Seeing red over a lifetime of abuse
PRINCE HARRY and Ed Sheeran poked fun at themselves as redheads and the issue of bullying people with this hair colour when marking World Mental Health Day (Mail). While privileged, they are compassionate to the suffering of many, and raising awareness of mental health issues is admirable. However, this has been at the expense of a group of people who are not allowed to feel abused when bullied or ridiculed. If they do dare speak out, they are mocked and denigrated for not having a sense of humour. Harry has expressed his hurt about the emotional pain his wife suffers due to the unconscious bias directed towards her because she is mixed race, yet he’s part of a campaign that could be seen as making fun of others’ mental health issues. Have you heard of Kick A Ginger Day, which is this Sunday? Redheads are to be bullied, kicked, punched and shamed. I know a beautiful little girl who came home in tears having been verbally abused; a dancer who was bullied; and a talented young man who felt he had to dye his hair, eyebrows and lashes black. A mum on a bus was left in tears when she was told she should give away her newborn baby because they had copper hair. I’ve wept at the innocent bemusement, then realisation, hurt and isolation, of children discovering they are being made fun of — often by adults, friends of parents, strangers and even teachers — and are expected to laugh about it. As a four-year-old, I was whipped by two ‘friends’ with a washing line because I was different. At school, I was called horrible names and beaten with hockey sticks by a group of girls. Eventually, I started wearing a headscarf so no one could see my hair. Mum wouldn’t let me dye it until I was 16, by which time she felt I would have decided to be who I am. She was right, but the shaming never stopped. At 16, I was an agonisingly self-conscious Sunday School teacher. Working in an office full of men, I was bombarded with heckles. It got to the point where I dreaded going to work. When a relative held a party for me, pinned in various locations, including on the front door, were images of me superimposed on an orangutan. I laughed it off, but inside I felt shamed and degraded. I cried myself to sleep. I’m fortunate in that I came to love my red hair and fair skin, and have worked as a model. But it breaks my heart to witness children and teenagers living through experiences similar to mine. My husband adores redheads and was shocked after we married to witness the name-calling. That’s why I think it’s a mistake for Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran to make light of such abuse. While appreciating their good intentions, I have concerns about their qualifications in fronting this campaign. When are we all going to truly celebrate diversity and the amazing wonder of human life? ANNETTE AUBREY-BRADSHAW,
Pantymwyn, Flintshire.