Refilwe Modiselle slams #DMF over albino comment

Dennis TJuly 3, 2018

369 1 minute read

Refilwe is a model living with albinism and a proud advocate of the condition. Model and radio presenter Refilwe Modiselle was left fuming over a reference to people living with albinism on Sunday night’s episode of Date My Family, which she believed could perpetuate stigmas around the condition.

The star was watching as Tumelo, who has the same condition, was looking for love on Sunday’s episode but was touched when one of the girls on the show referred to people living with albinism as “albino people”.

Refilwe immediately jumped onto Twitter to question why the show’s creators had not corrected her.

https://twitter.com/vanillablaq/status/1013468449471901697

TshisaLIVE reached out to Mzansi Magic for comment on the backlash but did not receive a response by the time of publishing this article.

Refilwe’s comments sparked a debate in the comments section of the post, with the star adding that too many people were getting the description wrong and it was annoying.

https://twitter.com/vanillablaq/status/1013472387373916160

But some people took Refilwe on, asking her how they should refer to people with the condition? Refilwe responded to each hater and explained that it was not a joke when the stigma could do more harm than good.

Please don't disrespect us….. & it really isn't a joke…. how would you like our fellow black people to be called the "k" word
The problem is these very labels
Please use common sense
Collectively "people with albinism
Singular "person with albinism" #CaseClosed https://t.co/iTHeizI6BO

— Refilwe Modiselle (@vanillablaq) July 1, 2018

Reality show or not however real if may seem….. things are monitored my dear…..things are viewed pre edit & post edit.
Let's not make excuses for slopiness & she happened to mention this in a diary session not to him. He wouldn't have known how she termed it. https://t.co/86zuu02Nqy

— Refilwe Modiselle (@vanillablaq) July 1, 2018

This might not be a concern to you but some person/child has to live through society's rubbish like this…. the very people that you might not be concerned with are getting killed because of such commentary….so you should give a damn because this could be your own 1 day. https://t.co/jjgfpAD5If

— Refilwe Modiselle (@vanillablaq) July 1, 2018

https://twitter.com/vanillablaq/status/1013485645111623680

The star who is an advocate for people living with albinism told fans last year that she was tired of being seen only because of her condition.

“In light of my observation there seems to be a growing trend of people being fascinated by those they see with albinism as models and I understand that because of a lack of representation in such spheres, it becomes news, and as beautiful a notion as this is, people seem to get really extra…it also creating the wrong idea for those with albinism, that to be acknowledged as handsome or beautiful you have to become a model….. no no & no,” she said on social media.

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