Should Anti-Discrimination Laws Include Bald People?

Political correctness is often a heated topic and one that attracts a lot of attention. And one MP has even added hair loss to the debate. The Daily Mail recently reported that Conservative MP Philip Davies wrote 19 letters to Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission asking a range of questions about political correctness. In one communication Davies asked Phillips whether anti-discrimination laws ought to be extended 'to cover bald people (and perhaps fat people and short people)'.

In his latest letter Davies asks: 'Is it offensive to black up or not, particularly if you are impersonating a black person?' and 'Why it is so offensive to black up your face, as I have never understood this.'



Davies, MP for Shipley and ‘parliamentary spokesperson’ for the Campaign Against Political Correctness’ lobby group, has also asked whether the Metropolitan Black Police Association breaches discrimination law by restricting its membership to black people. The MP compares this to the BNP’s white-only policy which the far-right party has only recently agreed to drop.

Interestingly, Phillips replied to each letter and answered each topic in detail except for the question about baldness. The reply to this was said to simply read: 'The answer to your question is no.'

A commission spokesman said: 'There are many writings produced by scholars about blacking up, arguing that minstrel shows lampoon black people in derogatory ways, and many people clearly find blacking up to portray minstrels or black people offensive."

Davies said he wrote the letters because he believed in equality and disagreed with “positive discrimination” but pointed out he is a “humble backbencher” who didn't speak for his party.

“For over a decade the Conservatives have made the case for fairness, not special treatment. We will continue to argue that Britain's strength is the freedom it offers and its steadfast commitment to tolerance, respect for the individual and democracy," said a spokesperson for the Conservative party.

Peter Herbert, the chair of the Society of Black Lawyers, said: “This correspondence seems a complete and utter waste of time. If he (Davies) wishes to have recourse to law he shouldn't be using the Human Rights Commission as basically a source of legal advice, which is what he appears to be doing.”

While politicians and public servants argue over what is and what is not acceptable in society, hair loss will continue to affect approximately 80% of men and 40 - 50% of women. The most common cause is a genetic predisposition to dihydrotestosterone (DHT - the hormone that attacks the hair follicles). While women tend to experience an all-over thinning, men usually see a receding hairline and thinning around the crown area. If left untreated, a man will start to go bald.

The Belgravia Centre has a long-standing and successful track record in treating male and female hair loss conditions. The centre's specialists are highly experienced in diagnosing hair loss and prescribing individualised treatment programmes. To see how well Belgravia clients respond to these treatments, take a look at the large collection of hair loss success stories.

If you are interested in finding out more about hair loss treatments and whether they could benefit you, contact Belgravia for a free consultation. To book an appointment, call 020 7730 6666 or message the centre. For a home use treatment course and mail order service, complete the online diagnostic form.

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