to be rather hurt by the anti-ginger sentiment in my office

[SarfEasticated]

One of our departmental secretaries has just found out she is having a boy, and in the process of her coming round to tell everyone said that her partner had said 'if he's a ginger he's going back in'. Then quite a few of my colleagues who I have always liked, waded in with comments of agreement and general revulsion at the very idea of a red-headed child.
Made me feel awful as I do have red-hair, and any of my future children could have it too. So basically they all think I and other red-headed people are freaks that should never have been born. :(

How bizarre! I would love a little red head. So beautiful! You have to say something if this occurs again, its not on!

The Health Visitor running my ante-natal class made a very similar comment to your friend, which surprised me somewhat as I have red hair!

It seems like being 'anti-ginger' is a prejudice it's acceptable to voice aloud (and it's invariably voiced by complete and utter twats!)

My husband jokes that if we have a ginger baby it's my fault because I am adopted and have no Family history to prove I'm not ginger...!

this coming from a man who has a fully ginger beard ad loads of ginger family! I personally couldn't care
Less lol. I love the look of ginger hair!

Never understood the gingerist attitudes in this country. And it's very much unique to this country, something I can only wonder at -- is it the years and years of island mentality and inbreeding? You only have to look as far as Fabby to see how. But I suppose when your football captain is a racist pig, this looks like just a bit of fun in comparison.

And if you find it insulting or degrading or just plain stupid, they always come back with we're only joking, can't you take a joke?

Gingerism, the last PC vestige of the bigot. Because for some reason it's still PC and even hip to be a gingerist.

I remember the day I read this story and realised how fucking backwards parts of this country still were. Can it really be in 2012 that people are actually bullied and assaulted for their hair colour?

I've no children yet but when I do, I'd love it if I had a redhead. My late uncle,who died before I was born,had red hair,as did my great grandmother,I didn't get to meet her either,she died young,and it'd be a nice connection to them.
They're the only redheads in the family,and I'm hoping that gene will make an appearance again when I have children.

It's the revulsion I find so hard to take, I can't think of any other physical characteristic that it would be acceptable to be so horrified about.

I and my parents and siblings are all ginger, DP is blonde and I hope so much we have ginger children. I suffered endlessly at school with bullying partly about my hair but I love it now. Never get anything but positive comments on it.

Your workmates are cunts OP.

I'd love to have natural red hair, I think it is a beautiful colour. Mine is just plain & boring. I would save a fortune on hair dye if it was naturally red.

It's just a hair colour like any other. I don't understand why people make fun of it but I also don't understand the people who keep trying to convince others, and maybe themselves, that it's 'sunsets' and the best thing in the world. That doesn't help children who are being picked on; they sound daft when they respond back with the platitudes that well-meaning adults tell them. All it does is step the retorts up a notch.

Some people don't like red hair, some people don't like freckles, it's fine for them to have their viewpoint but they should keep it to themselves and not make stupid comments.

Fabby... I'm really amazed at the tolerance you're shown on this board. Surely the welfare of your child would have been the biggest concern? Any woman that would say that aloud what you did would make me think that they really shouldn't breed at all.

What the fuck is wrong with red hair? I love red hair. hell, my hair is dyed red and all

One of the more facetious (but of many) reasons I broke up with my ex was because he was Eastern European with very dark hair and eyes and would not have given me beautiful blue eyed ginger children. :o

Fabby, just what the fuck?

I don't get the anti-redhead stuff??!!

My gorgeous niece has red hair and when ever people see it they comment on it. Its bright fiery red.

I've never heard people be derogitory to anyone because of their hair colour.

(I've plenty of other racist remarks btw)

I thought people were envious of people with red hair.

Yes Sarfeasticated we are repulsed by the revulsion!! Revulsion right back at yer dickhead!!!

Isn't it a Norman/Anglo Saxon throwback hating red hair?

No, celts have red hair and we are all traditionally celt in some way. As I said red hair was revered 400 years ago, perhaps the mindset changed when James I took the throne? He was a Scot and a tad "odd" (by todays standards he would have been Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory!!) although so was Oliver Cromwell. So there we have two dislikable characters

I have a beautiful blue eyed red head and a beautiful brown eyed red head (also in Catford motherinferior ). The best comment I got was in a supermarket when a woman commented how lovely my DDS hair was, and how I was lucky they were girls because red hair on a boy isn't very nice.

err.........their Dad has red hair!

FlightRisk... Well I'm not envious of people with red hair, nor any other colour either. I'm envious of people with naturally straight hair though, whatever colour it is.

I really don't understand why people make fun of red hair but also not the people who gush so much about it either, it sounds overdone to me somehow.

Live and let live is the best philosophy to teach children, I think, not give them an artificial sense of superiority by saying that a hair colour is the best thing since sliced bread.

No I wasn't joking. My niece is ginger, yet has dyed her hair since she was 14. She is now 25.

LyingWITW - I would never throw a poor child to the mob suggest a kid retort 'but I've got a sunset' at the bullies. Was merely making the point that I don't understand the apparent universal disgust of a colour commonly occuring in pretty ways in nature. But yes - if you are not keen on freckles and redheads this is allowed. but morons in any form are not

I think Fabby is tolerated as our resident village idiot - she must just enjoy a good stir - no?

I have 2 children with gorgeous red hair. Most people say they love it. I have had quite few negative comments though even from friends. Several have said it's especially a shame for boys ( which they are). I am pregnant and would love a another little red head.

Flight

my DD is only 4 but i've had people ask if i'll let her dye her hair, if she has a temper to match , if she's DH's child, if she's adopted, if i mind ...i mean what the actual fuck goes through these arsehole's heads?

it's not about making 'conversation', it's downright rude.
and it doesn't wash with me about the 'blond' thing before anyone brings that up either.

none of my friends with blond-haired children have had comments like 'oohh, she'll be thick but be able to pour a decent pint' as soon as they brought their baby home

I don't think that's what we're referring to,Fabby. You said your biggest fear was that you'd have a child with red hair. Why you felt the need to share such a ridiculous,ignorant and crass statement is beyond me.

Oh also one of the boys is ds2 class says he hates him because of his hair colour. It makes me really . the boy in question is Asian and can you imagine the outcry if my son said the same about the colour of his skin for example. Gingerism is the last acceptable ism IMO.