I thought my fellow nameberries would be interested in this story I found. A girl named [name]Randi[/name] in Mississippi was beaten up by her school’s Fellowship of Christians for having a boy’s name.
Here’s the majority of the article:
[name]Randi[/name] [name]Foster[/name], a 12-year-old student at [name]Hernando[/name] Middle School in [name]Hernando[/name], Mississippi, was beat up by classmates because of her masculine-sounding name. [name]Jesus[/name].
Last [name]Wednesday[/name] four girls and a boy surrounded [name]Randi[/name] after a Fellowship of [name]Christian[/name] Students meeting, “talking about me like I was a man, and like, stuff like that,” [name]Randi[/name] says, who was teased for enjoying sports. “That I shouldn’t be in this world. And my name was a boy name.” The kids then proceeded to kick her in the legs and ribs, hit her face, and throw her into a cafeteria table. [name]Randi[/name]'s mother [name]Meggan[/name] [name]Foster[/name] says closed-circuit security cameras caught the whole thing on tape, but the principal won’t turn over the footage because it involves other students. And while disciplinary action will be taken “to the fullest extent of the law,” the principal assures. But that sounds like an empty promise: the police were not involved and no report was filed, which means “fullest extent” equals suspension or expulsion.
“I’m not scared or terrified,” says [name]Randi[/name], a brave young woman. “I’m a little worried because I’m not sure, you know, what’s going to happen when I do go back to school.”
Which is silly: She should know what’s going to happen. She she be assured by administrators the students will be kept at a distance, forced to undergo tolerance counseling, and otherwise punished. Moreover, there’s no reason [name]Randi[/name]'s mother cannot still go to police, who will obtain the video footage and enable [name]Randi[/name]'s family to press charges. And the leaders of the Fellowship of [name]Christian[/name] Students should be taking an active stand against this bullying ” and kick out the students who attacked [name]Randi[/name].
This isn’t about kids being kids. Somehow these little brats learned it’s okay to attack their peers for even the slightest perception of gender non-conformity.
That is near my home town(like 20 mins away) and the video/new report was done by our local station. I saw the report last week and it was bad reporting imo.They basically made the story seem like she was bullied simply because of her name. I could tell (since I know how journalists work) that they were reaching hard core. It is “sweeps” month, so you will see all TV networks doing whatever they can to increase ratings.There are lots of Randys down here(even in my family lol) and there are also many girls with the name down here as well. I doubt there was a big deal over her name alone. I think this is more of an issue with her personality being perceived as “butch.” If she were a girly cheerleader, people wouldn’t care. I’ve known girly girls with boy names and people never cared. But anyway…maybe there is something else others don’t like about her…idk. It is sad either way though.
Slightly random, but I knew a girl named [name]Angelique[/name](pronounced angel-eek). She had a bad bladder and people teased her by calling her [name]Ange[/name]-leaky since she had to go to the restroom so often(I think she even peed her pants once in class). She was a pretty girl, with a nice name, but her bad bladder made her a target for bullies. So even though they used her name to tease her, they were actually poking fun a her inability to quite urinating. Kids will tease someone with a “perfect” name if they want to be cruel enough. They will find something to pick on. I have the feeling that those bullies would have teased [name]Randi[/name] even if she were named something feminine…people can be childish and cruel.
This was my assumption as well. I don’t think this is a reason to start warning people off of boys’ names on girls! (also, and this isn’t meant to be offensive, but I’m guessing that a young person today named [name]Randi[/name] might come from a lower-class background, another (sad) reason for kids to tease and bully.)
This was my assumption as well. I don’t think this is a reason to start warning people off of boys’ names on girls! (also, and this isn’t meant to be offensive, but I’m guessing that a young person today named [name]Randi[/name] might come from a lower-class background, another (sad) reason for kids to tease and bully.)[/quote]
My dad and brother are named [name]Randy[/name]. It’s not a lower class name. I think it is sort of southern and rugged like [name]Wyatt[/name] and etc. Maybe the way she spelled it might come across as low class though. Although I guess a girl named [name]Randi[/name] it would just as bad as naming a girl [name]Charlie[/name], Wesleigh and what not. I think feminizing some names does make them seem less appealing and classy though…