IMO it's up to the Romani to decide not the UK census site.
But in fact it seems to be the term used by some Romani groups
> The term Gypsy, which originates in the word "Egypt", mistakenly believed to be the original homeland of the Gypsies, has been controversial.[8] Some Romani activists reject the term, but it is embraced by others.[8] Although the term "Roma" was endorsed in place of "Gypsies" at the first World Roma Congress in London,[9] many Romani people in Britain prefer to call themselves Gypsies, or names that include the term such as Romani Gypsies or Romany Gypsies.[10][11][5][12][8][13] They also commonly refer to themselves as Romani or Romanies.[14]
I believe (but can't find a clear source) that there are also Native American groups that prefer to be called Indian. This is a close analogy Egypt <-> Romani, India <-> Native Americans.
But it is true that many people only recently stopped using "gypped" as a slur. My kid was reading A Wrinkle in Time and looking for vocabulary words the other day, and I had to tell her that "gypped" was probably not appropriate for her homework and that we don't use that word anymore. So that's one reason to be aware that "Gypsy" is controversial. In my experience, many people are not aware of this fact at all because it so rarely comes up.
It's not only present in the title. Midway through: "Louis’s mother, was a more joyful figure, and proved to be resilient after her husband’s death, sailing with Louis’s gypsy family to the South Seas."
I'm inclined to think the author is aware of modern preferences, and that Stevenson's family may have referenced themselves this way.
That's true although "Roma" is a more sensitive (and accurate) description. The linked article is still a bit weird, as RLS does not appear to be Roma or even a vagabond/itinerant figure. He just travelled a lot.
I believe Roma is a very continental European (German?) term. I’ve only ever heard it in the context of “Sinti und Roma.” In any case it A) refers to a specific subset of the broader “Gypsy” sects and B) is virtually unknown in America.
In the US there are “Gypsy” and “Irish Travellers,” with the latter being a specific subset like Roma, and even then I’ve only heard the term used regionally, e.g. in Augusta, SC where a population lives.
It seems to me that "peak sensitivity" with regards to potentially offensive words and ideas was reached in 2020-1 and the US seems to be on the downward trajectory since then, with the slope of that trajectory vastly increasing in 2025.
So this editorial decision might be just part of this overall trend.
ants_everywhere|4 months ago
But in fact it seems to be the term used by some Romani groups
> The term Gypsy, which originates in the word "Egypt", mistakenly believed to be the original homeland of the Gypsies, has been controversial.[8] Some Romani activists reject the term, but it is embraced by others.[8] Although the term "Roma" was endorsed in place of "Gypsies" at the first World Roma Congress in London,[9] many Romani people in Britain prefer to call themselves Gypsies, or names that include the term such as Romani Gypsies or Romany Gypsies.[10][11][5][12][8][13] They also commonly refer to themselves as Romani or Romanies.[14]
(from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy,_Roma_and_Traveller)
I believe (but can't find a clear source) that there are also Native American groups that prefer to be called Indian. This is a close analogy Egypt <-> Romani, India <-> Native Americans.
But it is true that many people only recently stopped using "gypped" as a slur. My kid was reading A Wrinkle in Time and looking for vocabulary words the other day, and I had to tell her that "gypped" was probably not appropriate for her homework and that we don't use that word anymore. So that's one reason to be aware that "Gypsy" is controversial. In my experience, many people are not aware of this fact at all because it so rarely comes up.
gausswho|4 months ago
I'm inclined to think the author is aware of modern preferences, and that Stevenson's family may have referenced themselves this way.
n4r9|4 months ago
antonymoose|4 months ago
In the US there are “Gypsy” and “Irish Travellers,” with the latter being a specific subset like Roma, and even then I’ve only heard the term used regionally, e.g. in Augusta, SC where a population lives.
smelendez|4 months ago
It’s also a bad editorial decision. Here we are debating the headline and not even talking about the article.
Dilettante_|4 months ago
Your reaction to a thing comes from you, not from the thing.
inglor_cz|4 months ago
So this editorial decision might be just part of this overall trend.