Rangers lead campaign to ban the word 'hun' as it's a derogatory slur towards Protestants

Widely used as a shortened term for 'honey', Rangers argue that 'hun' should be made illegal due to its derogatory connotations

Rangers are leading a campaign to stop the word 'hun' being used as a derogatory slur towards Protestants (Getty)

Rangers are leading a campaign to try and have the word ‘hun’ banned because it is a derogatory slur used against Protestants, with thousands throwing their support behind the movement.

Campaigners argue that the word, which is more commonly used in an endearing manner short for ‘honey’, is one of “religious hatred” and should be considered just as offensive as the word ‘fenian’, which is used as a derogatory term towards Catholics.

Plans are already in place to lobby Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make the word illegal, with the campaign coming after singer Amy Macdonald was abused on Twitter, according to Herald Scotland.

An online petition claims that the word is of "religious hatred, a derogatory and sectarian term for a Protestant".

It adds: "A tiny section of fans have let the club down recently by reverting to damaging behaviour which is not only illegal but tarnishes the club.

"Please think of Rangers ahead of anything else on Friday night. Help us to challenge attempts to smear the club by giving those who seek to damage us no ammunition.

"The Rangers fans' have been consistently excellent over the past few years and have attracted much deserved praise. It remains the case however that any slip will be highlighted whilst behaviour by fans of other clubs is largely ignored. Acts of defiance do not work. They do not shine the spotlight on the actions of others but merely turn it back on our fans."


 Rangers will take the movement to Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

The Rangers Fans Board said: "The RFB encourages all Bears to sign the petition to ban the use of the word 'hun'. Time to stop them getting away with it over and over again."

The campaign also calls for pro-IRA songs to be banned because they are "unacceptable and have no place in society", adding that the chants should be "outlawed and made illegal and those singing them dealt with by the courts and banned from entering football stadia".

Pop singer Amy Macdonald was abused on Twitter with anti-Protestant slurs (Getty)

The abuse of Macdonald started after she criticised former England and Liverpool footballer Stan Collymore, who linked Rangers and Chelsea fans to right wing groups such as Combat 18. Collymore uploaded a video shot at Hampden Park onto his Twitter account, in which fans can be hear singing the sectarian Billy Boys loyalist song which contains the lyric “up to our knees in fenian blood”.

Collymore called on sponsors and broadcasters to boycott Rangers until the sectarian songs were banned.