since international romani day is coming to a close i’d like to remind non-romani of a few things:
gypsy/gipsy is a slur, if you’re not romani it’s probably best u dont use it. while we’re at it, don’t call us gippos either
gadje/gorger/gorja and any other variant word from any romanes dialect that means “non-romani” is NOT a slur, and it’s most definitely not a slur towards white people specifically
you’re not a gypsy because you have a “free spirit” and wanderlust and wear flowy skirts. you’re not gypsy because you want to be one. if you are a gadje, you have no right to call yourself gypsy, full stop.
romani is not a fashion statement and we’re not here for your fetishization/romanticization/aesthetic (appreciating romani fashion and culture is fine. what’s not fine is appropriation or pretending to be romani when you’re not.)
do not invalidate the racism romani people face. people don’t even consider us human. i can’t even tell you how many times i’ve read comments and messages from people literally calling romani “subhuman” and meaning it. don’t silence romani voices when they speak of the racism they’ve experienced
romani people are varied and diverse. some of us are white-passing, a lot aren’t. lots of us are mixed, and when we are we can be any number of bi or even multi racial identities. we can be almost any religion or even atheistic, we’re all over the world, and we speak many languages (there are many, many dialects of romanes alone)
and lastly: we deserve to be respected as your fellow human beings
