The discrimination against subcultures// Tattoos and Piercings

 There has been a lot in the press recently about women and men getting judged for their tattoos, piercings and body modifications which associates them with certain sub-cultures. This has happened within all aspects of modern life. Job interviews, the work place, even in public shops and children's parks.

 In the summer of 2007, Sophie Lancaster and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, were walking through Stubbylee Park in Lancashire where they were attacked by a group of five males in their late teens. The attack was believed to have been instigated by the fact the couple were wearing gothic/alternative clothes, had numerous amounts of body modifications including facial piercings and tattoos. 

Sophie and Robert were then left to suffer in the park. Both were victims of severe head injuries but despite this, Sophie reportedly crawled towards Robert to try and revive him. The couple were then rushed to hospital where Sophie fell into a coma due to the extremity of her head injuries. After this, she never regained conciousness and tragically died thirteen days later.

After this horrific incident, Sophie's family set up a charity to end the discrimination and negative judgements held towards different sub-cultures. This was named 'The Sophie Lancaster Foundation' and has been on going ever since 2008. Alternative clothing shops such as 'PULP' and 'ASYLUM' support this cause by donating a certain amount of their season profits to the charity. 

Sophie Lancaster.

This was seven years ago and you would have hoped the general public's attitude towards diversity and an individual's personal expression has relaxed and improved. No. People are still getting judged via their appearance. Music taste, hair styles and body modifications should not affect what we achieve in life and how we are seen by others.

I wouldn't label myself as a part of any sub-culture. I buy clothes that I find pretty, but I am more drawn to dark clothes. No idea why. I love a wide variety of music from Eminem to Asking Alexandria. I'd like tattoos, and am soon getting more piercings. But if someone asked me to put myself in a sub-culture I would be clueless. I don't divert myself from sub-cultures though as I have quite a variety of friends and I love each and every one of them. 

However, I have been ridiculed. There was one occasion where I was walking home in a dungaree dress, patterned tights,Doc Martins and had my headphones in. Just as I was walking up the hill, completely minding my own business I was greeted with a saliva shower (right on my face..ew) and heard the words 'f*cking greb'. I wasn't scared or intimidated. Just purely angry considering I had been labelled in as a sub-culture in a negative light. Again, what the hell is wrong with individuality and expression.

 

Here is a recent article that was published in a British newspaper. A woman publicly shamed because of her tattoos and told she could not teach due to her appearance. This shows how flawed the education system really is when it comes to employing people. Shouldn't the employers be more focused on the attitude and potential of the hopeful teacher rather than their appearance. I would rather have a teacher 'covered head to toe in tattoos' who was capable of getting me good grades rather than a teacher as miserable as sin, dull and grumpy who couldn't control a class and had a negative attitude towards the job. Obviously a school teacher is employed due to their abilities but if she has gone through the selection process so she has the appropriate qualifications for this job, she obviously wants it. You cannot use someone's personal choices to belittle them. If she can teach, let her. 

A young mother of two from Dorset has also been a victim of these unnecessary judgements. After shopping in Marks and Spencers and having her image tutted at by a fellow shopper, she went to the customer service desk to make a complaint. The woman who served her did not take any action and told the very upset customer 'Well I'm not surprised, the tattoos look disgusting and I cannot understand how you could mutilate yourself'. I don't know what angers me more, the fact that a woman solely responsible for customer satisfaction did nothing and began to escalate the abuse further to the point where this poor woman left the super market in floods of tears. Or, the fact she used the word 'mutilate' to describe this customers personal choices.That word runs straight through me, just like the 'c' word, especially because it is used to describe torture methods. Inking your skin is not 'torture' (unless you include how painful it is to get a tattoo!). As a friend of mine said, 'it's expressive decoration'.

Read the full article by Steve Kelly here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/tattooed-mum-devastated-after-being-4521888?ICID=FB_mirror_main

People go through periods where they experiment and begin to find themselves. To pick on someone because of the art on their skin, culturally influenced dress sense or piercings is still discrimination. Having these differences in appearance does not make these people any less human. My bus driver has stretchers, tattoos an alternative look and he is quite frankly one of the nicest people I have ever met. One of my best friend's Keisha has numerous facial piercings and used to have dreads before she shaved them off for an incredible cause, Invest in ME. She is quite frankly awesome 

So, before you look at someone and shout abuse at them because of how they present themselves, what music they listen to and what ink they put on their skin, admire the fact they're not willing to be a blank canvas and to be themselves. Think of them as a piece of art as well as a human being. Just because you do not like the way they have presented themselves, it doesn't mean everyone else has the same opinion. Because in hindsight, a lot of  people will probably know them for who they are. A lot of other people will find them beautiful. It's not your place to put them down because of your personal preferences.