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[Reudh]

Is it acceptable from somebody who is also part of the same minority?

As always it is. Reclamation of the thing that caused one anguish is a powerful force. And I've seen that many times, Tim Minchin is a great guy.

I can't know whether Lagslayer himself is a redhead, but considering our low population, I can assume not.

Salmon, you speak wisely. Lagslayer couldn't've known the abuse I've received from my peers for being a redhead, but then again discretion should be used when making some jokes. To me it's just as offensive as someone saying 'n****r'.

If it's any consolation, I think red hair is awesome.  I'm surprised that anyone would receive so much abuse for it that it would reach that level of offense to them.

I was gangbashed by fifteen people for the crime of being a redhead, aged 15. My then twelve year old sister narrowly avoided a beating too. I still have scars physical and mental from it. I still remember hearing "Let's kill the fucking ranga and his whore sister".
Ranga being an australian/NZ slang term from Orangutan meaning that we look like a monkey.

[Max White]

Well... Fuck.
Appropriate for the sad thread.

[Sirus]

Indeed O_o

[SalmonGod]

I'm shocked.  I knew that redheads were a popular target of jokes, and was vaguely aware that some people were a little less than joking.  I never understood it, and thought there was probably some distant historical basis.  I had no idea anyone today was treated so horribly for their hair color.  I'm sorry that happened to you.

[Fniff]

That's really sickening. Getting beaten up just because you have a different hair color? That's very, very low. I can't even understand why something like that could happen.

[Blargityblarg]

It's sickening, but knowing the type of folk who'd do that, I don't think the reason they did it is important to them; they'd just find another one.

[Frumple]

... because it's an easy (if often false) identifier of an out-group, same with most other outward expressions of "otherness", if you will. People still get shitkicked for long hair and crap, simply because it lets some fucktards wrapped up in tribal stupidity identify a target. It's not really that difficult to understand. Our species is pretty naturally xenophobic and establishing dominance over or striking against an out-group is a far from uncommon (if crude) means of reaffirming in-group status. Etc., so forth, so on. As blarg says, hair color in that case is just an excuse, not really a reason.

[Max White]

It's sickening, but knowing the type of folk who'd do that, I don't think the reason they did it is important to them; they'd just find another one.

There is always something. He has red hair, or he is black, or he is gay, or he isn't gay but we don't like him so we will use it as a slur and call him that anyway...

Some people are just violent.

... because it's an easy (if often false) identifier of an out-group, same with most other outward expressions of "otherness", if you will. People still get shitkicked for long hair and crap, simply because it lets some fucktards wrapped up in tribal stupidity identify a target. It's not really that difficult to understand. Our species is pretty naturally xenophobic and establishing dominance over or striking against an out-group is a far from uncommon (if crude) means of reaffirming in-group status. Etc., so forth, so on. As blarg says, hair color in that case is just an excuse, not really a reason.

Eh, humans by nature are tribal. We form little groups and hate all the other little groups. I'm pretty sure this is why fat men will cheer for a sports team and get angry when they loose.

[Xantalos]

Essentially, what people are saying. People are asses.

[Boea]

I never really understood people, but I guess that cites most of my problems interacting with others. :/
There has been, for most case, a feeling of lack. I don't know, as far as I know is that it's either hindsight getting to me, and regretting not saying something, or not being able to conjure up a conversation, or situation.
[ Probably normal problems, like insufficient confidence ]

Anyways Xantalos, someone needs to feed you cookies.

The kicker is that I know one person that is very much an exaggerated case of this. I feel worry or anxiety about them, having several forms of contact information, but distinctly not getting a response at all.
Nowadays I regard this sort of feeling while staring sternly, and indistinctly.

I suppose it may not help that I more or less vocalize my observations, a lot.

[Reudh]

Yeah, my consolation comes from the fact that I'm doing well and all of the ones in that group I still know of are having suckish lives. Serves them bloody well right.

[Korbac]

Sorry about that Reudh. I personally have very boring brown hair, but I always found it really offensive when people made fun of gingers back in school. To me it was just as bad as racism (picking on a group due to a particular appearance trait.)

[RedKing]

I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen anyone made fun of for having red hair/light complexion.

Probably because around here there's more than enough racial groups around here that it's just easier to hate on someone for being black or Hispanic. I'd be curious, from a sociological standpoint, to see if anti-redhead bias is more prevalent in places that are mostly homogenous Caucasian.

I think it's ingrained deeply enough in humans that even if we were all perfect clones, there would eventually be bias against clones with slight variations from the "base model".

[Reudh]

I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen anyone made fun of for having red hair/light complexion.

Probably because around here there's more than enough racial groups around here that it's just easier to hate on someone for being black or Hispanic. I'd be curious, from a sociological standpoint, to see if anti-redhead bias is more prevalent in places that are mostly homogenous Caucasian.

I think it's ingrained deeply enough in humans that even if we were all perfect clones, there would eventually be bias against clones with slight variations from the "base model".

I used to live in a strongly heterogenous suburb when I was younger. NEVER any hate for being a redhead. When we moved further out from the city to a strongly homogenous suburb, that's where the red-head stuff started.

[Max White]

I can honestly say I don't think I've ever seen anyone made fun of for having red hair/light complexion.

Probably because around here there's more than enough racial groups around here that it's just easier to hate on someone for being black or Hispanic. I'd be curious, from a sociological standpoint, to see if anti-redhead bias is more prevalent in places that are mostly homogenous Caucasian.

I think it's ingrained deeply enough in humans that even if we were all perfect clones, there would eventually be bias against clones with slight variations from the "base model".

If we were all perfect clones, there would be no variation.
Instead we would make a greater effort to hate people who are very old or young or acquire deformities due to injury or sickness or are poor or all those other reasons we attack people.