Not dating someone cause of their race vs not befriending someone?

Is there a difference? People say that it's okay to not date someone cause of their race as everyone has preferences. What about not befriending them?

My black teen friend says that he was invited over to a posh white girls house a month ago. Her family seemed polite but when he went to the bathroom he overheard them being disappointed at her for brining him and saying "You can only be friendly in school but don't bring him around here". Long story, short, he no longer talks to her cause her parents don't approve.

Most people think that's racist but isn't that preference?

No, it’s racist, the parents are not trying looking to be in a relationship with this guy, they simply don’t want a black guy in their home.

I love these threads - because everyone is too scared to face up to reality.

Won't go out with someone of another race? Of course it's racism. 100%. That is literally the definition of racism.

The only thing is that people are too scared to go there. It's a widely acceptable form of racism.

Come on - how far are we going to push this "personal preference" nonsense? How about I won't employ a Chinese dude because of personal preference?

Both are racist. It's OK not to date someone because you don't like them and they just happen to be of a certain race but to not date them purely because they are that race is racist regardless of what anyone says.

And you don't think that's racist?!

Read my comment again.

Is that really how you define racism?
Who to employ is also a personal preference on the part of the recruiting employer.
I know a few very traditionalist business owners in Thailand, Japan and South Korea who wouldn't consider employing a Chinese citizen nor a national of Finland or Egypt.

Well yes.

If I choose not to befriend someone because of their skin colour - that makes me a racist. If I choose not to be intimate with someone because of their skin colour - how can that be anything but?

Who to employ is literally regulated to prevent people having their "personal preferences" override things. What if your personal preference is to employ only men? That's the definition of gender discrimination.

Let me be clear - I'm not saying it's bad. If you don't want to go out with someone of a particular race - then all power to you. Just don't pretend it's not racism. I don't criticise it. Like I said, it's perfectly acceptable.

I agree it's perfectly acceptable.
I'm using the definition of racism where the focus is upon racial hatred, not one of the three p's (power, prejudice, preference).

I don't agree with the current petty tyranny that seem to be in the habit of going around automatically apportioning a vicious or negative motivation to random law abiding people's sexual or social preferences.
Nor with the hoards of self-appointed noisy moral arbitrators constantly taking the totalitarianist approach rather than minding their own business; creating an unsolicited role of sitting in judgement of all other people's private lifestyle preferences like some omniscient 'big brother' being who always knows best and is always guaranteed to be right about everything.

There are plenty of potential reasons why you could choose not to have sex, marry or make friends with an individual of the same race as yourself but a different complexion and skin tone.
Including your own attraction orientation, personal beauty standards, desire to impress family members, family traditions, secure a large inheritance from an awkward elderly relation or have children who are most likely to look like you/your biological relatives.
None of which would be wrong or any random strangers business unless you asked them for advice/to share their opinion.
My long list of dating dealbreakers are mostly based on age, personality and sexual compatibility.