We wanted to print just one more comment about our August 8th post “Should Gingerism Be Recognized As A Form Of Racism?” in which we asked “Do redheads need to be a protected minority?”   We cited and discussed an article by Dorothy Dalton which described “the increased incidence of bullying and discrimination” of people with red hair, called “gingerism.”

The reaction from readers was all over the board, and this last comment perhaps best exemplifies the ambivalence of legal professionals in the employment law field about equating discrimination against “gingers” with racism.

Esther Fagbemiro, an attorney with Achor Employment Law Consulting Limited, from Kent, UK, said:

“My initial response to the heading of this article was not as sympathetic as would be the case for other victims of racism. However, having read about the historical associations, and current abuse that those blessed with the hair colour suffer, I have changed my mind … to some extent!

Any ‘ism’ that has the effect of negatively transcending an individual’s merit, character, lawful and social entitlements, etc., needs to be challenged.  All of that said, for some reason gingerism does not seem to demand recourse to the enlargement of the legal concept of racism to my mind.  I wonder if the world of media and celebrity can lend its weighty help in the effort to change perceptions – let the cult of celebrity do something useful for a change.  Perhaps I need to familiarise myself with well-established bodies of research on the phenomena to better inform my thoughts. …”