With Halloween fast approaching I figured I’d bring something up about customers and how they affect people.
Mostly about how certain customers shouldn’t be customers at all.
I’ve then derived a list that will hopefully, make this Halloween a bit friendlier to everyone.
Don’t don someone’s race.
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. Don’t use makeup to pretend to be another race. Especially if it’s a minority. The practice is too close to blackface, and even when used on other races is usually pretty offensive
Don’t don someone’s culture.
Wearing things like native American headdresses and stereotypical Latinx dresses can be offensive. These things have meanings to people, and the culture they identify with. Putting it on as a costume when you don’t understand their meaning can be really disrespectful. Treat people’s culture the way you’d like yours to be treated. Not as something fake.
Don’t don someone’s illness.
This one is one I don’t see talked about a lot. While we all love a good “Psycho” costume, costumes that have words like “crazy” or asylum patient are derogatory to those of us with mental illnesses. People with mental illness and disabilities already face stigma and discrimination. People already think we’re “scary” seeing our struggles made out to be a horror costume is basically a slap in the face.
While you’re at the store, please keep in mind that people will see you in this custom and that having your identity made into a facade can be highly damaging.