Question about fundie girl non-conforming hair

[bananacat]

So I was browsing through the Journey photos to see if Joy Duggar was there, and I noticed exactly one African American girl in the group. But even though there aren't many fundies of racial minorities in the U.S., there are a few, including high-profile ones like Jasmine Bauchman. But fundies only allow one hairstyle for girls: long and flowing. What about girls who have textured hair that won't just grow straight down their backs? This could certainly happen to some Caucasian girls too. Do fundies make the girls chemically relax their hair to conform? What about the fundies who don't believe in hair dye, would they still require chemical relaxers? Or is this actually a subtle way to exclude a certain group from their lifestyle?

[terranova]

I read a blog of a family that often posts photos of their friends who have at least two girls I assume adopted from Africa (they both have African names). Both the girls wear their hair in long, tiny braids.

[Eliowy]

Its both. While most our not overtly racist it can be used as a criteria. I'm latino so my hair never ever flowed so i always had to straighten it for hours before i went to my church. At home my parents didn't really mind it being curly and wild but for church long flowing locks were a must

[Happy_Anabaptist]

I don't know of a church that would force anyone to straighten their hair.

And long flowing hair is immodest.

[VodouDoll]

Immodest according to whom?

[Happy_Anabaptist]

Immodest according to whom?

It's pretty obvious. Long hair is a woman's glory. I was actually reading about the topic of what hairstyle men like on a long hair forum today, and almost universally they reported that all the men they knew preferred long, loose hair on a woman.

[VodouDoll]

So...immodest according to you? Are women who don't cover their hair or cut it short immodest people, in your opinion?

[Happy_Anabaptist]

So...immodest according to you? Are women who don't cover their hair or cut it short immodest people, in your opinion?

No, unless they're taking great pains in showing off their hair.

I guess not every girl who wears her hair down is being immodest. I've been known to keep mine down around the house just out of laziness! But long-haired women know well the influence their hair has.

[ladypuglover]

It's pretty obvious. Long hair is a woman's glory. I was actually reading about the topic of what hairstyle men like on a long hair forum today, and almost universally they reported that all the men they knew preferred long, loose hair on a woman.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

:lol:

[VodouDoll]

I know I'm getting dangerously close to thread jacking, but I have to ask because I can't imagine the answer: how does one take pains to show off her hair? Like, by brushing it? Or by wearing a nice headband or something?

[emmiedahl]

No, unless they're taking great pains in showing off their hair.

I guess not every girl who wears her hair down is being immodest. I've been known to keep mine down around the house just out of laziness! But long-haired women know well the influence their hair has.

So you find most fundamentalists immodest? Like the Duggar girls, for instance?

I actually agree. My husband loves the long hair/long skirt look and is quite defrauded by it! Me, I prefer eccentric charm in a woman. I'll take Tori Amos (mid-nineties especially, before she had work done to become more conventionally pretty) over Angelina any day.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

I know I'm getting dangerously close to thread jacking, but I have to ask because I can't imagine the answer: how does one take pains to show off her hair? Like, by brushing it? Or by wearing a nice headband or something?

It's more the intent than anything. I appreciate when people care well for their hair. But a fundy group mandating that women have to have "long flowing hair" is just funny to me. The "fundies" I'm familiar with teach that hair is something best saved for your husband.

[clover_leigh]

No, unless they're taking great pains in showing off their hair.

I guess not every girl who wears her hair down is being immodest. I've been known to keep mine down around the house just out of laziness! But long-haired women know well the influence their hair has.

Lol what?

[bananacat]

Oooh, look what we got! Someone who is even holier than the Duggars themselves! Apparently all the fundies we snark on aren't good enough for our new troll. Gothard himself must be the devil because he strongly encourages all of his female followers to have long, flowing hair.

Can we get back to my question though? And can the troll maybe try to limit herself to just a few threads?

[godlytomatosoup]

So, Happy Anabaptist, I'm curious. What's your opinion of Luke 7:37 and John 12:3?

[ricky_ticky]

quote]

No, unless they're taking great pains in showing off their hair.

I guess not every girl who wears her hair down is being immodest. I've been known to keep mine down around the house just out of laziness! But long-haired women know well the influence their hair has.

[snarkbillie]

I know I'm getting dangerously close to thread jacking, but I have to ask because I can't imagine the answer: how does one take pains to show off her hair? Like, by brushing it? Or by wearing a nice headband or something?

Intricate braids and such. Anything that would draw attention to your hair. That's why girls with "green hair" are evil. *nod nod*

[MamaJunebug]

There is an intense talk show host named Michael Savage, broadcasts out of The Bay Area, I think.

I used to listen just to be intrigued, but then he was talking about how some in Islam require women to cover all the hair on their heads.

Savage said sagely, "They understand the power of hair!"

I stopped listening after that.

[fundiefan]

I straighten my naturally coarse, thick and heavy Shirley Temple curly hair with a blow dryer, big round brush and flat iron. I take great pains in doing that and you better believe that when I'm done, I'm gonna' show off that hair! Or, at least wear it down as all that work was meant to make it do in a decent way. Naturally curly, coarse hair does not lie 'nice', ever. At least not mine. If I'm gonna' try to look decent, in a show off way or not, it's gonna' take great pains for me to get there.

If I don't do the straightening thing, my hair is up, usually in a pony tail. That doesn't cause or take any kind of pain and I definitely do not show it off.

What, exactly, does 'flowing hair' mean anyway? The impossible, again, that no woman will ever reach without stressing over her (or her husband's) interpretation of a verse or two in the bible? Something she constantly tries to measure up to, with no possibility of reaching that goal or even clearly knowing what the hell it is. My hair goes just past my shoulders when straightened. When curly, it doesn't even reach the top of my shoulders. Neither qualifies as long, that much I can easily measure and define. I honestly haven't got a clue whether it flows or not though and if it doesn't I have no idea how to make it flow.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

Wouldn't only naturally straight hair qualify as flowing? I don't even know how a standard like that would logically work.

[VodouDoll]

Maybe. You're the one who said flowing hair is immodest. Don't you know? Maybe curly-haired girls are naturally exempt from this particular modesty rule? Lucky ducks.

[Happy_Anabaptist]

Maybe. You're the one who said flowing hair is immodest. Don't you know? Maybe curly-haired girls are naturally exempt from this particular modesty rule? Lucky ducks.

What's their reasoning for requiring long, flowing hair, anyway?

[emmiedahl]

It's feminine and men like it, and patriarchy is all about women pleasing men.

[Kelya]

My hair adjusted to the water here (its a lot harder quality than my last home) and now it finally feels clean! I am totally "immodest" with my hair- I toss it around and spend way too much time petting it and putting sparklies in it. I did that when it was three inches long too (less tossing and more ruffling, though). Length has very little to do with hair pride for me.

I can see how its an example of systematic, embedded racism- you have to look like X, and Y group of people can't reach that ideal without Z amount more preparation than X group. The factors that limit that ideal (time, money, equipment, practicality, health) all help play into the discrimination.