What do we think of ‘gingerism’?

[Nikee20]

It’s annoying me!
Why is okay to be not okay with gingers?
Today a colleague said ‘I have a new grandchild, but they’re ginger…for now . But the sun might bleach it.’

Is this okay to say ‘shut the F up’ or -

YABU - this is fine, be quiet

YANBU - this is shit

I've had a hatred of this for many years. Have told my kids off for mentioning hair colour. It's a terrible situation

As a ginger I couldn't care less really.

My kids aren't ginger, it seems to have died out at me in my generation line (none of 15 my cousins are). My mum, an aunt and my grandad were ginger so never gave it much thought growing up. Wasn't bullied over it or anything.

One thing that has got better as I've got older is that little old ladies have stopped touching my hair. Found it really horrible as a kid, maybe they've all died now or people don't want to touch the head of a nearly 40 year old nowadays 🤣

Hair colour and texture reflect genetic variation. Hair colour can be associated with ethnicity because (guess what!) certain hair colours are more likely to be observed in certain social and ethnic groups. This includes red hair.

So...

Is it acceptable for a person to be harassed or worse because they have brown, afro-textured hair? No of course it's not, and, depending on who was doing the harassing, this would be considered a racist act.

So, is it acceptable for a person to be harassed or worse because they have red hair, an ethnic characteristic dominant in northern europe, particularly in historically repressed populations? Just saying.

Red heads, the "g word" is unacceptable....

People can bleach their skin, tan or fake tan.

Red hair is not all that common in Ireland. It is there most Irish people have dark hair, blue eyes and pale skin.
Being teased for having red hair is also quite common in Ireland, especially in the past and especially for boys.

It's widespread. I come from Germany and ginger people are bullied/ teased there as well. Agree with PP that ginger hair together with light skin, freckles, etc. is associated with ethnicity. Therefore it's racist to treat someone differently because they have that hair colour.

I've never understood it at all. It's not just rude but incomprehensible. Red/ginger hair is beautiful. What is there to ridicule about it?
When people start going on about "gingers" I just think they sound very dumb!

I'm ginger and my eldest son is too (7YO)

I was bullied now and again at school for it (humiliating pube jokes being the utter worst thing when you're a shy, embarrassed teen girl), and even now (at 35) still get the occasional random person in the supermarket may a 'joke' directly to me about my hair colour. Lots of 'jokes' about not being able to go out in the sun... which is ridiculous as my skin colouring is actually quite olive based. Just as brunettes are not all dark-skinned, gingers can have different skin tones too.... I know, its shocking right. Almost as though we are each different people!

DS yet to face comments - or at least hasn't mentioned it to me. I don't doubt that he'll get some stick at secondary school though.

It seems that people think its just totally acceptable to make jokes out of it. Do they not realise that its part of my body, and I might not think its funny? Do they think its OK to make me feel self-conscious and embarrassed?

I also have had "oh I bet you hope they inherit DH's hair" when pregnant. Even from some close family members!

Anybody can say anything freedom of speech but that comes with freedom of consequence I know quite a few redheads or gingers who have more than enough we bottle to put anybody on their ass physically or verbally

People can control their weight, for the most part. That doesn't make it right for a bully to pick on the fat kid at school just because "they can change." How about not picking on anyone? Regardless of whether they can change or not.

Tell me where I said that such behaviour is OK.