This is totally off topic except the forum description said this where we put stuff that the TG community should be aware of and I really think we all need to be aware of this. It started tonight while I was talking to my tattoo artist while she finished my tattoo. She is Romani and she shared a little bit about what was happening for her people. I was shocked and appalled at how today we are treating people. I went home and did some research and had my eyes opened.

She told me of healthy Romani children who are being placed in classes for children with developmental and learning disabilities because it is assumed that all Romani people are incapable of real learning. It doesn't stop there however. These same children aren't going to their fake schooling because the other students and teachers have free reign in bullying, assaulting and other tormenting them.

Population control in many countries in Europe include polices services monitoring and controlling movements, doctrines of assimilation, restrictions on expressions of cultural and religious beliefs, they are detained, arrested and prosecuted at higher rates then other citizen's in these countries. Romani people are over represented in unemployment rates.

Things in Eastern Europe are particularly bad with murders of Romani people condoned by governments. In Czech Republic there is evidence of enforced sterilization of Romani women at least as recent 2004 and people in that country are reporting that it is continuing. My friend told me she hears of a murder at least every 2 weeks that the authorities refuse to investigate.

In Italy the police and government are actively fingerprinting and monitoring the Romani population. In early 2008 Naples citizens attacked and set fire to Romani camps.

I knew that you didn't use words like "gyp" or "gypsy" and about the extermination programs during the holocaust. I didn't know that until the mid 19th century every Romani in Europe was a by existence a slave or that the discrimination was still rampant. I didn't know that we are ignoring a minority that by most accounts faces more discrimination then us in the trans community. I didn't know that worldwide, in nations that had taken a stand against racism that we could still be this far behind. I am going to be taking some time to digest everything I learned tonight but I am not going to be still. We need to stand up against this, add our voices to the others who are calling for this to end. Once I know more about how I can support a solution to this I will post what I am doing but I just wanted to maybe open some people's eyes.

->-bleeped-<-boy

I am new to this topic, if my use of language is wrong I am sorry. I am still learning about this and what the right words to use are.

All people deserve equal rights.  It doesn't matter who they love, where they were born, or what they look like.  All people deserve equal rights.

Cini

No doubt.  If there is a group of people who have been oppressed by the modern world and nation states its them.  Hard to be a nomadic people in the nation state world.  Odd, nomadic is how most groups started out.  Power was like musical chairs in 20th Century Europe and they lost one of the first rounds.  Not that the other people in that area of the world are happy campers either.

the romany people have been persecuted in europe as long and as harshly as the jews. they do nick stuff though. (incidentally, i am one sixteenth romany.)

Quote from: Pica Pica on August 17, 2008, 04:23:39 PM
they do nick stuff though.

Well yeah, maybe.  But you have to take that within the context of their culture; they have been so brutally and continually opressed by the gaijo (non-Roma) that their whole cultural identity is now bound up in resisting that oppression.  You do not give your labour to the gaijo.  You do not work for your oppressors.  You may beg from them, steal from them, but you do not serve them.

I might not agree with that, but I can respect it.  They've got their ways, I've got mine, and that's okay by me.  Losing the odd fiver to a pickpocket won't change that.  I will vigorously oppose racial harrassment of the Roma; and also the related harrassment of other travelling folk. 

That is a real bad rationalization.

Quote from: Pica Pica on August 17, 2008, 04:23:39 PM
the romany people have been persecuted in europe as long and as harshly as the jews. they do nick stuff though. (incidentally, i am one sixteenth romany.)

Is the stealing out of necessity? I don't condone stealling but often minorities are reduced to stealing because they can not get work. Often being ostrosized by society in general, no work, no money. Transexuals have fallen into this as well. Being unable to find anyone that will emply them they have turned to prostitution as the only way to feed and house themselves. I don't condone either but we have to understand their plight too. I hope I'm making some sense here? I know of some transexuals that have contemplated prostitution as the only way to get themselves a roof over their heads and food on the table. In a society that squanders billions of dollers/pounds/franks/marks whatever part of the G8 we are we have to sit up and seriously help those in need and not pay lip service to the idea. What happended to the end poverty campaign? This is even worse for the worse off in our time of the credit crunch.

Being transexual does open our eyes because we too are part of a minority that some would wish, would go away. We have an understanding and empathy because we have faced or face similare things.

Sorry for my rant.

Interestingly I only just spoke to my minister today about wanting to help the transgender community in the world. In some countries they are beaton, imprisioned, shot and killed. I would be interested if there is a specific charity that does help our community.

hugs

Nigella