I'm just an average gypsy AMA

[GypsyAMA]

I've noticed a lot of hatred towards gypsies on here so I thought I'd answer any questions anyone may have that could help you to understand my culture more. You might still disagree with many aspects, but at least you'll be coming from facts and not stereotypes.

I must have missed that 🤦‍♀️

Have you considered moving to the 1950s?

You sound lovely.
I am fascinated by the gypsy / traveller lifestyle and only really know what I have learnt off reality tv.

Sometimes on a patch of land on a route intake there are gypsies or travellers (?) parked up with horses and the old style wagons. I'd love to go and say hello and have a chat but I expect they'd think I was going to cause them problems like I expect many people do.

I can't think of the word used maybe 'grabbing' ? Does that really happen?

I’m not surprised you’ve stopped answering after the sheer amount of prejudice and judgement displayed in the questions and comments. Why is it that homeschooling is seen as alternative and acceptable when it’s done by middle-class hippy types but not so much by gypsies? Same applies to SAHMs…ok if you’re from a “regular” background but not so much from a minority group such as gypsies or other minority cultures? You don’t have to agree or share someone else’s cultural norms in order to respect them! Of course there are laws and regulations everyone needs to adhere to but traditions of each community are important too and as any group of people, there will be a wide range of differences and similarities. The fact that their way of life is different doesn’t make it worse.

@Chocochick take a look at the educational attainment stats for GRT children and see how they compare to 'middle class hippy types' home schooled children.

I really respected how the girls were not to be alone with a boy. I don’t mean to be antagonistic but there is a great deal of promiscuity in today’s society.

But the boys were so promiscuous??

Christ on a bike, @InsolentNoise, I'm glad you're not my mother.

There is way more to life than having an immaculate home and not shagging around 🙄🙄🙄🙄

Not at all.

As I said, it’s difficult for me to explain exactly what I mean.

I just think that in those situations, they seem to have a very strong moral code.
And if the young women become SAHM, they take pride in it.

It’s not a life that I would want for me, or my DC, but if that’s their culture, then fair play to them. The young women seemed happy enough.

I can only reiterate that I am basing this on a TV series from several years ago.

I can understand why you have responded as you did.

This is the problem. So many people have terrible real experiences of travellers/gypsies that they believe they are all like that. Maybe they are.

Op has been less than convincing in her posts so far.

I must have missed that.

I hope you're ok with all this 'robust debate'. Some posters seem to be getting into the AIBU mindset more than AMA...

When you were describing your take on staying in school past 12 I was thinking of the Amish and others - for me they are a positive example - then someone mentioned them in a negative way.

I have a tiny amount of personal experience, a very long time ago, of people who might have called themselves gypsies or travellers and the Bruderhof and similar communities. I'm not talking about the very visible and problematic situations people have mentioned upthread, just my own personal encounters/friendships.

What I saw in a settled community (not houses but not moving around) and in the Bruderhof and I see on videos about the Amish life was a really warm close community family life. Larger families who really had an extended community that's so precious. Of course there were differences and even some serious problems between people because everyone is still human but that extended family community seems to me to be a very valuable cultural thing that's not found so often. Do you agree? Does that chime in with your experience?

There was also a practical side which to me is also really attractive and leaving academic focused education at 12 doesn't mean no more learning but can mean learning and doing things which are immediately and practically meaningful in the real world. People who are convinced formal education is the gold standard should maybe remember the school summer holidays are as long as they are to make it possible for people of school age to work during harvesting. Essential and important work, not work experience.

Please tell me if you think I'm talking rubbish. The question I'd most like to ask you is about your faith, spiritual practices or belief in God.

@RosieCockle my neighbour had similar. Driveway. It had to all be replaced two years later. The business owners looked very credible when they came to oversee the work at the time: one was about 14 which was the flag to me. All uniformed etc but the men actually delivered to site in a van & doing the work were treated terribly. No proper work wear. No breaks. They were reported re modern day slavery concerns.

Christ on a bike yourself!
I didn’t say that nor did I imply it.

I don’t want my DC shagging around. Why would I?
Wouldn’t you rather that your DC was in a loving relationship?

And I can wholeheartedly tell you that I am not a prudish mother who keeps her DC on a tight rein 😂
That is absolutely laughable. I have an extremely good relationship with both of my DC and no, we don’t live in an immaculate house 😂

You are advocating chaperones @InsolentNoise. What else? Chastity belts?

Ah the thread has been reinstated!

Will work my way through

Do caravans of those who have died and all their belongings still get burnt?
Yes if they are the last one living in it, so after both members of the couple have died

How did you meet your husband? How old were you when you got married?
At a social event, and 21

How large is the gypsy gay community and what does your husband do for employment?
Hard to say because most don't feel comfortable enough to come out unfortunately and he's self employed

Sorry about your experience but I'm not a traveller

I suppose it's hard to integrate more when there is just so much hatred, it's a shame really
Religion is very strong and there's a mix of catholic and Christian
We use the word gorger to mean non-gypsy

Hopefully answering a few questions in one here.

It's misogyny to you, by your societies standards. To us it's normal, just as it is in many cultures all over the world. You're judging our life by your standards which is fine, but means you obviously won't agree with a lot of things.

Girls are not getting married without ever knowing what sex is, they of course know some stuff but not all.

Also re: leaving school. As our children get older their lives go in a completely different direction. They don't have the freedom to do a lot of the things the other children can do and they also have certain expectations of them

That's just offensive, referring to an entire ethnic group as a cult.

You are assuming a lot.

Many work in trades and definitely pay tax and NI, the majority use accountants. I'm amazed you think it would be possible to get away with not doing so in modern society, especially with the fact that cash isn't really used anymore.

I just wondered if you spent a lot of your day cleaning
Probably average of 3 hours a day for me, other people do more or less

Op is being veryselective about the posts they answer 🙄
You try responding to this many questions. Actually OP is just choosing not to engage with people who aren't worth it.

You didn't answer my question about the mess left on fields.
Sorry I must have missed it.
The way I look at it, there are probably an equal proportion of bad/good people as there are in any society. However a bad group in yours might only cause havoc in their own area. If one bad group of people is travelling the country doing it everywhere they go, they will of course affect more people

As far as I know that was about Irish travellers

It may be travellers not gypsies but there seems to be a move away from Catholicism to protestant evangelic churches and even Seventh Day adventist in those communities. Is that true?

Would children be allowed to have sleepovers with family or friends? Thanks
Yes, relatives are always giving eachother childcare

How is domestic abuse handled in your community
There's not really a specific way of handling it really, but if a family found out their daughter was being abused they would always take her back in

Do you have any close friends who are not from your community?
A couple but none that I really socialise with

Are you and family a travelling family, or now "settled"?
We are now settled

@RosieCockle sorry for your experience but surely you know that there are plenty of cowboy builders from all walks of life