Poll: Do racial preferences in dating have roots in ignorance/stereotypes?

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

I suppose it could be defined as racism in a strict sense of the definition of the word even if it is just about ascetics like how I felt about hair. If you consider yourself a privilege denied to minorities(obviously I am gods gift to women.)

But then does that make me homophobic as a straight man not wanting to get into a relationship with another man? That sounds absurd doesnt it but it basically boils down to me not finding male bodies attractive. You wouldnt say I should ignore his ability to grow a bigger beard than me and to focus on his personality. So why cant I not be attracted to frizzy short curly hair, or a particular hue of skin or maybe I only like blondes and redheads ruling out non caucasians.

(No offense to gay men or transexuals or anything. I love you guys platonically!)

Edit: (and dont think just because Im drawing a parallel here that I think any races are as unattractive as men to men!)

Double edit: Probably better to call it sexist rather than homophobic!

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

First guess would be racism. Why would they feel the need to say they find no members of said race attractive? Just a bit... unlikely. I'm likely to find people with certain features that are more common in some ethnic backgrounds over others but I don't categorically say I don't ever find people of a certain race unattractive or attractive. What pushes someone from individual case by cas to categorical denial, wondering what does that is what causes me to be suspicious of it

It could be that, but it could also just be that they didn't think it through. I've known some people who might think of one or two examples of a particular race when asked this question, and rule it out without more thought. In essence, this could also be a test for thoughtlessness.

That does sound like a fair alternate assessment. I might consider that kind of thoughtlessness somewhat racist though.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

I do have a preference (for asians!) but I don't outright write people of an entire race off. That's quite ignorant.


I think it's normal to have a racial preference since all people of a certain ethnic group have more similarities among themselves than with people of different groups so someone who finds certain features attractive is bound to prefer the race in which they're most prominent. It's not about the race, it's about the features that the race happened to have. If you wanna say this is unfair then you have to also say that people being beautiful is unfair cause other people are ugly, which we as a society are not prepared to declare.

 

[Batou667]

It's not racist to have a preference. Sexuality isn't a choice, after all.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

Never had an overwhelming preference. I can fluctuate a bit at times too. Though all of my relationships have been interracial as a white guy. Not because I sought that out at all. Just coincidence, I guess I would say?

 

[Scars Unseen]

If being physically attracted to some races more than other is racist, then the term has been watered down so far as to lose all useful meaning. Personally, I've probably found people attractive of pretty much every race I've encountered, but tend to find less in general that I'm attracted to among Asian races(which is somewhat hilarious since I live in Okinawa, and my ex-wife is Japanese).

 

[Tilly]

It's racist, yes, and based on stereotypes, though in of itself it's one of the least worrisome ways to be racist. OTOH, if someones say, I don't think X people are attractive, they are too Y...it's not unlikely that this won't be the only evidence of their racism.

It's not necessarily based on stereotypes at all. It's quite plausible that it's based on an extension of what's called "kin selection" in evolutionary biology. People tend to favour others who look more like them because there's an increase likelihood of shared genes.
Whether you want to call that racist depends on your definition.

 

[Sarge034]

It's not based on racism or discrimination but I just don't find women past a certain level of darkness to be sexually appealing. Idk, I'm good up to a point and then it's just like it's not doing it for me.

 

[Frokane]

I dont prefer any race, but I do seem to go through phases where I will like one more than the other for a bit, and then it will change over. Right now I'm in my Mediterranean stage.

 

[Jarek Mace]

Well I'm white but i prefer non white women.
there are cute white girls of course. I was raised in a place with mainly white or Mexican people.

I think it may be racist to not date someone because of their socially constructed race.

Oh my god. They're here and they've taken over.

Well, no, no it's not. In the same way you're not homophobic for not dating a homosexual. I don't find aboriginals attractive, their features do not average appeal to me. Does it mean they're any less of a person? No, not really. But I'm not attracted. Same way I don't find fat people attractive. Or smokers. Just something I do not find attractive.

Does it mean that they might not be aboriginals who are attractive? Of course not, they are some I would find attractive, but I'm referring to a majority as race does come attached with certain physical characteristics.

Oh wait lol race is a social construct and nothing to do with genetics at all.

 

[Relish in Chaos]

I honestly don?t know anymore. Perhaps it?s got something to do with the ratio between whites and ethnic minorities? representation in the fashion industry, but? who knows? To be honest, racial preferences in dating appears to mostly be a ?don?t ask, don?t tell? kind of discussion topic. Mostly because, even if you aren?t trying to be offensive, saying something like ?I?m not into blacks? is likely to depress someone that happens to be of that particular reason or ? as I?ve felt at times (but moreso when I was a teenager) ? make them near-cripplingly insecure about their ethnicity.

And even if you do ask them, they?re more likely to say something along the lines of ?I don?t take race into account when judging attractiveness?, regardless of their actual opinion on the matter. Then again, I suppose you?ll get different reactions depending on the people you hang out with. I?m a heterosexual black man who grew up in a predominantly white area, and when I mentioned that I typically don?t find black women attractive, my friends were shocked. I don?t know if they were shocked because they believed people are always attracted to others of their own race, or just generally that I might have such a preference, but? they?re pretty liberal-minded guys and they laughed at me when I explained half-truthfully that it?s because ?black women remind me of my sister?.

Anyway, I know it?s a cliché, but I like to think that there?s someone for everyone out there? as long as you?re not a completely asocial hermit with no interest in sex or relationships.