Sharing the #GRT Lawyers #Substack ✍️. A space — authored by me and future collaborators — to share ideas, experiences, and perspectives from GRT voices, and build a bank of helpful content. Subscribe! 🤝 #InternationalRomaDay #Visibility #Diversity #Inclusionn open.substack.com/pub/grtlawye...
On #InternationalRomaDay, I’m wearing the Roma flag 🔵☸️🟢 A badge carrying identity, resilience, and a community too often unseen. Visibility isn’t given — it’s built. Today we publicly launch the #GRT Lawyers Association. We welcome your support. #Romani #Travellers #Gypsy #GRTLawyers #diversity
Yes, those are great. I love Ground News too (@groundnews.bsky.social) 👍 . Gives a balanced view of ‘the news’ with a classification on the political scale for each article.
I’m glad 😊. I find it baffling that a lot of my generation & #nextgen do not see “the news” as compulsory viewing. I fear social media has already taken over that space, along with its many risks. I admit that I may be an old soul though haha
5/ E.g. in the early 2000s, many Roma immigrated for a better life from CEE. The word "gypsy" translated into many CEE languages - e.g. Czech: "cikan" - is a racist slur and links to slavery, crime and dirtiness. Therefore, I would urge caution and always ask if you unsure. Hope this was of help.
4/ However, "gypsy" was reclaimed as a self-descriptor by English Romani communities and this should be respected. Famously, Tyson Fury calls himself the "Gypsy King". All power to those who want to do that. However, one should not assume that all Roma in England would want to be called "gypsy".
3/ The exonym "gypsy" comes from "Egyptian" as medieval authorities did not know where we came from, so chose the most exotic place they knew at the time. This was an early form of othering because the Roma were POCs and maintained a nomadic lifestyle. This makes "gypsy" a misnomer too.
2/ Roma communities in England have long referred to themselves as "gypsy". However, they do not share the same ethnicity as Irish Travellers, and one should not confuse the the terms. "Gypsy" is exonym, i.e. a name given by a majority population to a minority.
1/ You are right to be cautious about referring to all Roma & Traveller communities as "gypsy". Although I am no expert on Traveller communities, Travellers would probably not take kindly to be referred to as "gypsy", preferring "Pavee" or "Minceirs" (deriving from the Shelta language).