"As long as they are not ginger"

[Tiredbadger]

I am currently expecting DC2.

I have just told my old boss the news and his first response was "I bet you want a boy" followed by "as long as they are not ginger." (Both DD and I have red hair).

AIBU to think this is so so rude and unprofessional, and even cruel to my DD?

Yeah, pretty bad "joke", isn't it?!

Red hair is ok for a girl. A boy will be mercilessly bullied.

hifi your post is really confusing. Do you think it's optional?! What do you mean it's 'ok for a girl'?

Hifi, what?

My cousin has beautiful red hair and is very proud of it, she actually dyes it a richer, brighter shade of red. But when her son was born his hair was a sandy-red colour and got lots of negative comments like 'oh what a shame about his hair'. One 'friend' even remarked 'urgh a ginger baby' when she first saw him.
He has gingery freckles, pale eyelashes and brows and very white skin which is prone to redness, my cousin thinks it's this combination people find unattractive not his hair colour. He gets teased a lot at school, and a group of drunk men outside a pub once yelled 'ginger minger' at him then fell about laughing. It's horrible he's treated this way, his confidence is really low and he talks about dying his hair even though he's only 9!!
Personally I can't believe people are rude and cruel enough to make comments at all.

When my cousin had her daughter 2 years ago, no-one made negative comments and her DD's red hair is admired everywhere. She has the same hair colour as her brother, but her skin is slightly darker and her eyes are hazel/gold/green so she gets a lot of attention. My cousin thinks it's a gender thing, that red hair is considered feminine and exotic for girls but considered unattractive on boys.

Personally I think red/auburn/ginger hair is lovely and can't understand why people see it as a negative!

I hated my hair through school, relentless bullying. I still get the odd comment and took to colouring it dark brown for a while. Even then I got "are you colouring it because it's ginger and you hate it?" I wouldn't say that to someone going from blonde to brown

GirlsTimesThree, I know how you feel. Some kids set fire to my hair for a "joke". You wouldn't wish it on any one. It's great to see so many nice replies on here. I wish all you people were at my school.

I love red hair!

when anyone is expecting in our office this is the first thing anyone says "as long as its not ginger eh?"
I have red hair
Learned to grin and bear it.

Lilac, that is so cruel. I can't believe grown men would actually shout that at a little boy.

I have auburn hair and have grown to love it as an adult but was teased as a child. I was sad my daughter didn't inherit my hair colour! Like others have said I've learned to appreciate it's good to be different and we dont go grey. Sadly it does seem to be the last acceptable ism that people can get away with...