What do we think of ‘gingerism’?

I had assumed that it was less prevelant these days because there has been a small decline in anti-Irish racsim compared to e.g. the 90s, which is why I always thought it was less of a thing in the US as they tend to be less racist about the Irish more generally.

I remember it being very bad during the 90s/00s.

@HunterHearstHelmsley

👏👏👏and also 🏆

I'm a ginge. I've had a life of people thinking it's ok to make negative comments about it. I started making offensive comments back, strangely people don't like that!

One of my favourites was when someone asked if I'd considered dying my hair as why would I want ginger hair? I asked if they'd considered a nose job as they looked like the Child Catcher. Apparently that was not OK!

But it’s not even close to the same as racism, and is now so far removed from Irish xenophobia, and it’s deeply offensive to compare the two

I don't think they are the same, but you are choosing to take deep offence.

If person A says - I have a right to dislike certain colours of hair, and broadcast my opinion

Then person B says - you think it's ok to put people down and tell them a part of their body is ugly. I wonder if you do the same with skin colours, do you have some you don't like?

How is that offensive?

Not every single reference to skin colour is offensive.

People do actually get mistreated, bullied, and historically even persecuted for hair colour. So it's not a trivial comparison.

i would have asked them why they were being such a cunt towards their own grandchild.

all -isms are Othering. And Othering is twatty behaviour.

It's disheartening at best and incredibly offensive at worst.

Some family members have suffered mercilessly due to hair colour than I ever have due to my skin.

I linked a study that said redheads were less likely to be hired, less likely
to be in a relationship and red heads seemingly earn less money for an immutable characteristic. Seemingly some people think they used to be disproportionately targeted during the witch hysteria. Also it seems linked to anti-Celt bigotry.

This seems kind of textbook, no? To acknowledge it doesn’t diminish racism and the like.

I say this as someone who has no chance of having a redhead in my genes 😂

Are you being deliberately obtuse?

It's ethnicity/national origin. I'm not sure why that is so hard to understand.

You can't just dismiss the legal status/definition because it doesn't suit you. That's patently ridiculous. Our whole society is based on a framework of laws and definitions contained therein. This fits so as much as you disagree it its racism by definition whether you like it or not.

I also don't think having ginger hair is the same as racism, FGS. My children are mixed culture, and they have more grief about the other side of their heritage than mine, which is pretty obvious as I'm white, British and middle-class, not a notoriously disadvantaged group.

I don't believe there's a deep-seated hatred of people with ginger hair, any more than I believe there's a deep-seated hatred of people who wear glasses, which was also a reason for bullying at school. School bullying is common for lots of reasons, and once you get out of school, I don't think I've heard of anyone having significant issues.

The one paper which shows employment differences was a crappy experiment with fake CVs and profiles, I'm not sure that is replicable and doesn't show in real-life any disadvantage.

Perhaps I have my head in the sand, but the more you make 'gingerism' a thing, the more it is a thing. Just stop going on about it and treat it like someone who makes remarks about appearance, with a withering look.

What irritates me about these threads is people saying but ginger hair is lovely etc. That's hardly the point, who cares if you love it or hate it. Its a part of who a persons identity and unacceptable in any circumstances to poke fun at, no more than facial features or birth marks or skin tone. It needs to be called out. Every time.

Dh often points out that comedians on panel shows publicly ridicule gingers but wouldn't dare comment on any other physical features. Like it's always open season for gingers.

You need to think a little deeper. WHY do you think there is prejudice against redheads in certain parts of the UK?

How so?

To claim being anti-hair colour is same as being racist, is quite racist. Even if you are mixed race. Using a definition that doesn’t prove your point is just embarrassing.

3 of 4 of my DC are varying shades of ginger. It pisses me off all the comments

No, ginger is not a race. And it is not about being anti-Irish or anti-Scottish unless you ARE Irish or Scottish.

None of that attributes to hair colour

The only thing you can say in this situation is 'ginger hair, how lucky!' and move away from the person.

I've done well out of having ginger hair, it's cute on kids, people remember you and when you get older, you don't go grey.

I know some people experience intense bullying at school, though, and that's always wrong, I've had some silly remarks over the years, but nothing more and if anything, I think I've had more positive remarks than silly ones.

Just look puzzled if anyone says anything negative, like you would if they said something politically incorrect about any appearance.

I used to be a ginger (old and faded)

Never really had any serious hassle, but had 2 exes back in the day who both had a "thing" for red heads...I really was very into both of them so it never bothered me at the time, but now it seems a bit icky like i was a weird fetish😂

Indeed

The lack of awareness is embarrassing. It's literally in the legal definitions.

It absolutely is racist to be prejudice against redheads on the basis on their hair colour. It is literally part of their ethnic dna

And countless others too yes.

Thank you for proving my point by posting that although you clearly scored an own goal in the process lol

It does. Like I said, I don't think everyone who slags off gingers (or redheads as they're known in the rest of the world!) is doing it out of conscious racism towards Irish or Scottish people, but that's the root.

In the Equality Act, race can mean your colour, or your nationality (including your citizenship). It can also mean your ethnic or national origins, which may not be the same as your current nationality. For example, you may have Chinese national origins and be living in Britain with a British passport.

www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equality-act-2010/your-rights-under-equality-act-2010/race-discrimination

I don’t see that it’s ’OK’ at all.

I knit items for a charitable org. that distributes them (free) to children’s therapists all over the U.K. Theres a massive demand and one thing invariably badly needed is a set of ‘professional’ hand puppets - doctor, nurse, teacher, social worker etc. - 7 in all.
I always make a point of giving one of my professionals red/ginger hair, partly because it’s lovely, but largely for the benefit of any child who might be suffering from teasing.

My DD gets picked on for being short.

Horrific, as is being picked on for a hair colour.

But not comparable to racism and I find it deeply concerning people in 2024 think it’s an acceptable comparison

YANBU. I think red hair is absolutely stunning and I have massive envy.
Everyone loves ginger cats so why are humans different?

Still a thing for teens in my experience.