Yes, it is sad — that is another symptom of racism, where having whiter partners and therefore whiter children is a goal. Many people have this prejudice, and so dating a white woman is the end goal. We see this in online dating as well where men of all backgrounds “like” white women more. It’s just not as “obvious” when lighter men do It — -If a deciding factor is skin color (whether you go lighter or darker to make a statement) is reinforcing racism. I wanted to point out the inverse…when someone lighter tries to date someone darker to feel like they’re a good person and boost their own ego. Both situations suck, and both exist because we are in a system where being lighter is considered more “beautiful.” Thank you for reading my piece and sorry that you’ve also experienced discomfort due to colorism.