Would you date someone outside your own race?
Typically, when asking a lesbian this question, the common response is: "there's enough difficulty dealing with being gay, I can't imagine throwing race into the mix."
I'd say that's just a bullshit response, to put it mildly -- the kind of response you give someone when you really just don't know what to say and that seems like the safest response just in case they wanna' set you up with someone of a different race.
Dating can be difficult, it won't be anymore difficult regardless of what race she is. If you walk into a relationship with preconceived ideas of the type of person someone will be based on her race, then yes, you will have many more difficulties.
So what is the real problem here when you hear than answer from someone?
The lesbian you just proposed that question to has stereotypical ideas of lesbians who do not belong to the same ethnic, cultural, or racial background to which she belongs. Black lesbians seem to get the short end of the stick quite often when it comes to dealing with stereotypes. Latina lesbians are probably running in at a very, very close second place. The words "attitude" and "bitchy" come to mine. "Freaky" and "sexually promiscuous" are others I can think of.
I'd have to say yeah, I have an attitude. And yes, I'm quite bitchy. But it's not the "hands on my hip, neck poppin' attitude that many people think of when they think of Black women. It's the "I'm sick of your shit. You WILL give a sista' some respect" bitchiness.
Ok, so let's say the lesbian you proposed the question to claims she herself doesn't have a problem with dating someone outside her race, but just hates dealing with all the societal backlash related to interracial dating. I'd say sister-friend needs a lesson in not givin' a rat's ass what society thinks. She obviously doesn't care that they know she's a lesbian, why should she stop there? Give 'em somethin' else to talk about!
The original article can be found on Lesbian Domain