Redskin (subculture)
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In the context of the skinhead subculture, a redskin is a left wing (communist or socialist) skinhead.
The term combines the word red, (a slang term for socialist or communist) with the word skin, which is short for skinhead. Redskins take an anti-fascist and militant (sometimes revolutionary) pro-working class stance. The most well-known organization associated with redskins is Red and Anarchist Skinheads (RASH). Other groups that have had redskin members include Anti-Fascist Action, Red Action and Skinheads Against Racial Prejudice (although SHARP does not have an official leftist ideology). Bands associated with redskins include: The Redskins, Angelic Upstarts, Blaggers I.T.A., Skin Deep, Kortatu, Skalariak, Banda Bassotti, The Burial, Negu Gorriak, Núcleo Terco, Brigada Flores Magon, Inadaptats, Opció k-95, Los Fastidios and The Press. One record label associated with the subculture is Insurgence Records.
Red braces and laces are sometimes worn by redskins to denote their left wing tendencies, although in some geographical areas this is thought to indicate far right beliefs. Some redskins have short back and sides hairstyles, leaving more hair on top of their heads as opposed to the traditional all over crop. This style was worn by members of the Redskins, although it was more popular amongst French redskins in the late eighties. Also popular amongst French redskins was the habit of turning ones bomber jacket inside out so that the orange lining of their bomber jackets would show. Left wing symbols and slogans are generally worn on patches, buttons and t-shirts.