National Governmental Organisation

I think it’s essential that it exists an association for the defense of red-haired people, for many reasons I am going to explain.

Since ever, red-haired people have not been seen as « normal » people but as a kind of « strange community » and a lot of superstitions have been like strong and cruel attacks for this different hair color.

Historically redheads have been persecuted, because the legends said that they were wizards and they evoked hell. In the past times, red hair were seen as a negative power. As most of differences which are not clearly explained, they are often a source of fear and the beginning of criticisms.

Strong superstitions are difficult to decline and bad reputations are persistent.

It is easy to notice that this color of hair is still not seen as « normal » or as the other ones today. A very simple test will confirm there is still something wrong ; let’s write the words « the red-haired » on Google and we will obtain « the red-haired stink » or « the red-haired smell bad » among the first suggestions… Don’t such words and ideas sound like a kind of horrible « racism » ? Aren’t they suffisant to justify the necessity to create an association to help change the situation ? Like the color of the skin, or the origin of people, should a physical criteria be a reason to have an opinion about someone?

Useless to say that those whose hair aims towards the orange, often target of mockeries from their youngest age, can feel victims of discriminations.

A lot of festivals exist in many countries to support the red-haired. But they have been created very late and today, hopefully, the discrimination is much less strong than in past centuries.

During the medieval times, redheads were burned and a lot of carnages were committed on them. As soon as there was no rational explanation on something, the red-haired were automatically accused.

If the condemnations disappeared today, the mockeries persist.

I know many red-haired people and each of them has always bad memories to tell you because of the color of their hair, especially during their childhood. At school, a lot of nasty games exist, and also injuries.

In addition to be associated to a bad reputation, this color is also seen as a criteria of ugliness particularly during childhood, and the more « orange » is the color and the most difficult it is.

As often, a contradiction is also true, and time to time, red hair are very « fashion » and some people with brown or blond hair decide to dye their hair, but it is not enough to change deeply mentalities and contempt and moqueries still remain very alive.

I remain convinced that an association dedicated to this subject could be very helpful, especially for the youngest people, to live this critical period of childhood and teenagers with less stress because of their physical appearance.

This association could, for instance, mixed scientific explanations, artistic expressions about this color of hair, and also a lot of humour to create more relaxed relations for red haired people.

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