Bullied for red hair 30 years on

The Sun reports a 35 year old mother from Nottingham having been subjected to retrospective gingerism, three decades on from being bullied at school for the her ginger hair.

Natalie Harvey was targeted by cyber trolls on her Facebook and Twitter accounts, having posted a picture of herself as a child, which began circulating on the internet. Tweets included threats to “pull off your wig and reveal your ginger afro hair to everyone”. Mrs Harvey subsequently contacted police, with one online troll being issued a formal warning.

Mrs Harvey had experienced verbal and physical bullying as a result of her hair colour from the age of five, and upon leaving school used a variety of means to “control” her curled ginger locks, included straightening, dying and use of chemical treatment, before settling on a variety of wigs, with which she is pictured in present day photographs.

She told The Sun that the stress of the bullying impacted on her physical health, and has appealed for an increase in online security to tackle cyber bullying.

Random Assault for Being Ginger-haired

According to the article http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/9507952.Beaten_up_for_having_ginger_hair/ featured in the Daily Echo, redhead James Prior was randomly assaulted by 19-year-old Miguel Costa from Glengarry, New Milton. Costa’s co-conspirator was 22-year-old Robert Knapper from Hawthorn Close (also from New Milton).

On Maryatt Road, Prior was near his residence trying to find the paper. Meanwhile, gingeristic utterances were directed at Prior in the vehicle from which Costa and Knapper sat. “Prosecutor Mary Aspinall-Miles described how Costa started hurling abuse from the car at Mr. Prior based on the colour of his hair.”

Costa began punching Prior and had also bitten him in the face. Mr. Prior tried to exit the situation. “Mr. Prior put his palms up as if to calm him (Costa) down, and starting backing away at this point. He had no idea why he was being attacked. It appeared that it was simply because of the fact he had ginger-coloured hair.”

According to the Southampton Crown Court, Costa didn’t recall much of the encounter due to intoxication. Knapper accompanied Costa in the assault believing that he (Prior) and Costa were acquainted. Both men will be imprisoned for their actions.

Red-headed Student Severely Targeted

Several days ago, an article was published concerning 12-year-old Tyler Walsh’s tribulations at Yate International Academy in Bristol. Tyler is no stranger to gingerism. His mum Emma is unduly aware of it as well. The article http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4082436/Boy-is-taught-on-his-own-for-being-GINGER.html states that the school told Ms. Walsh it would be best for him to be taught in another setting away from the other students. She received this advice after her son had been cornered and harassed in the restroom by 10 other students.

Tyler has been bullied on more than one occasion since the start of his attendance at Yate International. His mum says the police were summoned following an altercation on the street. Tyler was kicked and punched in the abdomen. He has also been taunted in the hallways and has had his bagged lunch thrown out of reach during mealtime.

The school mentioned placing Tyler in an inclusion classroom to help him avoid run-ins with bullies. Ms. Walsh suggested having his schoolwork sent until he could begin at a new school. The academy denied her request because to do so (in their opinion) would mean abetting Tyler's absence.

Ms. Walsh is appalled at the treatment she and her son have received.

"Tyler is effectively being bullied out of school for being red-headed.”

"Yate International Academy has punished one boy, when a whole group were involved. I think it is absolutely disgusting."

Perspectives for Redheads

Columnist Kristen Tillotson mentions that it’s not easy being redheaded in her article: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-10/features/sc-fam-0110-redheads-20120110_1_redheads-red-hair-hair-color

Whether it's for good reasons or bad, there are plenty of times we seem to be reminded of our unique red tresses even as adults. Patti Stanger is the producer of a programme called Millionaire Matchmaker (on the Bravo cable television network) who has disparaging comments for redheads.

The social networking site Facebook currently has a page called "We Are the 2 Percent,” which is suggested to be aimed at Stanger. Erin Roche is the campaign initiator. She writes that the bigotry toward redheads is often mocked and ignored. Roche also says that gingerism is a tolerated form of prejudice.

In September of the preceding year, the largest sperm bank in the world (Cryos in Denmark) decided to prohibit any prospective donors whom have red hair. The clinic’s staff stresses no deliberate ill intent and asserts there just isn’t much of a demand.

Tillotson says some redheads find happiness and humour despite the behaviors some may encounter on a regular basis. Tim and Beth Robertson are mum and dad to four children, all of whom have red hair. Tim’s hair is auburn and his wife has strawberry blonde tresses. For the Robertson family, red hair is a commonality. They do claim to use more sunscreen than others.

Another fellow redhead, Ric Fohrman is 51-year-old car dealer and misses his hair-which he is starting to lose. Fohrman recollects that life at age 5 was difficult because of the teasing. However, as an adult he's enjoyed his red hair because people remember him more easily. He says being unknown is impossible for anyone with red locks.

At the conclusion of her article, Tillotson writes of several prominent redheads from the past and present.

The late actress and comedienne Lucille Ball believed that “Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a redhead.”

Post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh sported a red beard and had been known equally for his hair and artwork.

Renaissance-era painter Sandro Botticelli had dark hair (not red), but depicted Venus (circa 1486), the titian-haired Roman goddess of love. "Primavera" is another piece that Boticelli created illustrating red-tressed ladies.

Olympic snowboard multi-gold medalist champion Shaun White has often been called "The Flying Tomato." He used to enjoy the nickname but has since grown weary of it. People have also been known to call him "Animal," which is referenced to Jim Henson's “The Muppet show.”

Prince Harry is third in line to the British throne and although he has red locks, he's exempt from gingerism.

According to Tillotson, multi-record songstress Tori Amos isn't solely known for having bold red hues. She also has a soulful disposition.

Writer Illustrates Gingerism

American writer June Thomas’s article

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/tv_club/features/2012/downton_abbey_season_2/week_1/downton_abbey_season_2_sir_richard_is_a_better_match_for_lady_mary_than_matthew_is_.html discusses the second season of British TV series Downton Abbey- which includes an example of gingerism. This is exemplified in a quip toward redheads Ethel and Mrs. Patmore.

“And given the Brits’ attitude to redheads if I were Ethel, I'd be asking Mrs. Patmore if she has anything in her pantry that also doubles as a hair dye.”

The Redhead Manifesto: One Ginger Snaps

Student and Princeton Redhead Society member Peter Tucci takes a tongue in cheek exploration of the issues facing modern day red heads, such as ozone depletion, discrimination and demographic decline.

Unbeknownst to most non-redheads, sunscreen can cost as much as $50 per ounce. At that price, a family of four that consumes four ounces of sunscreen per week will spend a total of $10,400 per year on the stuff. Middle-class redheads simply can’t afford sunscreen at those prices, and as a result, redheads are often faced with a stark choice: buy sunscreen and risk going bankrupt, or go without sunscreen and die.

Have a read of the full article.

Poll: Is gingerism as bad as racism?

Our "Is gingerism as bad as racism?" poll has come to an end. 535 people voted as follows:

Yes - 65%
No - 34%

Our new poll is "Should you dye your hair if you're being bullied for being a red head?". Make sure your vote gets counted.

Ginger and Fat

Stuart Heritage describes the latest American Idol contestants with equal fervour. Including this snippet about contestant number 11:

American Idol Contestant 11 - Michael Sarvner. FACT: Michael Sarvner is both ginger and fat. This means he’ll get the American Idol disabled pity vote even more than the blind bloke.

Source: Heckler Spray

Gingerism.com interviewed by Kiss Magazine

Kiss, the largest teen magazine in Ireland has taken a look at what gingerism is, how it manifests itself and what to do if you're a victim of it. The article includes some quotes from our very own Keiron Waites (that's me!).

It's really hard to pin down exactly why someone is slagged because of the colour of their hair, just like it's tough to understand why a bully will decide to pick on a particular person.

"Belittling someone because of their appearance or because they're a minority is a cheap but very effective trick and probably gives those people that do it instant gratification and a sense of superiority", says Keiron.

Take a look at Kiss online

Root Ginger exhibition review

The Evening Standard has the first review of Root Ginger, the exhibition by Jenny Wicks running now and up to 1st March 2009.

Making a mockery of the term “redhead”, the palette forms a glorious autumnal swatch, while the distribution of pigment is fascinating: sometimes, a single tone appears to have leached from hair into skin and gathered in small puddles as freckles.

Walking among these portraits has the air of a scientific sampling, like a Victorian survey. And in some ways it is; Wicks’s fascination is as much with the journey of the ginger gene as with photography as art — and that element is just as striking as the show’s value as an exquisite portrait collection.

Read the review

Will gingers become extinct?

Retired professor John Brock takes a lighthearted look at the widely held belief that red heads will soon be extinct.

As genetic science progressed with the deciphering of the human genome (whatever that is), modern scientists now doubt that red hair is on the way out. But Oxford Hair Foundation declared a few years ago that redheads were headed for the way of the dinosaurs. Their conclusion lost some of its steam when it was finally revealed that the group was funded by Procter & Gamble — a major purveyor of hair dye.

Source: The Post and Courier

Being ginger's been the making of us

Ann McFerran discusses the gingerism her children have encountered throughout their lives and how they feel about being red heads today. Particularly interesting is the distinctive difference between Canadian and British reactions to red hair.

When we returned to the UK, there wasn't much let-up, only instead of admiration, those who stared and shouted names at my son because of his hair were mostly other children. Copper knob, ginger nut, carrot top, Duracell, ginger ninja; the names were not particularly inventive and, with the exception of the latter, didn't seem to have changed since I was a child. “I was probably oversensitive to the names,” admits Patrick, 30.

I now think that I wasn't sensitive enough to my son or aware enough of the kind of routine bullying that is regularly meted out to gingers, and particularly to young gingers whose hair colour is at its most extreme. I may even have exacerbated the problem: I thought my son's hair was such a spectacular colour that I let it grow quite long to show it off.

Source: Times Online

A ginger Prime Minister?

Writer Anne McElvoy pontificates on a week of news and spares a thought for gingerism, prompted by the opening of Jenny Wicks' Root Ginger exhibition.

Red hair gets the praise it deserves in a new exhibition devoted to gingerism. I am unsure as to what qualifies, having faded to something you might politely call strawberry blonde, or what my son described as "dirty light brown", down the years. But you never really forget early years' membership of the ginger club with the pleasure of standing out in a crowd. Or the pain of being too strikingly visible to teachers looking for someone to blame. Catherine Tate, Simon Heffer, Mick Hucknall and Tilda Swinton, you know what I mean. But can we yet envisage a ginger Prime Minister?

Source: Evening Standard

Root Ginger Exhibition receives wide coverage

The Root Ginger Exhibition, due to open Tuesday 17th February has received wide coverage by the British press this week. The BBC hosted a discussion of gingerism with psychologist Anjula Mutanda and Root Ginger model and poet Richard Tyrone Jones. Most poignant in the discussion is Anjula Mutanda's strongly emphasized opinion of the existence of gingerism.

The fact is, if it hurts somebody's feelings and it's discriminating against them, making them feel bad about themselves, then it has to stop and not be seen as innocuous.

Secondly, the Daily Mail have covered the event, with many photographic examples from the exhibition and quotes from the models, including the following:

I had to grow fast as my mother's reaction to being told her first born was a ginger was to weep uncontrollably.

The quote reminds me of my own mother, who once told me "I didn't like ginger hair until you were born."

Max Barry on gingerism

Australian author Max Barry recounts the offense he caused to his brother by publishing a gingerism fuelled article late last year.

I got into big trouble with my brother for that anti-ginger blog. “You’re just like Hitler,” he said, or might as well have. “It’s not 1935, you know. Demonizing people for aspects of their appearance they can’t control: we’re not doing that any more.”

“Steady on,” I protested. “It was just harmless good fun. Besides, the point was I’m a ginger when I grow a moustache. That’s what made it funny.”

“I suppose you think Auschwitz would have been fine, if only Hitler was Jewish,” my brother argued, more or less. “I suppose you think it would have been hilarious.”

Read more: The Dark Moustache of the Soul

Youth Unlimited Magazine on ginger phobia

The UK has one of the highest population percentages of redheads in the world, but words like ‘ginger’ and ‘ginga’ still roll off the tongue towards those gifted with this follicle rarity. Is it all just a bit of red-blooded fun or has Britain got ginger phobia?

The persecution of those with red, auburn or ginger hair is not a modern condition and has persisted throughout history and around the world. Just as often as redheads have been discriminated against they have also been upheld and praised. Socially, redheads have been stereotyped as being fiery, hot tempered and overtly sexual, and although it is clear that the way we act is not attributed to hair colour, history’s most famous ‘gingers’ have helped to promote these ideas.

As early as the ancient Egyptians there is evidence of Cleopatra dying her hair red, continuing to impress redheaded stereotypes upon all those aware of her volatile nature and political prowess. A more recent and recognisable redhead is our own home grown Queen Elizabeth I who popularised red hair throughout 16th Century Britain. Even modern media has been affected by the recent influx of redheaded style icons such as Lily Cole, Axl Rose and Nicola Roberts inspiring people across the world to reach for the dye bottle.

However, whilst many famous redheads have inspired us, the everyday redhead on the street still faces some ridiculous and shocking challenges. In 2003 a 20 year old was stabbed in the back for being ‘ginger’ and in 2007 a family of redheads in Newcastle were forced to move home after being targeted by neighbours for their hair colour. In a world preoccupied with political correctness and protecting the rights of people regardless of race, age or size, it is shocking to see a form of discrimination such as this overlooked by organisations like the Commission for Racial Equality, even though most people with red hair will experience anything from timid taunts to full blown violence throughout their lifetime.

The question is why are people with red hair targeted? The simple truth is that only 1 to 2% of the population is born with red hair, making them a minority. Throughout history society has victimised minorities. In other words, we, on a subconscious level, fear what is different and will victimise those who are different in any way to make ourselves feel better. As well as this, the victimisation and discrimination of redheads is still a crime largely beyond the reach of the law and until such time as it is recognised as unacceptable it will continue to be an issue.

Hate shouldn’t be a follicle matter and only we can stand up for the rights of those different to us, not just redheads but anyone who is born a little different to the norm - and isn’t everyone in their own way a little different? If we were all the same life would be horrifically boring so why not praise the differences between us? Red hair is rare and beautiful and anyone who targets those with it are most likely expressing a form of jealousy or, at the very least, showing that they have low self esteem that can only be improved by attempting to bring others down. So next time you go to use the ‘G’ word ask yourself, have I got ginger phobia?

Amy Solman

Download the full edition

About as popular as a ginger stepson

Football banter seems to be a common source of gingerism.

I won't spoil it by giving too much away but I can spare a few lines to have yet another good laugh at the Spuds. Harry the wicked twitch of the east has bought back all of the players that had them in the unchartered waters and dizzy heights of mid table at far more than they sold for with the exception of Keane (about as popular as a ginger stepson).

Source: Sky Sports

BBC Radio 4 Broadcasts Gingerism

This is an excellent example of how gingerism is so ingrained into today's society, that any offense from its use is totally unexpected.

Established and thoroughly middle class, the Today show on BBC Radio 4 is a well respected and trusted radio program in the United Kingdom. In this episode host Edward Stourton discusses the concept of a flawed literary masterpiece with guest novelists William Boyd and A.L. Kennedy.

The audio clip is extracted from point 02:25:45 of the Today show, originally broadcast on 30th January 2009.

Audio transcript follows:

ES: A.L. Kennedy, would you care to give us a couple of your favourite flawed masterpieces?

ALK: Yeah, and you have to bear in mind as Mr Boyd said, it is about love. I mean, you can fall in love with somebody with ginger hair and you never thought you would, but their ginger hair is different.

ES: I can almost hear the emails from ginger haired people coming in at this point.

ALK: As an example. I love ginger haired people myself.

Thank you to Gingerism reader Tom Allender for the heads up.

Prince Harry dumped because he's ginger

One of the reasons Chelsy ended her relationship with Prince Harry was because he is ginger, according to columnist Robin Galloway.

For the record, Chelsy chucked Prince Harry because she was fed up with coming second to his lifestyle, his Army career and his snooty chums. Oh, and he’s ginger.

Source: The Scottish Sun

Gingerism ruins sex symbol aspiration

Tim Hayward, a writer at The Guardian has suggested the media's attempts to cast Tom Aikens as a sex symbol may have petered out because of gingerism.

Source: The Guardian