April 8th is International Romani Day. There's a lot I could say, but mostly just want to say thank you all for being a community where I don't have to be afraid to say I'm Gypsy. You'd be surprised how not all European leftists even care about us! So I appreciate you all. So thank you all, please continue to stay educated on our issues, and never be afraid to ask me any questions if you have any.
:heart-sickle:
I was under the impression that the g word was a slur. Has this been re appropriated by the community?
It can be used as a slur, for sure, but most of us aren't fully opposed to it. I have to use it when talking to Americans so they don't think I mean Romanians. If I identify myself, I just say "romani Gypsy." It's fine to use. If you're around people who know who Roma are, just saying Roma/Romani is fine, but if you're talking to a less knowledgeable population, Gypsy is fine. What matters is talking about us at all, not even what we are called. There's way bigger issues than the label semantics to me.
I'd rather someone be spreading awareness that Gypsy women are forcibly sterilized rather than someone who is like "actually DON'T say the G word!!!" and then never talk about the actual issue, if that makes sense.
That makes sense. Thank you for your explanation.