To think abusing someone for having ginger hair is as bad as racism?

[joogle]

Carrot-top, copper-top, ginger-nut, ginger minger, Duracell, Ronald McDonald. These taunts can make people's lives a misery.

If race is defined as:

an arbitrary classification of modern humans, sometimes, especially formerly, based on any or a combination of various physical characteristics, as skin color, facial form, or eye shape, and now frequently based on such genetic markers as blood groups.

Then we can assume that racism is hate or intolerance of another human being, primarily because of the way they look.

I don't know whether 'gingerism' could be classed as a form of racism, likely not, but do people acknowlegde that it is as bad as racism?

[joogle]

There was a facebook group started called 'kick a ginger day'. Would 'kick someone with an afro day' or 'kick someone with dark skin day' be any less acceptable?

[lettinggo]

I've just been working with the children in my class on bullying that's going on of a girl with red hair (I don't like to word "ginger" either - it's a relatively recent work, since Chris Evans, and seems to have negative associations with it).

I totally agree with you, it's horrible.

[joogle]

I'm blonde and although I'm aware of that I've never really experienced it. My mum is Scottish and has red hair, when she moved to England aged 8 she was bullied terribly because of her skin and hair colour

[Lavitabellissima]

I don't think blonde's are abused as such stranded bear, mocked maybe. Especially at school age a lot of bullying happens to children with ginger hair, I do think it's on a par with racial abuse

I think red/ginger/strawberry blonde hair is beautiful

[Bucharest]

No its not racism, because there are aslo southern mediterranean people with red hair.

It is nasty abuse and name calling though.

I think the blonde=thick thing is more recent. And less insidious.

[JiminyCricket]

Any attitude that shows such a lack of respect for individual difference is just unintelligent and rude. I hate it.

[TeddyMcardle]

I was bullied badly through school for my red hair, I tried to commit suicide.

Maybe though I was just vulnerable and they would have picked on me anyway?
Who knows.My experience is school is hellish for red haired girls and as soon as you leave men love your red hair and you don't have any further problems! I think boys and men have a much tougher time of it.

Don't know if it's as bad as racism, can you compare these things? Singling anyone out for whatever 'reason' and abusing them is wrong surely.

[joogle]

But if you break down the meaning of 'race' and subsequent 'racism' isn't a large element of racism (although clearly not all of it) intolerance of another human being because of a physical characteristic they happen to have been born with i.e the colour of their skin, hair, eyes?

[valiumredhead]

No its not racism, because there are aslo southern mediterranean people with red hair I have read that and read it and STILL it makes no sense to me!

I agree with JiminyCricket - it's a cheap, lay shot.

[SpringHeeledJack]

I hate it- the same way I hate kids being picked on for their height (or lack of), weight, poverty, big ears etc etc etc

but I also hate people claiming it as a form of/as bad as racism. It's really not.

[joogle]

In most other countries red hair is considered beautiful!!!

[joogle]

Even if it can't be classified as racism do you not think that the abuse someone receives can affect them emotionally in the same way racial abuse can?

[Pumpernickel10]

There's also a thread about this that was posted yesterday by me

[loo]

I never knew there was such racisim until I saw that comedian (whose name fails me the one who then went onto Dr Who and did a red nose day sketch with Tony Blair years back) make a joke about support group and going out only at night etc. I mentioned it to a friend who has red hair the next day and she confirmed it. I was and am still shocked by what people choose to be horrid and downright shocking about. When did it all start as I never knew anything about it when I was a child make me think it was a way to vent frustrations when poeple would be singled out for other racist remarks or has it been the case since the year dot? Any kind of remark in my book whether racist , bullying, or just bitchy/horrid is out of order and should be stamped on in the hardest way.

[joogle]

Pumpernickel10 - Was it in aibu? I'll take a look!

[loo]

actually reading what springheeledjack says has made me think, I also hate the way people go on about blond haired kids as if they are angels. Or maybe it's just what I grew up with and still see today.

[Pumpernickel10]

I posted it after the dominios incident with that young lad. I've a DH and DD with ginger hair.

So OP it was slitty eyes yesterday, ginger hair today what's for tomorrow?

[thumbwitch]

I don't agree that "ginger" started with Chris Evans - I was called ginger at school and I'm only a little bit younger than him.

It's not quite racism, but it probably started that way - lots of Gaelic people have red hair, I think many Vikings had red hair so it was a sign of a foreign person to the Anglo Saxons (my history is pretty limited on this so I'll probably make all sorts of factual errors with names of races) - BUT it is bullying people for a difference that they were born with and has no bearing on who they are. And it's despicable - not least because many adults condone it.

And, just to add insult to injury, the most common hair colour that people choose to dye their hair is some shade of red. So you get bullied to hell and back as a child for having red hair, and then the fuckers go and copy you when they're in their teens. Ridiculous.

[dadof2littlebuggers]

i have red hair and just put up with all the jokes , carrot head, never botherd me , why would i let it? i was also teased for having a stutter, i suppose i was asking for it, but i made the discision early on not to let it bother me, and it diddnt
red-haired girls can be beautiful, nature isnt so kind to red-haired males , fortunatly, i'm not butt ugly but i think the GF's i have had were in spite of my red hair not because of it.
also, as for racisem, no one has ever been lynched for having red hair ...enough said .
ginger pubes ?, fortunatly, women dont seem to give a stuff either way, i think it's mens realm to have a preference in that department

[Pumpernickel10]

Yes it was joogle
Title I think AIBU to be offended by this

[joogle]

Pumpernickel10 - I'm not sure, will have a think

[Pumpernickel10]

I don't think it's racism but I think it's offensive and part of bullying.
Would me being called blondie offend me no but my DD being called ginger certainly would

[Pumpernickel10]

Wasn't having a go joogle it's good that it's cone to our attention how vile some can be to others.