"Ginger boys are just ugly"

WEll my mother is certainly not like that!

However interesting that you mention the higher likelihood of red hair in travellers. I think that is the case, although I do not know that, I've always thought it was true.... and I think that might be the basis for some of the anti-''gingerness'' in, specifically, Ireland.

Strictly, my (Irish) mother is exactly the same. A kind, sympathetic open-minded woman who's delighted and interested by the new ethnic groups in Ireland, who goes to Iftars over Ramadan at the house of a Pakistani guy she used to work with, is very fond of my gay friends etc etc. But will shriek about the horrors of red hair, despite anything I can say.

I think in her case it's another deep-rooted prejudice, her association of red hair with travellers. She/we grew up very poor next to a halting site and I think was terrified we would be mistaken for travellers, who were treated as subhuman in 1970s Ireland. Still are.

bloomsberry that's very interesting. no offence (and I mean that as I'm suffering with dodgy tone-itis at the moment), but are there research papers into that? I'd be really interested in reading about that further than google fodder!

Not sure I agree with xenophobia argument as growing up I had negative comments from the peers within the community I grew up in which was mainly of Irish descent. The xenophobia argument suggests that people/children have their own on their side, but this isn't always the case, hence examples of mums hoping their own children won't be ginger

cactus annie whilst the ginger hair issue is not exactly the same, as an asian woman I see similar traits and I find it vile. Now if it was in jest and not truly meant that's one thing, but comments on this thread demonstrate the sheer hatred, its bloody absurd! I was born and raised in England only today have I realised some English folks have this hatred for ginger haired people,i actually thought this thread was not serious at first but I'm sad to learn it is?!

I don't know Bloomsberry. You might be right, or they might just have really disliked ginger hair, and saw that as a reason to bully.

I'm not sure Primary kids really think past their noses at times, but of course it could have been driven into them at home, now I come to think of it.

My mother had gorgeous red hair as did my mother-in-law. Based on this I was so hopeful that I would have a red-haired baby. Sadly not but I love red hair and red-haired men make my heart go potter-patter.

Worra, that doesn't surprise me, but I think your experience speaks to various identity issues in people of Irish descent in the UK, what you could term Plastic Paddy confusion and internalised xenophobia.

I don't think it's widely known that Irish people in the UK have poorer mental health, higher suicide rates, and are over-represented among more serious mental illnesses, compared to almost all the other ethnic minority groups, and, crucially, that it can continue to the second and third generations.

Apologies -have come a long way from red hair...

Flowers you are most simply put uncivilised if you think your comments should be on this thread!

the irony of all this is a lot of Caucasian English people most likely carry the gene for red hair and don't even know, so those of you mocking it beware it could be your child next, then all your abuses would stop right? lol

**Those dissing carrot ginger - You do know babies can't choose their hair color any more than they can their skin color or anything else.
This This This x 1,000.
If this was a conversation about not liking certain skin colors. They would be breaking the law. So yes why is it acceptable to diss hair color. For as long as I live I'll never understand that.
YNBU op. It's absurd that adults who are expecting children them selves think it fine to mock children because of their hair color. Great example they're going to be their future children.

worra my Irish DM is an exceptionally liberal person who does not believe in bad mouthing anybody due to their physical presence. Unless they're ginger. I've always found that exceptionally odd (as I'm auburn ffs too, so I was the family 'ginger' ).

I know an absolutely ridiculous amount of hot ginger boys. I have snogged a LOT of them in my time. People are utter idiots. Red hair is utterly beautiful in either sex.

How rude and offensive.

Sad that they are so ignorant.

I had a huge crush on Rick Astley and I'm in love with Eddie Redmayne. Don't listen to them. Gingers are gorgeous!!!

Benedict Cumberbatch looks distinctly ginger here

Cactus, racism isn't solely about racism towards black people and I really do mean that respectfully.
If a group of people ie gingers are mocked regularly and this is seen as acceptable then I do think it can negatively affect lives.
Examples of hit a ginger day, acceptable low level bullying ignored by teachers as there is no directive about not picking on gingers, low self-esteem attributable to school and life experiences of being perceived as ugly.
Ultimately a group has been identified as being of a lower standard than the norm and I don't think any of us should stand back and think this is acceptable.
It may not be on a par with historical and current racism towards black people in society, but as mothers and people educated in the negatives associated with people being perceived as less worthy, surely this should be nipped in the bud early

I've spent the day Without my ginger haired teenager because he's been out on a date and I've counted at least three different girls on Skype with him tonight. I can tell you he is not short of admirers and that's because he's gorgeous. Gorgeous and ginger. Who would have thunk it .

giddylimit I was wondering when someone would post that.

Pretty is pretty. Sexy is sexy. Hair colour/skin tone/size etc doesn't come into it as no one fits everyone's profile. Its just ignorance to band everyone together.

I have ginger and gorgeous exes and ugly brunette and blonde exes. Nothing is exclusive!

I love gingers/redheads. DH has a ginger beard if he grows one.

Our DS (26) has auburn/red hair - no pale eyelashes or freckles though - and whilst I don't think he was actually bullied at his (independent) school as a result, he did start dyeing his hair dark brown when he was about 17 and in the sixth form. I tried to dissuade him but ended up helping him , then we had a letter from school saying he was to dye it back to its natural colour which pissed me off because if his hair had been naturally dark brown they wouldn't have said anything......it wasn't as though he dyed it an unnatural colour!

When he went off to uni he carried on dyeing it for a while then during his second year he gradually went back to his natural colour. Now he's happy to be a redhead. His g/f of 10 years loves it

And just to show the love of the ginger is not a recent thing...

I'm not sure if it's xenophobic either.

I went to Catholic primary and Catholic secondary school, in a hugely Irish populated area, and kids still got bullied for being ginger.

The bullies were mostly of Irish descent, as were the kids who got bullied.