UPDATE: We’ve since spoken to a Tinder representative and they told us that the user referred to below has been removed from the dating app.
What an absolute gobsh*te.
Takara Allen, a make-up artist living in Australia, had been chatting to a guy on Tinder and they even made it to the date stage.
However, things went rapidly downhill when her date made a comment on the colour of Takara’s skin, suggesting that she should bleach it so as to make the colour lighter.
His message reportedly read: “don’t think I’m a creep and I don’t wanna be offensive or anything but I was just looking t your insta photos and just curious but have you ever thought about bleaching your skin? You’d look so much prettier if you were whiter! ;p”.
The mixed-race 22-year-old was understandably disgusted by the sheer audacity and posted the below status on Facebook.
Her status read:
“Waking up to this fuckery on a Friday morning. What goes on in people’s heads that makes them think this is okay to say to someone? As if people of colour don’t already struggle enough with the pressure to conform to a Eurocentric beauty ideals and standards, people like this add even more.
“Don’t wanna be offensive.” How the FUCK is this not offensive in your head?! Like literally how can you come to the conclusion that this is even true? I’ve grown up hearing “You’d be prettier if you were lighter” and “You’re pretty for a black girl,” as if black women are just generally unattractive, and so it’s a surprise when one of us is. Not to mention the fact that as a mixed race woman people are constantly hitting me with the “but you’re so pretty, what are you mixed with?” bullshit when I simply say “I’m black”. As if black can’t be beautiful on it’s own and that I should be grateful to be mixed with something because whatever I’m mixed with makes the black “okay” all of a sudden.
People are always complaining that I post too many things talking down about white people (a.k.a. Pointing out systematic racism and ignorance that they seem to take personally for some reason) but none of you realise that this is the shit that myself and other black women have to deal with on a daily fucking basis. It’s easy to say “don’t let it get to you” and what not but this isn’t a one time thing. I’ve been hearing this crap ever since I moved to Australia and I can guarantee you that women who are even darker than I am hear it even more. If you have to say “not trying to be offensive/racist/mean” before you say something, DON’T SAY IT”
