apps can be racist?

The dating app OKCupid recently analysed sexual racism among 1m of its male site users. The company found that compared to black, Asian or minority ethnic users, white users got more messages. White users were also found to be less likely to reply or match with users of a different race to themselves, and more likely to question interracial marriage.

Recent research from Australia also found that 15% of gay men on the dating app Grindr included sexual racism on their profiles. This was more likely to be the case if the profile user was white, and if the user held broader racist views.

Its no suprise that there are sprinkles of racism in the online dating world. We’ve compiled a few ways to help your respond..

Block!

Utilize the block button to its fullest extent. You don’t have to entertain a Nazi online. Just keep it moving and focus on finding the right one…and not on wasting your time with someone who is completely ignorant.

Educate

If you have too much pride to hit the block button, try to let that individual know that they are being racist. More often than not, people aren’t aware that their words may be harmful. Make a claim to them directly. Who knows…your message could get through to them. They could become more aware of their ignorance.

Step outside of Tinder

You don’t have to just keep the online dating game going. Its not for everyone. Try joining clubs or going to networking events. You’ll be able to read a person a lot more effectively in person.