I'm a Caucasian woman and I like black men. *cue all the rude comments and glares.*

There’s something about me that some people would say doesn’t follow the “norm” that society has become accustomed to. A lot of the time I find myself attracted to other races than my own, no that doesn’t mean I only like a certain race or that I’m only going to marry that race; I am just open-minded and don’t base my feelings on the color of someone else’s skin. Maybe, our society can take notes from my actions.

There have been multiple times that gay marriage is the new “interracial relationship” controversy. That’s not valid, interracial relationships can be white women, black men, white men, the list goes on and on. I don’t honestly understand why it was ever even illegal. We live in a society where we still base our judgment off of color. I’m guilty of this too, I’m not perfect. Who are the people who have made us have these thoughts? Our parents, our grandparents, our friends? Whoever has influenced you, it doesn’t matter because it’s not okay. This is 2015, it’s time to get over your racial views and realize that people do not fit a certain characteristic based on their skin color.

I’ve held in telling my family and even some of my friends that I’m very open-minded when it comes to men, out of fear that I wouldn’t be accepted. It’s truly heartbreaking when you want to be happy, but the ones around you act like you can easily find someone else your own color. THEN, do you know how frustrating it is when I tell someone I would branch out of my race and they say “Oh, you have jungle fever.” Or when someone goes, do you think this guy is hot just because he’s black. Can you not? Why is there a label for me liking a different type? Maybe they think it’s funny, but it’s probably the most frustrating thing to say or do after getting glares.

I should be able to love whoever I want because they’re a good person, they make ME happy. Yet, I catch myself thinking there’s something wrong with me because that’s what people do to you, they brainwash you to think that if you don’t follow the norm, then you have something wrong with you. I’m sorry I didn’t wake up and say oh I’m only gonna be open-minded – it just happens. One day when I settle down, if that man isn’t my race I hope that the ones I considered my loved ones understand and don’t flood me with racial glares, jokes that they think are funny (they’re not), or just general actions.