Equal opportunity dating?

I would like to consider myself an equal opportunity dater. You know, basically if you  are my preference , I really don't care what your race is.  I've dated black, white, Indian, Chinese - cute is cute.
Every now and again, when I meet someone new , or I discuss this with people for the first time , I get shock, surprise and more often than I would like, disdain.  

Recently , when I was seeing the guy from " Nobody's sleeping in your bed", I remember being forced into saying I was going on a date.  I was then asked who the guy was. Then  I was asked where the guy was from .  I answered .. " What do you mean"? I often ask this when people ask because , I am first generation American so when I'm asked where I'm from, I say my borough , my state, or my family's country of origin ( depending on how I feel) .  The person then clarified. I explained that the guy was Turkish and she asked if he was white. I said  yea nonchalantly as she looked on in horror. She  said , she did not expect this from me as I was a positive, educated "sister" .  I wasnt offended but I did hear, you know your roots, why do you date outside of your race?   She then asked if I couldn't find a black man. I thought , I could but ,  this was the person who I was dating and race was never really an issue for me and I wasnt raised to look at color. She said she understood but, she seemed to not be too keen on the idea. 

I then remember a conversation I had years before with a black man I was talking to at the time.  One day we got into a heated discussion where he told me  that black women had too much mouth and that is why black men date outside of their race. I  said to  him , unfazed , "You can date all the non-black women you'd like because just like I can date a black man , I easily can date a white one as well." Needless to say,  I shut him up.  I do have a lot of mouth, however, I was not insulted by his comments.

 If black men can have jungle fever, platanos and collard greens ,  and whatever interracial love, Why can't I? Why do I have to be mad at black men for doing it ? Truth is I dont.

 I do not feel like I MUST marry , date, or talk to only black men. I date men-all types  . What their race is  means nothing to me as long as you aren't a jerk. I get a lot of questions and a lot of " I couldn't do that " from lots of my friends .  Many say to me, "Why ?"  I say, "Why not?" I see beauty in all of  Gods creations.  Though I grew up in the city and  I have dated mostly black men,   I date whoever I want- why close the selection pool?  My only pre-requisite is a man with a good job education . Color is not required.

It still is crazy to me that in this day and age and in this country color is still an issue. Some people say that its not , but it is. Because whenever I go on a date, and I'm telling my friends,some give  a sigh of relief when I am dating my own kind. I for one do  not care who I end up with, I just hope they can love and respect me and my family . I also hope  his family can respect and love me. I feel like if you have that , everything else is moot. What do you think?