Gypsy Sport – Letter to Vogue

Date 24 September 2016 Author Bill Bila Category Youth

Dear Editors:

On September 11 2016, Vogue magazine published an article promoting a spring Ready To Wear collection bearing the name Gypsy Sport.

The term “Gypsy” is a slur referring to the Romani people. Roma are the largest ethnic minority in the EU and, according to many polls and data, the ethnicity facing the most bias and discrimination. We are writing to you today to acknowledge that the use of the word Gypsy in this context is inappropriate and offensive.  We encourage the fashion industry to avoid such usage.

The Gypsy Sport line has absolutely nothing to do with any Romani people. We ask Vogue to avoid perpetuating stereotypes such as nomadism or carefree lifestyles.

Although we are conscious that the word is often misused and widespread across media, applying a prejudicial term for a group of people to brand clothing is negligent at the very least. Furthermore, Roma are in fact not nomadic. Over 90% of Roma are sedentary, and the term “Gypsy” is associated with stereotypes that contribute to persecution.

In 2012, several violent attacks organized by Neo-Nazi groups targeting Roma were reported in several European countries. Those attacks led to the murder of six Roma including that of a 6 year old child in Hungary in 2012. We would be happy to provide data on even more recent racially-motivated violence and state policies across Europe that have been criticized by the EU and by international bodies.

We kindly request that you help us bring these issues to light by speaking out against the use of the term “Gypsy” for a clothing collection that has nothing to do with us, but continues to trap us in a stereotype.

Dafina Savic, Canada

Jud Nirenberg, USA

Professor Ethel Brooks, USA

William Bila, France

Kristin Raeesi, USA

Lucie Fremlova, UK

Roxie Balboa, Germany

Qristina Cummings, USA

Lynn Hutchinson Lee, Canada

Carolyn Otterness, Hungary

Gianni Johannes Jovanovic, Germany

Jane Kelton, USA

Angela Kocze

Siv Brun Lie, USA

Gina Csanyi-Robah, Canada

Professor Carol Silverman, USA

Vadim Kolpakov, USA/Russia

Karolina Gabor Banomova, Canada/Czech Republic

Tess Lulu Orban, USA

Ronald Lee, Canada

Katalin Gyokeny, USA

Nicolás Jiménez González, Spain

Kilino Stojkov, Serbia

Vojtech Gina, Germany

Eben Friedman, Macedonia

Ildiko Nova, Canada

Oksana Marafioti, USA

Lela Savić, Canada

Gilda Horvath

Michal Miko

Please have a look at our posting and our web site to protest similar issues here:

Letter to Vogue