‘Long Hair’ has opened up a can of worms
His legal victory that mandatory haircuts for male prisoners amounts to sex discrimination means women inmates may now face the same restrictions
I used to think “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung harmless. Now the self-styled Marxist lawmaker has made himself a real menace. Just ask the hundreds of women prisoners in Hong Kong.
Thanks to Leung, many of them are now in danger of having to cut their hair short because of a court order. Some have threatened open defiance if they are made to do so. Correctional Services Department bosses have warned of “unimaginable consequences”.
What started off as one of those typically pointless acts of Leung to thumb his nose at the authorities has turned out to have real-life consequences – against one of the most powerless and vulnerable groups in our society.
He argued the male prison practice amounted to sex discrimination, and that his personal dignity was offended. Most people would have just rolled their eyes. But the judge was somehow convinced.
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Male and female prisons have very different security and disciplinary requirements. This does not mean that men are being discriminated against for having to cut their hair.
Also, a mandatory haircut doesn’t mean male prisoners are being treated any less favourably or with less dignity. In any case, being in jail by definition means losing many rights and freedoms that most people are naturally entitled to.
Long Hair, if you want to keep your locks, stay out of jail.