Fear No Face
Halloween is a time of year where costumes and characters often mimic, mock or create ‘fear’ towards facial differences.
Masks, prosthetics and makeup looks featuring scars, burns and other real-life conditions are marketed as ‘scary’, ‘spooky’, or ‘monster-like’ and this dehumanises the facial difference community.
At this time of year, TV and phone screens, supermarkets and even our streets are flooded with this outdated narrative where disfigurement = evil, which teaches children to fear facial difference
As a marginalised community all too often facing injustice, hate crime, stigma and the associated mental health concerns, Halloween is often a time of increased anxiety, intrusive questions from strangers and bullying in schools.
Face Equality International x Sephora
We at FEI are partnering with Sephora UK to promote a more inclusive and respectful way to celebrate Halloween in a way which doesn’t need to cause harm or offense to minoritised communities.
‘You don’t need a Halloween costume with a face like that’ is a taunt we’ve heard from many people living with facial differences.
FEI and Sephora UK first partnered as part of International Face Equality Week 2024 and the My Face is a Masterpiece campaign.
Sephora UK’s MySephora loyalty rewards gives customers the opportunity to earn points each time they shop. When customers have earnt a reward, they can choose to donate their reward to support Face Equality International.
Face Equality International’s Position Paper, Visible Difference & Disfigurement in the Arts calls on the entertainment and creative industries for better representation of visible difference.
Characters with scars and other visible differences are frequently cast as evil villains, pitiful victims, and renegade vigilantes.
Perpetuating these negative stereotypes has serious consequences as people with visible difference navigate a world that has been taught to fear anyone who looks different.
You can sign our petition – ‘Tell Hollywood Visible Difference Doesn’t Equal Evil!’ here.
A Position Paper on Visible Difference & Disfigurement in the Arts
