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Hi all, I'm doing a social research project in English at my college over job discrimination for men with long hair. I'd like to add in some personal experiences to make my project more effective but I *don't think* I've not gotten a job strictly because of my hair. Unfortunately, employers are often very strict and I would argue sometimes sexist when it comes to gender appearances, and hair is often a silly deal breaker. Does anybody have any personal stories, feelings, experiences, etc. related to the matter that you wouldn't mind sharing?
I've been working for the same company for 31 years now, so hair has not been an issue for me. And I got this job back all those years ago with long hair. (At that time it was knee length.)
I get the distinct impression that long hair is less of an
issue now. Between job applicants coming in with tatoos, face piercings, etc. that employers are less picky about long hair on men. There are a number of places that you'll go to where you'll find long haired men that in past years would have been unheard of.
I would also mention that around here, while more men are growing their hair long, more women are going shorter. Many times I'll go into a store/office/etc. and find that most of the women have
hair that is shorter than mine. (I'm also seeing more women going for buzz cuts. Very few women around here have long hair. Even when I got to the gym, very few women have long hair. Very few women have hair that is longer than mine.
I can't honestly say I've not been hired due to me hair, but the problem with that is that it is very rare to know the reason at all. All you really know is you didn't get the job.
DC, unlike all 50 states, has a law protecting hair style (two words, we're talking about a legal definition here). I did relatively recently have someone on a hiring committee ask me why I still had long hair. AFAIK that scenario is about as close as anyone gets in an employment discrimination case, so I probably should have sued.
Of course, in the rest of the US they can openly say they won't hire you because of long hair, and there is nothing you can do.
The issue that irks me most about it is that there is no gender equality in it. Women whine about all the roadblocks in their business lives, but they are wholly protected. They can wear any hairstyle including typically so called male styles. They can wear any clothing style, including what is absolutely crossdressing as a man. They can wear any jewelry. Any shoes, and obscure their true appearances with any amount of makeup. These were hard fought battles to do as they please totally. Men once all had longer hair styles and beards, and frock coats and wore wigs and makeup. But somewhere along the way the clone squad decided that a Man is a certain being of very definite parameters of self expression. Ellen wears a suit and a near buzz cut on tv. But if a man has long hair and is on tv, it is a point of fascination and discussion, about which it seems every one is allowed to have a value judgment and express it. To do that with a woman would get you beaten to death. So, I am really sick and tired of anyone who judges me, or tries to tell me how to manage something that actually emanates naturally from my own body. It is just no one's business and it should be illegal to discriminate on the basis of having it. SJ
I agree entirely. The DC Human Rights Act does at least protect us on the subject of hair, but only in DC, and Article 10 of the EU Human Rights Acts theoretically protects the right to self expression in Europe.
UK courts have failed to uphold male long hair as falling within self expression. Of course, these cases were wrongly decided by the judges, but we have Sweet Fanny Adams we can do about it. This will soon be moot anyway, due to Brexit. Hopefully, the situation in some places sur le continent may be better?
I had to clue about it so I had to look it up:
"Urban Dictionary: fanny adams
www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fanny%20adams
fanny adams. Usually a more pleasant way of saying "fuck all" or an alternative way of saying "nothing at all". "Sweet FA" is an even lazier way of saying it."
One thing i would mention here is lately i've seen more guys with long hair at various jobs. I was at Wal-mart today even they had several male employees with long hair. So maybe employers are
starting to come to the realization that with body piercing and tatoos that long is something they can tolerate?
I'm 58 had long hair since about 1970-71 (over the years, above the shoulders to about 4-5" past), and thankfully I always had a job since I was 15. And I had quiet a few jobs - grocery, warehouse, retail, since 1980 Information Technology, and -- I'm an IT Manager !!
Now like others have said in this post --- Long hair is not much of a big deal as say in the 70's in hiring. A few years back I was looking around for work, looking or more $$, which I got at current job, had interviews, and -- was offered jobs. I see many guys with long hair in grocery, retail, etc. even male/female with tattoos that are visible.
There will always be employers that "judge a book by it's cover", whether --- hair - short, long, facial hair, too skinny, too fat, your race, your gender, you smell like tobacco.
For me --- whenever I went on interviews - all those years ago and a few years back --- I wear a suit, hair goes in a ponytail (so they are not focused on my hair, but my face). And all interviews went well, people I interviewed with were friendly, etc.
Now --- of course I interviewed with numerous jobs in the past and not offered jobs for all, why ?? I never thought about hair, would not loose sleep thinking about it.
Bob
