That Feminist Dyke

golden-zephyr:

When you scream and shout and cuss out people for their use of the word Gypsy you are doing everyone, especially the Romani, a disservice.

We didn’t ask for your intervention - your non-Romani (and mostly white) intervention. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the sentiment. The idea that there are non-Romani people out there who want to fight discrimination and racism along side us is amazing.

Except, it’s not really along side us.

When you are so vehement and violent in your attacks (and I do call them that) on people who use the word, you imply that Romani people are that way too. That we all are bitter and angry and scream and shout profanities at anyone who would misuse the word.

I have had an increase in asks telling me that I am a disgusting human being for my attacks on ‘innocent’ hipster girls. I haven’t attacked anyone - though I have seen it on my dash often lately.

There are Romani here who run blogs dedicated to calling out non-Romani who use the word Gypsy or otherwise stereotype Romani (or others who fall under that label), and they do it in an educational and mostly respectful manner.

Even if we DO get angry, that right is ours - not yours - you have not suffered the truth and the pain of that word, you are not suffering anything like we are.

We don’t need your misplaced anger. We don’t need your cuss words and your hatred.

We receive enough hatred without your help. You aren’t making things better for us by “collecting” people in this manner - you’re just making people more angry with us, more judgmental, and less likely to listen to an explanation that could possibly change how they think about using the words they thought they knew.

You are not explaining anything. Calling someone a piece of shit for using a racial slur doesn’t provide much opportunity for learning or education. Most people will be shut down immediately and put on the defensive. At least provide some links or other information regarding your claims of it’s racist meanings. 

I do appreciate your sentiment - but with TV shows, news outlets, and other media insisting on using the word “Gypsy” for their idiotic misrepresentation of my people, it makes it harder for non-Romani to understand why they should not use the word. It makes it harder to explain that we’re not all like the Johns from American Gypsies, or the families from MBF(A)GW. People don’t believe us - why should they?

But please, this isn’t your fight. If you truly want to support us you’ll educate yourselves and others about our lives and why the word is so offensive to so many of us and why it’s our call how and when this fight goes down. 

I am not saying don’t support us.

All I am saying is don’t make this your fight. It isn’t and it never was.