to ask why is it acceptable to say you hate kids?

[allegretto]

Prompted by a certain female comedien saying this (whom I love btw!), it seems that it is the last taboo. By all means say you are not a child-person, you don't want kids etc but HATE them? You wouldn't be able to say that about any other group of people (and kids are people), so why do people say it about children?

[WhatsWineGotToDoWithIt]

Was it said tongue in cheek?

[DunkMeInTomatoSoup]

Presumably she is allowed an opinion, or are the thought police amongst us now?

People hate many things, which I agree is an over use of the word hate, when they mean dislike. People hate cats, dogs, animals, mushrooms, sunshine, wet weather, other people. Why not children?

[allegretto]

I'm not sure but in any case, it is something which crops up quite a lot with childless friends of mine that they say that they hate kids. Seems a bit OTT to me.

[ShatnersWig]

I hate bigots. They are people.
I hate homophobes. They are people.
I hate Donald Trump. He's a person.
I hate child abusers. They're a group of people.

[allegretto]

Dunk - so if someone says they hate any racial group or sexual orientation, presumably that's fine too?

[GameOldBirdz]

Because some of us do hate kids.

I can see absolutely no redeeming features in them whatsoever.

[Skarossinkplunger]

So would it make it any easier if she said "I don't like children"?

[Lilmisskittykat]

Children are not protected under the equality act though ..

[IHaveBrilloHair]

I say it and I have one!

[MrsJayy]

Maybe the women honestly doesn't like children but hate is a strong word isn't it ? I can see how people find children annoying or irritating but if it wasn't for children we would die out

[allegretto]

GameOldBirdz - surely you were one once? I'm not saying that people have to love children, just that it seems weird that it is so acceptable to say you hate a group of people, protected by law or not.

[CliffRichardsPenIs]

Dunk - so if someone says they hate any racial group or sexual orientation, presumably that's fine too?

Children don't fall under the Equality Act so legally, yes, fine.

[allegretto]

Shatnerswig - in all those cases, you are hating people for something they have done. If you hate children, you are hating them for their age - how is this different from hating someone for skin colour?

[DunkMeInTomatoSoup]

What protected characteristic do children have?

And you are free to dislike, even hate, anyone of any persuasion or orientation, whether you voice it, act upon it or use it as a basis for discrimination is another matter.

[ShatnersWig]

but if it wasn't for children we would die out

Ah well. Fair exchange if we did. After all, we've wiped out thousands of other species.

[TurquoiseChevrotain]

I hate old people.

I mean the hate you'd get for saying that.

I don't hate old people btw.

[MrsJayy]

My eldest Dd hated children when she was a child she says she will never have her own and doesn't see the appeal of them.

[allegretto]

Children don't fall under the Equality Act so legally, yes, fine.

Yes, I realise that. I am not asking if it is legal to overtly hate them (it clearly is) but whether it is right.

[Lilmisskittykat]

I think it’s fine to express an opinion

[CliffRichardsPenIs]

MrsJayy allegretto

Two stupid arguments.

Yes, I was a child once. I'm sure my adult self would absolutely hate my child-self. I hated children even when I was a child.

There's no risk of the human population dying out. In fact, we needed a period of slowed down reproduction in the West to stop resources and space getting critical. The human race won't die out because some women don't like children.

[allegretto]

I think it’s fine to express an opinion

Any opinion?

[LongWavyHair]

People seem to get more offended if someone says "I hate dogs" these days.

[SharkiraSharkira]

I think it's just an expression, it's fairly likely they don't actually despise them just dislike them.

Also, children do eventually grow up whereas I don't know of many people that grow out of being gay or black (for example).

[FaFoutis]

Is 'I hate old people' ok then? Isn't that ageism?
So why isn't 'I hate children' ageism?

[MissionItsPossible]

If someone started a thread about hating old people I don't think people would be as quick to defend others rights to believe that.