The first thing people usually notice about me is my hair. All my life I’ve been known as the redhead, the ginger one, the carrot top. As a child, in the school playground, my classmates jokily teased me about my long-flowing golden-orange locks. As I got older, a short walk down the street might incite the occasional cheeky builder to heckle, “Oi, Red!” I’ve experienced the whole spectrum – mild teasing to flat-out bulling – thanks to the pale skin, freckles, and ginger hair caused by a mutation in my MC1R gene. But since I moved to America, my hair has attracted attention in different ways.
On this side of the pond, I rarely get heckled or teased for my red hair. Instead, curious Irish-Americans ask whether I am ‘from their homeland.’ Well-groomed ladies sometimes inquire if my hair is “all natural,” and if not, which salon offers this shade in a bottle (sorry ladies, it’s all my own). One slightly confused woman even offered her condolences that “my people” were going extinct (not strictly true – see here for a great debunking of this popular myth). When I told my friends here that I had suffered bullying for my hair colour as a child, they were surprised – they had not witnessed ginger-teasing at school. Americans even seem to need a translation of the term “ginger,” it not being in common parlance. It appeared to me that citizens under the red, white, and blue flag celebrate the redheads of the world.
Perhaps this is due to the fact that only 2% of Americans are natural redheads, compared to 6% of English people, 10% of the Irish, and 13% of Scots. Whilst us gingers are unusual enough to be singled out in the UK, we are a rare and exotic breed here in the USA. There are many theories as to the reasons for ‘gingerism’ or predjudice against redheads. Some suggest that it is to do with historic prejudice against Celts, or point to the repeated depictions of sinning Eve crowned with a flaming red mane. And there are lots of theories as to the traits, peculiarities, and quirks of the redhead. And it is true that us gingers are a little different - for example, we are more sensitive to pain and require, on average, about 20 percent more anesthesia than people with other hair colours.
But while I have enjoyed a break from the street heckles and catcalls since moving to New York, it seems like some of my fellow New Yorkers are suffering from follicle-based discrimination. Earlier this month, the New York Police Department sent a message to its Manhattan police sergeants and lieutenants to inform them that harassment of redheaded officers will not be tolerated. A few copper-topped cops and ex-cops, many of Irish-American descent, have reported bullying based on their hair colour. Whilst some claimed that they never felt like they were treated like minorities, others reported “abuse every day.” One policeman even claimed that, he got “beaten and chased” and advised ginger cops, “You better learn how to fight.”
Call it Titian, russet, copper, golden, auburn, or strawberry blonde – it’s still red hair. Call it gentle teasing, ribbing, joking, or joshing – it’s still bullying. However you look at it, the semantics are irrelevant. The sad truth is, us redheads are minorities on both American and British shores, and few people are brave enough to call this bullying out for what it is. So while I try to steer clear of New York City cops, I hope they heed the advice of their superiors and learn to love us “gingers.”
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophiejpitman
