A dating website made exclusively for black people has caused outrage after asking members to pick their matches based on favorite skin shades and whether or not their hair is kinky. Many are calling the match criteria “racist.”
The new dating site, called “Smoochr,” is taking heat for not only offering the “racist” mate search categories but for only offering the service to heterosexual men and women.
In front of a picture of a man and a woman kissing, the website, believed to be based in the US, reads: ‘Discover black singles by complexion, hair style, moral views and more!’
A drop-down ‘complexion’ menu includes the options ‘mocha’, ‘caramel’, ‘vanilla’, ‘pecan’, ‘almond’, ‘chocolate’ and ‘latte’.
A ‘hair’ section includes the options ‘locks’, ‘weave’, ‘extensions’, ‘afro’, ‘short hair’, ‘big hair’, ‘clean cut’.
It also included a menu dedicated to ‘lips’, which appears to have since been removed, including the descriptions ‘soup coolers’ and ‘duck lips’.
Twitter users have accused the site of ‘colorism and homophobia’ and called for it to be closed down using the hashtag ‘ShutdownSmoochr’.
Activist and writer Jamia Wilson wrote: ‘Smoochr app is a virtual paper bag test. It promotes discrimination, colorism and homophobia. #misogynoir #shutdownsmoochr’.
Looks like Smoochr didn’t expect this wave of date-hate going on out there!
Smoochr app is a virtual paper bag test. It promotes discrimination,colorism & homophobia. #misogynoir #shutdownsmoochr
— jamiaw (@jamiaw) July 25, 2016
ok if yall can have preferences about skin tone and hair texture why can't I prefer a man with 6 figures? hmm #ShutDownSmoochr
— sad gal/bad gal (@the_housebunny) July 25, 2016
Not only does Smoochr encourage discrimination amongst black people, it's also queerphobic as hell. #ShutdownSmoochr pic.twitter.com/h6jN6dTQwc
— Beamer (@BeamerDoesMedia) July 25, 2016
The whole premise takes colorism to new heights. Black Baby Jesus cannot be pleased. #shutdownsmoochr
— Tracy M. Adams (@Mondays_Baby) July 25, 2016