Finding love as an albino
Love is a beautiful thing. It knows no color, no age, no religion. You can fall in love with anyone, but to actually decide to love someone is completely something else.
We are all humans and are searching for a way to survive and connect in this world. Love may not make the world go round, but it sure makes the ride easier. It’s hard enough finding a faithful partner with whom you share common values, and it doesn’t get any easier when people consider you disadvantaged, like having a disability or albinism.
Albinism occurs when one of several genetic defects prevents the body from making melanin, the substance that gives color to hair, skin, and the iris of the eye. Albinism is passed from parents to their children through genes. For most types of albinism, both parents must carry an albinism gene to have a child with albinism.
Parents may have normal pigmentation but still, carry the gene. When both parents carry the gene, and neither parent has albinism, there is a one-in-four chance at each pregnancy that the baby will be born with albinism. This type of inheritance is called autosomal recessive inheritance.
Albinos struggle to find love. People living with albinism face discrimination in many parts of Africa and finding love becomes a challenge.
Stereotypes that make it hard for Albinos to find love:
While society is slowly adapting and realizing that there is nothing wrong with being an albino, sometimes, it is really hard to shake off the misconceptions that the community possesses. For instance:
- That if you touch an albino, you will be ‘white’ as well, or that if you are pregnant and you meet an albino your baby might be white. This is a myth and a pure lie. Albinism is passed on through genes, not contact.
- Albinos have even been associated with superstition and magical powers in some cultures-something which resulted in the murder of such individuals, which is extremely sad.
- People staring at you everywhere you go. You can’t even have enough privacy for yourself.
- They are not considered normal human beings. People ask rude, insensitive, or just plain dumb questions about albinism because they believe that people with albinism are not normal. Do you like to be stared at, obsessively? Especially by strangers? I guess not.
- There are others who have weird sexual fetishes and fantasies that they would like to fulfill. No emotional bond, no relationship values, simply want to get it off with you.
We all want love
The one thing that unites us as human beings, is that we are social beings. We crave a connection. We want to feel loved, understood, and accepted. It is the same for people living with albinism.
They want to be safe and to feel connected and accepted.
People with albinism can have a normal lifespan and lead normal lives without any limitations due to their condition. As the world moves on, cultures and traditions evolve and mindsets change. Because their greatest triumph in love is being comfortable in their own skin.