Courtney Act admits to sexual racism, now dates people of colour
“Get ready to see the true stories of bisexual singles” (PinkNews)
Drag queen Courtney Act has opened up about sexual racism, admitting that she, too, has guilty of colour-biased dating choices.
Act—real name Shane Jenek—says she grew up in a society that “taught me to be racist,” adding that she now dates people of all ethnicities and that her sex life “has never been more fulfilled.”
In a five-post thread on Twitter on Wednesday, the Celebrity Big Brother winner explained how she previously thought she was only attracted to white men, but later realised that this was an “unconscious bias.”
“Growing up in Australia I was never provided with examples of people of colour being sexual desirable (let alone queer POC),” she said.
“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.”
Act posted a thread on Twitter. (courtneyact/Twitter)
The ex-RuPaul’s Drag Race star added: “Now as a white gay of a certain age I realise I grew up in a society that taught me to be racist.
“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.”
Act said that, as an exercise to address her socialised racism on Grindr, she “tried to just pause, look, & see what my bodily sense felt about the image in front of me.”
She explained: “[I was] 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!!!”
Act finished her post by writing: “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 also included a link to a video by LGBT+ activist Alexander Leon about sexual racism.
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
Act also recently criticised fellow Celebrity Big Brother contestant Ann Widdecombe, saying the British politician “doesn’t support women’s rights.”
Widdecombe was runner-up on the show, coming second to Act in January.
“I just found it really frustrating and annoying that Anne doesn’t support women’s rights and women’s equality in the workplace,” Act told David Olshanetsky for his new Spotify podcast David’s Out For A Good Time.
“Or a woman’s right to choose what happens to her body with regards to abortion. So many, really important things that women have fought for, like the #MeToo movement.”
Courtney Act is crowned winner during the 2018 Celebrity Big Brother in February 2018. (Stuart C. Wilson/Stuart C. Wilson/Getty)
Act continued: “I’m like, no! You can’t just dismiss the sexual harassment and sexual abuse of women.”
The drag queen, who will star in a new bisexual dating show called The Bi Life, on E! in October, added: “Strictly and Big Brother make somebody like Ann seem cuddly and likeable and you don’t get to see the fact that she denies climate change and is against abortion and supports capital punishment.”
