Really deep, philosophical question: Does coloured hair signify you're a TRA?

There is definitely a look. It’s not green/blue hair on its own though.

Must be accompanied with a terrible haircut, ill fitting black clothes on someone slightly overweight with pasty skin.

Also that look on their face that they’ve never been told ‘no’ by their parents.

I’m forever directing people to the loos where I work. I’ve had a couple of women independent of each other tell me they were men when I had the temerity to point them in the direction of the ladies. Both had blue/ green hair so I tend to associate it with trans. I wouldn’t necessarily think other bright colours were trans.

I don't think - as a fan of all things Japanese - that it's anime's fault. There are lots of anime fans (aka most of the Japanese nation) who are not TRAs, and the agenda isn't intrinsic to the films.

BUT having said that, I have no idea why they all like anime so much, except that perhaps the stereotyping of women in Japanese culture is appalling. Or that real life is too confusing for them.

But that's not what I came to say. I dye my grey streaks, they are currently v dark blue. My style icon is Philippa Perry, I am a name changing regular on this board. We need to reclaim the hair colour.

I think they do it because they need a lazy signifier of their nonconformism.

JKRs colour isn't really the same type, even if it's unnatural. Most of the reds you see aren't.

It's the very saturated crayola colours that give the look.

I think it' become associated with that particular group because they tend to be attracted to style statements that have a whiff of surface non-conformity about them. Often also short or asymmetrical, maybe tattoos or a nose ring, and certain other things pulled from pung, goth, and alternative fashion.

All of these are now fully commercialized and associated with being "progressive" in some circles, and people feel safe wearing those things but also edgy.

I think if you like the styles for themselves, go ahead and wear them. But it's worth being aware that people might on first meeting associate you with a certain political tribe.

Do you think JK Rowling (age 56) really has natural bright red hair like that?

I'm old enough to remember when she was blonde...

A slightly off-the-topic comment on this: On Twitter having a profile picture of a childish anime cartoon character face is an almost 100% accurate predictor that the owner of the account is a trans activist.

It's fascinating, because it suggests that the anime communities are somehow deeply involved in all this. Or if not that, then perhaps the idea that people can create their own images online without having any of the real world limitations?

Haha, I had this colleague too. They rotated between every hair colour of the rainbow, and much time was taken up at the beginning of meetings talking about the latest colour. That and pronouns stuff accounted for a high proportion of their work communications.

IME yes. There's a look. I suppose if it's just the hair dye with everything else "normal", then maybe not.

I have turquoise and purple short hair. I'm a straight GC woman. I just wanted short coloured hair!

My hair is naturally dark and the ends are bleached with a pink/purple washout dye over the top. It's fairly subtle but most people notice it. I am GC.

I’m nearly 50 and have been colouring my hair on and off since before many of these TRA’s parents were born 😂

if you like it do it. I wear a rainbow bracelet and a unicorn one. They are good conversation starters with children at work.

Very bright pink here. Used to be blue too. Definitely GC and on these boards but not with this name usually

I have purple hair. Not TRA.

Oh and I'm most definitely not a TRA!

I’ve had brightly coloured hair for decades, currently purple and blue. I’m a granny and definitely not TRA. Some judgey people on here.

I had pink hair at the start of lockdown before everyone decided you have to zoom every day (I have the kind of job where pink hair, especially for a woman pushing 60, would be very frowned upon). I shall dye it pink again the moment I retire

Quite so!
Reject all those stereotypes, do whatever you want to with your hair.

I try not to stereotype & some of the posts above have mentioned free thinkers and GCs among the rainbow haired, so I will keep that in mind. That said, I’m still haunted by my experiences with a rainbow haired colleague who thought they were really alternative but had a very simplistic, orthodox SJW perspective on everything. That person counts amongst my top 3 most annoying colleagues of all time. I try very hard to keep an open mind but God it’s hard when so many of the noisy, angry SJWs wear the same conformist uniform.

I have kind of green hair at the moment. It's fading and the roots didn't take, hence the mind of. I have had blue hair in the past but I hope it fits my "look" as I also have 1.5 tattoo sleeves and various other tattoos, and not the shitty ones that all the hipsters and Love Island types have,but proper one off designs by great artists around the world.

I also have GC badges on my rucksack and (once I finish making it) a suffragette colour friendship bracelet. I don't remember them taking so long to make when I was a kid!

Well done to PP for admitting the judgy, even if you'd probably judge me badly. I too judge everyone, especially people who don't use proper SPAG or who wear leggings that are so cheap I can see their pants and cellulite. Like you, once I have to interact with them, I withhold the judging until/unless they prove me right 😉

Go for it. My friend who lectures in Gender Studies, occasionally has blue or pink hair. She is straight and very GC. So confounding the stereotype which is also very GC.

This is news to me. I am not a TRA by any stretch of the imagination and have very vivid red hair at the moment, as bright as I can get away with in the office. During lockdown it was blonde with magenta ends. Think Beyonce in the Bootylicious video if she had to do it at home with a box of Clairol.

My hair is pink/purple because I like it and it suits me. That's it

"But does brightly coloured hair (of any colour) now signify TRA politics?"
I hope not! My hair has been all sort of colours and was most recently turquoise. TRA-turquoise is not the hair colour alone, as others have pointed out.

I would love to experiment with pink hair, as I think it can look great. I haven't because my hair is mostly still dark and I can't be doing with bleaching, but once it's gone fully silver I'm planning to. I think the blue/aqua hair is most strongly associated with transactivists, but it's not just the hair is it – there's a general style and look too. If you have a different, more grown-up or unique style, that would reduce the effect!

Not saying you have to channel Helen Mirren, but just as an example - she's doing it her own way and doesn't have a TRA vibe.