golden-zephyr:

So, please enlighten me:

Why are Gypsies so indicative of the Renaissance?

I get it, I do… I see pirates and princess, bustles, corsets, and chain mail.

But… why SO MANY stereotyped and incorrect Gypsies?

I thought that people tried to be historically accurate when making their costumes for Ren Faire?

Most Renaissance fairs are set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England. Some are set earlier, during the reign of Henry VIII, or in other countries, such as France, and some include broader definitions of the Renaissance which include earlier periods, such as the Vikings, or later, such as 18th Century pirates, and some engage in deliberate “time travel” by encouraging participants to wear costumes representing several eras in a broad time period. Renaissance fairs encourage visitors to enter into the spirit of things with costumes and audience participation. Most tolerate, and many welcome, fantasy elements such as wizards and elves.

The above is taken from Wikipedia.

A typical Ren Faire Gypsy looks like this:

And an actual real life Rromani woman from the mid-1900s would look like this:

That’s my aunt, Lemija. This was taken in Southern England sometime in the mid-1900s.

Now, if we take a Ren Faire that is supposedly set during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, then unfortunately, she didn’t really care for Gypsies (nor did the rest of Europe)

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golden-zephyr:

“It’s all about the packaging. People don’t care what’s on the inside if the outside’s all ugly”

“You look fucking white. You’re sure as hell the whitest non-white I ever saw”

“Saying you don’t identify as white is stupid. You are white. That also means you’re not a gypsy because they’re … brown”

“The only white gypsies are Irish … and you’re not Irish, so you’re lying”

golden-zephyr:

yuugen-reflections:

Criminal Minds, why did you insult Roma? Seeing Spencer Reid use the thief stereotype has ruined the character for me. A real genius working for the FBI would know that there is no evidence whatsoever that shows travellers are more likely to steal than other people. Cannot be a fan of Matthew Gray Gubler anymore, such a shame. People should really do their research before making openly racist statements on TV.

It happens ALL THE TIME.

Especially where Roma are concerned. And their defense?

Gypsies are sooooo secretive. It’s their fault for not being open!

(Source: )

golden-zephyr:

A Chikanere (Pennsylvania Roma) woman poses for photographs.

Tagging this for Jenn… :) [my-journey-my-thoughts] The first and only Chikanere that I know… who has taught me to have more backbone, more insight, and more heart.

She is one of the most genuine people I know who has fought many battles on the part of my people …

<3333

my-journey-my-thoughts:

[TW: Talk of sexual assault, physical assault, violence and antiziganism.]

I’ve sat here, combating the ignorance individually. I’m done with that. I’m done trying to reach you on a one on one level. You continuously ignore anything from me, you ignore the people I talk to on here who are Roma. You say we’re “Being too sensitive,” that “Gypsy is just a word,” that it stands for “Being free spirited, moving from place to place,” and the best, “I’m APPRECIATING your culture.”

First, gypsy is a slur. No matter what you think, it has been a slur for centuries.

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golden-zephyr:

This is my blog—no, that’s not a defense, but rather an observation. I write what I write, from my perspective; a perspective that is, admittedly, flawed. It is not (and I am certainly not) perfect. 

I grew up in a different culture, in a different place, full of different experiences. My knowledge and outlook on the world is different from yours, unless you are another Rroma, and even then there’s a good chance that we are different (because, unlike the stereotype, us Walking People’s are all different from each other). My knowledge of the world has been broadened by formal education—but even then, that education took place in several different countries and over a very long period of time—so, I’ve had time to create a patchwork of beliefs, experiences, and education—a patchwork that is sometimes torn, or missing a piece, or bunched up so I can’t see it all.

I don’t hate white people—even though, given the way I’ve been treated by many of them I probably have every right to at least be wary.

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golden-zephyr:

golden-zephyr:

Would you get that tattooed on you?

NO?

Then don’t get this:

Both are equally as racist as each other.

Period.

Now, go the fuck home.

REBLOGGING BECAUSE ALL YOU PEOPLE ACCUSING US OF RACISM CAN GTFO.

golden-zephyr:

Beautiful Rroma girls.

golden-zephyr:

I have received a lot of asks/emails/FB messages lately about… well, everything.. but especially the word “gypsy” and use of it here and elsewhere and I don’t have time to personally answer them all.

so, I would like to address some things:

Firstly, while I appreciate apologies for use of the word without knowledge of it’s true meaning, those apologies are fairly useless when followed up with “so it was okay because I didn’t know” or “It’s perfectly okay to use it in the context I did”. I don’t really like passive-aggressive “I’m sorry but it wasn’t my fault because…” messages. Of course it was your fault. It’s okay not to know something, but to justify using a racist word as okay because you didn’t know… that doesn’t cut it.

Just stop at “I’m sorry”, that’s enough. Really. And then internalize that apology and really mean it.

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the-martyst:

Hey everyone!

“Gypsy” is an ethnic slur. It is not a lifestyle. It is not a fashion. It is not a philosophy.

If you are a creative and free-spirited enough person to tie scarves all over your body and hang out in a corn field, you probably have enough inventive neurons to rub together and come up with a non-racist term for the look you aspire to. It’s not that hard, and if you really are full of exotic wanderlust and easy-going romanticism, it’s probably more in keeping with your character to not be a dick to others with hurtful terminology.

Words to Try Instead: bohemian,* hippie, nomad, pastoralist, free spirit, flower child, wanderer, romantic

*Bohemian technically derives from the French bohémien, a word used with the mistaken belief that Romani came from the Kingdom of Bohemia. While my white gadje ass has not personally encountered “bohemian” used as a slur, I’d still be cautious about it and stop using it should traveling people ask you to.

golden-zephyr:

I know you don’t understand. I know that you think what you are posting and saying is not harmful, racist, or problematic.

However, as a real, live Gypsy (Rroma) I am here to tell you that all of the things you post ARE very problematic.

When I was a little girl, I was barred from four of the six shops in my town—because I was Rroma.

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