“As a white gay of a certain age I realise I grew up in a society that taught me to be racist.”
Courtney Act has admitted her “socialised racism” prevented her from talking to people of colour on dating apps.
The Drag Race star – who became the first drag queen to win Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year – told fans on Twitter that her “unconscious bias” led to a preference for white men.
“Growing up in Australia I was never provided with examples of people of colour being sexual desirable (let alone queer POC),” she revealed. “It makes sense that I have socialised racisms when it comes to my sexual preference which is why I have had to consciously unpack those over the years.
“When I was a younger white gay I thought I was just attracted to white men as some sort of unconscious preference, but really it was an unconscious bias. Now as a white gay of a certain age I realise I grew up in a society that taught me to be racist.
Growing up in Australia I was never provided with examples of people of colour being sexual desirable (let alone queer POC). It makes sense that I have socialised racisms when it comes to my sexual preference which is why I have had to consciously unpack those over the years.
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) September 26, 2018
When I was a younger white gay I thought I was just attracted to white men as some sort of unconscious preference, but really it was an unconscious bias. Now as a white gay of a certain age I realise I grew up in a society that taught me to be racist.
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) September 26, 2018
The truth is, once examined, I’m attracted to people irrespective of their skin colour, and my dating and sex life has never been…more fulfilled 😉
I started by not swiping so fast on Grindr, I used to unconsciously swipe faster on a person of colour.— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) September 26, 2018
As an exercise I tried to just pause, look, & see what my bodily sense felt about the image in front of me, surprised by how many people I actually thought were attractive that I had previously swiped over. If nothing else you’re increasing your odds of getting laid!!!
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) September 26, 2018
If you think being deliberate is somehow racist, we are bombarded with images of white beauty our whole lives, I think making a deliberate effort to breakthrough that noise is just due diligence
@alxndrleon made this video about #sexualracism have a look https://t.co/VcBtqa1NSh— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) September 26, 2018
Courtney said she used to “unconsciously” swipe faster on a person of colour, but after examining her actions, she found her dating and sex life to be much more “fulfilled”.
“As an exercise I tried to just pause, look, & see what my bodily sense felt about the image in front of me, surprised by how many people I actually thought were attractive that I had previously swiped over. If nothing else you’re increasing your odds of getting laid!
“If you think being deliberate is somehow racist, we are bombarded with images of white beauty our whole lives, I think making a deliberate effort to breakthrough that noise is just due diligence.”
She then posted a link to a video by LGBTQ activist Alexander Leon, in which he examines sexual racism in the community.
Watch below.
Earlier this week, Courtney unveiled the first trailer for her highly-anticipated bisexual dating show, The Bi Life.
Coming to E! in the UK and Ireland this October, the ten-part series will focus on a group of bisexual, pansexual, fluid and questioning single British individuals on the “ultimate adventure to find love”.
The show will take place against the backdrop of Barcelona, which is often referred to as the LGBTQ capital of Europe.
The first official trailer sees several attractive singletons wearing white and being doused in pink, purple and blue paint – the colours of the bisexual flag – by Courtney.
Courtney uploaded the clip to her Twitter account, accompanied by the caption: “Welcome to #TheBiLife, the UK’s first bisexual+ reality dating show, hosted by me!”
Watch the trailer below.
The Bi Life – which comes from the creators of Made In Chelsea and The Real Housewives Of Cheshire – will premiere 25 October on E! UK & Ireland.
“As if this summer hasn’t been hot enough, we decided to crank it up another notch with The Bi Life on E! It’s high time there was a dating show for the large number of young people today, like me, who are attracted to more than one gender,” said Courtney.
“In 2018 we know that sexuality is fluid and sharing the stories and experiences, the laughter and the love making, of young bi people is so important. So get ready to see the true stories of bisexual singles, who are the largest part of the LGBTQ+ community, but the least known.”
Further details on the series format and cast members will be announced in the coming weeks.
Related: Yaaas! Courtney Act has landed her own show on Channel 4.
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