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Original poster

Ginger mocking/abuse is it covered by any law

116 replies

havingamadmoment · 15/03/2013 07:05

I have red hair as do 3 of my 5 children. I was never bullied as a child but in the last few years especially since dc got hair(!) increasingly we are getting well abuse for it.

Just in the last few months numerous men (and its always men for some reason) have concede ex themselves with the colour of my pubic hair, one going so far as to lean out of the car window to shout this obviously important question to me and my 8 year old dd.

I have had a bottle thrown at me from the top of a bus while some twatty teenage boys rhymes random words with ginge and a man has told me that his wife would have killed herself if she had had a ginger baby.

I mean WTF I am 30 this hasn't been an issue for most of my life until the last 2 years or so - what's going on.

Seriously thinking of starting to make a fuss about it . It's not a joke anymore, I don't mind the people who say things like "won't lose them in a crowd" about my dds but the abuse that turns violent or sexual in tone is too much.

If I report it will it be taken seriously? Most people in real life seem to say that we just need to put up with it - do we?

OP posts:
quoteunquote · 15/03/2013 13:25

report to the police,

and hope these idiots try it on with my sister, the last time someone did, she reduced them (couple of men) to tears, without violence,

I come from a long line of red heads, and have one of my own, she is always getting compliments on her hair, which is stunning, not sure why I'm proud, all I did was pass the genes on.

Personally I think people who have such boring hair get jealous(I'm brunette with hint of my mother's genes) , no amount of hair dye is ever going to give you such stunning hair as a natural red head, fake red hair looks terrible, you can't recreate it, and no other colour is ever going to be so striking.

OP, these people who were so hateful, will spend their lives as uninteresting unnoticed vile gits, report sad idiots, it is the nearest they will get to being anything.

LadyPessaryPam · 15/03/2013 13:26

One of my DDs is ginger and her hair is now a very pretty auburn. I really don't understand why people are horrible about red hair, I think it looks nice (especially on Damian Lewis).

I would definitely report the assaults to the police.

quoteunquote · 15/03/2013 13:27

RANGA

Fillyjonk75 · 15/03/2013 13:36

David Oakes is another gorgeous red haired actor- I might start a tumblr page for the appreciation of redheads...

Also Richard Madden - Robb Stark in Game of Thrones - Er, hello!

Snoopingforsoup · 15/03/2013 13:49

When DS was in the pram, an old dear leant in and did lots of cooing, asked lots of the usual questions and then ended it with a total killer 'shame about the hair colour though isn't it dear'.
DS was once on DH's shoulders, he was two and a bunch of teenagers started pointing and shouting 'ginneeer' at him.
I don't think he's ever had any stick at school but I wouldn't think twice about reporting any insults with a sexual/threatening tone.
I still see plenty of ginger jokes on FB. I'd love to know where this prejudice has come from, because my Grandmother's red hair was always celebrated. I don't get the impression anyone had ever given her grief about her hair colour and she always said it was what attracted my Grandfather to her. Is it a recent thing? I certainly remember ginger kids getting grief at school.

Snoopingforsoup · 15/03/2013 14:00

I also saw an agency casting call out which required a family for a photographic ad.
It had a tag line of 'no ginger hair please'.
I couldn't believe it and still can't!

Jelly15 · 15/03/2013 14:15

My DSs (grown up now) have ginger hair and they had some of the usual unimaginative comments but they have always been able to ignore the t**ts who make them or return a comments back on them.

I am a childminder and only a few days ago I was on the school run chatting to a gran with a granddaughter with beautiful red hair. The gran commented that she was disappointed that the child had red hair. I mean if your grandmother doesn't think you are the bees knees and is derogetory about your looks Angry.

SueDoku · 15/03/2013 15:23

My favourite (& very clever) response to such idiots...
m.youtube.com/watch?v=KVN_0qvuhhw

mum47 · 15/03/2013 15:33

I have copper/auburn hair and have never been teased about it, in fact more likely to be complimented - it needs a bit of a helping hand these days, and the redder the better! DS2 is more blonde now but when they were young I got nothing but nice comments about their hair. I find it unfathomable that somebody would be picked on because of their hair colour. It is a cheap shot because it is not perceived as "racism" in the way that colour of skin etc is.

My DS1 has beautiful hair the same colour as mine used to be. I was really worried he would get teased, but he has never been, he has it quite longish, has lovely green eyes, and dresses in a cool skateboardey look, so maybe he gets it away with it because of this. Also we live in Scotland, and maybe red hair is more common here.

I was a bit concerned recently though to see a drink in a supermarket called "Ginger Joe" because guess what DS' name is!

NiniLegsInTheAir · 15/03/2013 15:46

I have red hair and have put up with the abuse all my life. It's not as bad now I'm an adult thankfully. I got beaten up on a train when I was a 11 by a group of older kids I didn't know -because of my hair colour.

I'm actually really relieved that my DD doesn't have red hair. Instead she has a lovely shade of brown with red gold streaks that only come out in the sun Smile

As far as I'm concerned, abusing someone for the colour of their hair is as much a crime as abusing someone for the colour of their skin. I don't see what the difference is.

Oblomov · 15/03/2013 15:51

Makes me very very sad. Ds2 has very very ginger hair. he will have all this to look forward to and endure. Not good.

Oblomov · 15/03/2013 15:58

I LUUUURVE the Tim Minchin Prejudice Grin. Have seen it before.

mum47 · 15/03/2013 16:55

Ooh yes, it is fab - as is he, yum!

TweedSlacks · 15/03/2013 17:48

I have had to put with this type of abuse all my life. Im a ginger / red head but do dye it to cover the greys enhance its shine .
Its been an issue since I can remember , usual nasty 'Ginger Minger' comments and 'Ginger pubes uurrggghhhhhhh' type of thing.
I suppose you become used to the nasty comments but they do hurt are upsetting.
I always wish I was born anything else but a Ginger . Would have made school life / puberty etc an awful lot easier .
Such a shame we live in a Jeremy Kyle enhanced society, with all its entrapments

TweedSlacks · 15/03/2013 17:49

Strikethrough fail

LittleEdie · 15/03/2013 18:10

YANBU

LadyFlumpalot · 15/03/2013 18:22

I genuinely don't understand this! I think proper ginger hair is very, very beautiful! I used to live next door to a lass with very long, bright copper coloured hair and huge bright green eyes. I thought she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. I hoped my son would have ginger hair, his dad is a kind of strawberry blonde.

GregBishopsBottomBitch · 15/03/2013 18:27

My friends little girl, has ginger hair, its just a beautiful colour. Im shocked that people make comments.

I hate the gingers have no soul thing, that really fucks me right off.

Rowgtfc72 · 15/03/2013 18:37

Dd is auburn, if I had a quid for every time someone told me it was beautiful. We call her our little ginger ninja which upset nursery as they didnt like the word "ginger" we had to use red head or auburn. Something to do with bullying. DD has never been bullied,shes six, however Dh was a ginger at school and copped for it really badly. We did have contingency plans for karate lessons as shes ridiculously tall for her age,wears glasses, is ginger and has sticky out teeth. Luckily she has the gift of the gab and can talk herself out of bother but I do find it sad we had plans in place to pre-empt any bother. Incidently I dyed my hair auburn for years as I think its a beautiful colour.

Maat · 15/03/2013 18:41

More often than not, when a parent or grandparent says they hope their children/grandchildren don't have red hair it is not because they do not like red hair but because they don't want a child to be bullied. Who can blame them?

Unfortunately, this just feeds into the negativity and others pick up on it.

We are an entire family of redheads. I love, love, love having red hair.
I once dyed it dark and felt that I had lost my identity completely. I couldn't wait to get back to being a red head.

DS1 and 2 have had some teasing but I have used the term "ginger" to them affectionately since they were little and so they don't see it as abuse on it's own.

I'm surprised about the casting agency. Redheaded children are often seen in adverts. See how many you can spot.

DS2 has been offered many acting parts without us ever needing an agent.

Reclaim the ginger - that's what I say !! Smile

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 15/03/2013 18:51

Sounds pretty nasty.
I must admit I have made ginger jokes but nothing nasty and as a blond Essex girl suffered much in return. But, I'm talking about jokes between friends not the abuse you describe. Definitely not nice and yes Yanbu.
Despite the jokes, I like red hair and dyed my hair with a reddish tinge.

Latara · 15/03/2013 19:05

I recently had my hair dyed auburn & have had so many (luckily positive) comments on the colour - but i'm considering going brunette now that it's growing out because i don't like getting the attention of a brighter hair colour.

I think red hair of all shades looks lovely but yes, i remember seeing kids getting abuse at school years ago.. it's bad that people still have to put up with it these days too.

singingsoprano · 15/03/2013 19:16

My youngest dd has beautiful red hair and was sometimes bullied at primary school. At secondary school (all girls), she was told that if her hair ad been redder, she wouldn't be as popular! Shock
Between the ages of 14 and 16, she dyed her hair various shades, but has now decided that being a redhad is much better!Grin

thegreylady · 15/03/2013 19:27

I love red/ginger hair.My grandma had lovely red hair and I hoped one of my dc might inherit it but no luck-both brown :)

seriouscakeeater · 15/03/2013 19:31

Ignorant morons... my dd had beautiful red hair, the hair dresser loves it. Said she couldnt colour like it. DD how ever hated it and lightens it blond Sad

There will always be ass holes picking differences out..fat,skinny,black,white,gay dumb blonde ect you just gotta ignore and realise that these people are dick heads and pity them really.

If anybody harms you pysically then report to police x

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