From the hue of my hair to the sun kissed skin of my shoulders, I am unequivocally ginger. I didn’t really know the red hair and freckles look had a name until South Park came out with an episode about hatred of gingers that went viral, making the ginger term skyrocket to pop culture stardom. It was weird for a while, but now at 19, I fully embrace my fiery locks and Irish lineage.

I didn’t always love the way I looked. Growing up I was sure I was adopted, despite having an older sister with the same coloring, because we were the only redheads.

I hated how I’d get a sunburn if I was in the sun for more than 10 minutes, but my fraternal twin sister could spend hours and come back tanned. I was so embarrassed by the way the freckles on my arms joined together to make my skin look like a giraffe. Puberty hit hard with braces and acne that sometimes looked like freckles and freckles that sometimes looked like acne.

I was so sick of the "Do Gingers Have Souls?" debate because sure, its funny the first few times, but after years of hearing the same joke, it gets old. Having people constantly say “You’ve got a lot of freckles!” or “Do you ever count your freckles?” or the favorite of jerks worldwide: “Does the carpet match the drapes?” It's horrible because yeah, I’ve looked in a mirror. I know I’ve got a lot of freckles and too many to count. And that other one? If you ever think it's OK to ask someone this, especially a teenage girl, please reconsider and instead never talk to anyone again. Ever.

Ginger life really isn’t all bad though. In fact, it can be pretty good. I once won a t-shirt that said “Red Hair Don’t Care” for having a lot of freckles (First Ever Freck-off Friday Winner, I’m proud), and then I started to realize that having the red hair and freckles combo is pretty special: only 2 percent of the world’s population has the same traits!

I came to really accept myself, with the help of red hair becoming more and more celebrated on TV and the news. When "Brave" came out, I was ecstatic because there is finally a Disney princess who looks like me. She even had the curly hair that couldn’t be controlled! And did I spend an unreal amount of time working on my Scottish accent so that I could perfectly deliver a few of Merida's signature lines, like “If ye could change yer fate, would ya?” or “But muuumm, its just me bow.” I won’t say yes, but I will say I’m a hit at parties and charades, so let the evidence speak for itself. Combine that with my love for all things "The Little Mermaid," hold on to your shells Ariel, cause we are finally Part of Their World.

I went to the "Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter" and took a picture with the driver of the Knight Bus. He had red hair, I had red hair. We made a connection.

I love the way my hair lights up in a picture. I love to compare all my freckles to stars in the sky, because, A, I can find all the constellations, and B, I think they’re just as special. I love that I can get a scholarship for my unique look. I love feeling like I, too, am a Weasley. And most of all, I love the “Hey what’s up, fellow freckle faced friend” head nod when I see other gingers out in public, because hell yeah, we’ve got a secret support network all you blondes and brunettes will never gain access to. Slather on some sunscreen and keep fighting the good fight. #GingerAndProud

**Special shout out to all those awesome people spreading the Ginger love out there, you rock!

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