So, I'm a Sellout

Let me set the scene for you: I'm walking on a nice day in Brooklyn, not too hot, not too cold. Holding hands with Boba who I hadn't seen in in three months due to me teaching in China. We're heading to see my bestie and her awesome girlfriend to spend a chill day at their apartment. Then it happened, a guy walked past me, leaned way in my personal space all by neck and called me a sellout. 

....

.....

Hold up...

We kept walking, but I stopped at the end of the block as I processed what had happened.

The strange thing about the situation is that I wasn't upset. I'm from the deep South, so I've experienced a lot of ignorance and flat out racism. I was more annoyed by the fact that he felt his thoughts mattered to me, a person that he didn't even know. He knew nothing of my relationship, saw something he didn't like, and projected some mess onto us. I also was heated that he got in my personal space. Luckily, Boba and I are pretty chill and felt it was best to just keep it moving and not dwell on it. I hadn't experienced anything like that before, but I am aware of what interracial couples may face. I had heard stories from my friends and read about different couples' experiences on blogs. I also feel that calling someone a sellout is ridiculous because you have no idea why they are with their partner. Like somehow I magically am not black anymore because I am dating someone non black. The term implies that I hate myself and black people and that I view other races as better than my own. I read a post that breaks down why these notions are false. 

Now, I'm not gonna sit here and act simple like there aren't people that date interracially for the wrong reasons (self-hate, fetishism, etc.). But that ain't me. I'm not dating my boyfriend because I have feel some type of way about black men like some would assume. I was taught to judge people by their character, so I have always selected the people in my life by that principle. I love Boba for Boba, not because he’s a different race than me. 

We make the best silly faces together ^^

It's fine if people have their own opinions on the issue, but you shouldn't use them to judge or shame other people. I'm very lucky that my parents raised me to listen to the people that matter and disregard folks that are irrelevant.