I'm a traveller- AMA

[Pinkyyy]

I was actually asked on another post to start this thread, I've been debating the idea for a while but usually decide not to because I've seen threads like this turn sour before. Hopefully I can avoid that and actually provide information and educate people on a way of life they may well know very little about.

I invite you to ask any questions you may have, and I will do my best to answer them all honestly. I ask that you don't bother to comment if you're going to bombard me with racism and ignorance. If you'd like to question a common stereotype, by all means go ahead but I will not respond to those who are simply here to be hateful. I also hope you'll respect that I don't like to share too much of my personal details on here, so I'm aiming more to speak about travellers as a a whole and not so much about me personally.

So.... AMA

@Pinkyyy yes I have considered it, that's why I made the point to say it's the only first hand experience I've had..

The law requires children receive education. It isn’t “a choice”
Most will leave school and enlist as homeschooled.

@flumpybear I'm not being prickly I'm just trying to let you know that you are talking about a small minority. The type of family you describe is what I'd say was a 'normal' travelling family, that's how most behave

I am hoping you get lots of nice comments on here. I am sick of people assuming that all travellers are the same. They aren't! Some do make it worse for others with their actions, but that can be said for allsorts of people. X

@Bluestitch there are quite a few differences but most of the core beliefs and values are the same. The two rarely mix

@KarenDarling I'd like to think you've had more first hand experiences, but haven't noticed because they were just normal encounters with normal people

A really interesting thread OP. Those that are home schooled? Do they actually receive an “education” as we know it? (Learning subjects etc.)
Have you faced prejudice in your daily life? What would change this?

@binkyblinky thank you, I just feel that there is so much inequality where travellers are concerned. I have never seen any person refused entry to somewhere because of their ethnic background, but people think it's fine to do it to travellers. Even those who fight for the rights of women/trans/people of colour etc will openly discriminate against travellers.

Hi OP I'm glad you've started this thread. I know Romany gypsies who are perfectly respectable members of the community and actually most people don't even know their background, so it really annoys me when people say "all the travellers I know are bad" etc, as like you've pointed out they have probably known more but just haven't realised! The TV shows are appalling and peddle all that.

It always strikes me that travellers are a group of people that others still feel it's ok to stigmatise- do you come across a lot of prejudice from people who know your background? I can see there are some already on this thread...

Sorry cross posted with your last post. I agree- so many liberals will fight for the rights of everyone except travellers.

Is “gypsy” rude, and “traveller” correct?
Both are absolutely fine

Do most give birth at home or in hospital?
In the hospital, the men are never present for the birth

How many are in the uk?
Probably tens of thousands

Did any of your family fight in ww2?
I'm not sure on this one, sorry

How would you feel if your children wanted to go to university and/or marry out?
I'd be supportive and very proud, however if I'm being honest I'd much prefer them to marry other travellers

Are most Catholic? How are they treated by the Church?
Yes most are either Catholic or Christian and play large parts in their local churches

Why would you prefer they marry other travellers? Is that not prejudice? How would you feel if someone would prefer to not marry you because of your background?

Is being gay seen as acceptable- as in would somebody be able to come out within the community?

Are gypsy and traveller

@Wolfiefan thank you. No they won't receive any schooling at home once they have left school. I have faced a lot of prejudice, I've had to tone down my accent for work in the past, something many travellers have to do because employers more often than not, won't employ a traveller.

@PicassoWouldBeProud thank you for your supportive words. Yes sadly, I do. It's always sad when someone says something like "I wouldn't have known you're a traveller, you're actually decent".

@JonahPlusWhale because travellers are proud to be travellers and like to keep their bloodline going.

@Bluestitch sadly, a lot of travellers are very homophobic. Travellers have come out as gay in the past though and had relationships with other gay travellers, or with non travellers

when you do get groups of travellers who cause a nuisance, leave loads of rubbish etc who give the community a bad name, are there social repercussions within the community for this sort of behaviour?

Pinkyyy fellow traveller here. x

No they won't receive any schooling at home once they have left school

Do the LA do anything about this? I home ed my eldest DC due to SN and I'm obliged to have yearly contact with somebody from the LA and provide proof that I am providing an appropriate education.

If you have daughters will they/did they leave school before 16, and is that what you would prefer for them? And to get married as soon as they can as well?

In my experience (which is a lot!) I would say that Travellers are as diverse as the settled community. I have been in situations where I have been talking to Travellers about their charitable projects, and also been in a trailer with a young man with a shotgun threatening to go out and shoot someone.

It is certainly true that Travellers of all sorts have very clear traditions, some of which personally I admire (closeness with and loyalty to family) and some that I find hard to swallow (fist-fighting and baby boys with gold boxing glove necklaces on) - but it is a matter of personal taste>

There are bad apples in the community, as in the gorja community; but I can cite many examples where Travellers were tarred with a negative brush and turned out to be entirely innocent - that sort of oppression is not acceptable.

@zzzzz sadly I have very little knowledge with regards to travellers in the war. Travellers see any child as a blessing and would never institutioalise someone for being disabled, their parents usually look after them for as long as they are able to. I know a few travellers with autism.

My Great Grandmother on my paternal side was brought up as a traveller but then they settled in a house when her mum remarried to a non-traveller. She was clearly very ashamed and played down her gypsy roots, in fact she would get very cross when anyone talked about her early childhood. Have you known anyone like this who felt that they later had to “reject” being a gypsy?

@Branleuse not really, as travellers tend to mainly socialise with others of the same class, so the people you mention probably mix with others who behave similarly.

@whilethechiefputsshineonleith glad to see another here!

@Bluestitch a lot of the time they borrow work from others to show to the authorities who come out to check if they've been doing any work

@AssassinatedBeauty mine are free to leave when they please, I'd rather they didn't marry too young though

@Mishappening your post is very true and you seem to have a good understanding of travellers