Ever since high school, I have been referred to as a “Ginger.” For years, people with freckles, pale skin, and auburn, red, orange, or strawberry blonde hair have been given the name of Gingers. Over time, many negative terms and stereotypes have been formed about us, such as being soul-less and having the ability to steal others’ souls, “redheaded stepchild,” having relations to the devil, fiery tempers, and one that really pushes over the edge is an episode from the show South Park that gives the false illusion of Gingers having a contagious disease called “Ginger-vitis.” All of these derogatory remarks have contributed to many gingers being bullied just because of their looks and the stereotypes against them.
My goal is to raise awareness of Gingers, and show others that we are much more than just the false rumors you hear about our kind. I would also like to give other Gingers the confidence they need to embrace who they are, and that their red hair and freckles are gifts, not cause for penalty.
There are already some attempts to raise awareness, such as the Redhead Days, where hundreds of Gingers will gather for a three-day long festival in the Netherlands. They have even set a World Record of 1,672 natural redheads in one place in 2012. Other attempts include Kiss-a-Ginger day, Hug-a-Ginger day, and multiple pages on Facebook geared toward the goal of encouraging Gingers to love and cherish who they are. As humorous as it may seem, and some aspects of it is, Gingers have feelings (and souls) too, and I hope to open everyone’s eyes to that fact in my own unique way. Soon we will no longer have to hide in the shadows, we have plenty of sunscreen!
I received positive feedback from this proposal and idea, so I am going to run with it and have fun!
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