Just when you thought you knew just about everything, something comes along and rocks your world.
I must offer my sincerest apologies to all Egyptians the world over. You see, I dressed as an Egyptian for Halloween. I had no idea that was a bad thing. You see, I was drawn by the beautiful silky hair and the flowing gowns and the lovely gems as like the Egyptian women of history. As it turns out, that may have been a bad thing. You see, it turns out that dressing up on Halloween as someone who looks different than you do is considered offensive.
I did not know this.
This was recently brought to my attention when a group of five university boys dressed up as the Jamaican bobsled team (that team that we all fell in love with back in the 1980s) Four of these boys were white and painted their faces black to represent the four bobsledders. Their black friend, painted his white to represent their white coach.
I thought it was quite clever....I loved that team and I loved the movie about them later!
Bad me....who knew?
Well seems like a civil rights group in Toronto knew and they're letting those boys, the club they attended, and everyone else like me know about it now too.
From what I've heard, their concern is that it is not appropriate to dress up as anyone who could be considered marginalized. I don't know too much about Egyptians (accept that in history the women wore great bling!). So, I may be okay....they might not consider themselves marginalized.
But just in case, I offer my apologies now....I didn't mean to offend them or anyone else.
That said though, it turns out that I've been allowing such offensive behaviour slide right past me for the past 40 odd years or so that I've been enjoying Halloween.
You see, just this year a young boy showed up at my door dressed as a Hobo. I should have scolded that boy, and his parents for offending homeless people.
And then there was the little girl dressed up in the striped jail bird garb.Imagine the offense taken by those in jail. Her little friend was Pocahontas. What a slap in the face for Native Americans!! Naughty children!!
And naughty me for not saying "no candy for you!".