Use of the word Pik*y

[malumbu]

I've got a group of colleague who constantly use this term referring to Romany/travelers and the like - very much in a pejorative way. At times it feels like a talking black top newspaper. I'm increasingly more uncomfortable with this - questioning whether it is casual racism and of course why I am not challenging this.

I was at the Oval last week for the test match and impressed with their list of groups where 'hate crime' was not tolerated. I didn't do the "oh political correctness gone mad" but considered it right and appropriate.

So a quick Google search brought up two links which suggest the use of this term is racist.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7446274.stm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pikey

Although I also understand that when Clarkson was reported for using it, an investigation found that it wasn't racist.

There is of course no smoke without fire, and some of the traveling community have not endeared themselves with middle England.

Me? I think that the problems are overstated and some seem to be very preoccupied with this, when there are bigger issues to worry about in our society.

Serious views please, don't make light of this.

[Sue]

There is a "joke" thread on here, which I haven't seen lately.

One of the first "jokes" was specifically based on this word. I was horrified when I saw it and more horrified that nobody had apparently complained about it at the time.

I don't think the post exists any more, because some time ago a lot of posts disappeared when the forum was updated.

For what it's worth, I think the term is racist, and I called someone out on it when he used it at a party I was at.

There are bad eggs in any group of people. That doesn't mean it is OK to casually insult all of them by using racist terms about them.

[wordsworth]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> There is a "joke" thread on here, which I haven't

> seen lately.

>

> One of the first "jokes" was specifically based on

> this word. I was horrified when I saw it and more

> horrified that nobody had apparently complained

> about it at the time.

>

> I don't think the post exists any more, because

> some time ago a lot of posts disappeared when the

> forum was updated.

>

> For what it's worth, I think the term is racist,

> and I called someone out on it when he used it at

> a party I was at.

>

> There are bad eggs in any group of people. That

> doesn't mean it is OK to casually insult all of

> them by using racist terms about them.

Wha?

[JohnL]

Not considered an appropriate word to use these days - but my view when I hear it is why should I act as verbal policeman - I just consider if I really want to associate with people that speak like that (as my mother would say).

[JohnL]

It shows a lack of reflection ability - do they not think about the impression they give others.

[KidKruger]

Also, there?s their weird assumption that people automatically will be comfortable hearing them speaking like that.

Which is galling.

(Says the alleged racist 🙄)

[Seabag]

Mostly it?s laziness isn?t it really, the word pikey has become synonymous with dodgy and fake (I?ve seen the word used in the style of the NIKE logo) not so much directed at a cultural group, I don?t think. Though I did hear the word ?tinker? the other day, which was a blast from the past.

I don?t use it, I don?t like others using it. But it happens. So I keep those type of people at a barge pole distance, and to be fair, you don?t hear this kind of language much in Sevenoaks.

[siousxiesue]

'I've got a group of colleague who constantly use this term referring to Romany/travelers and the like - very much in a pejorative way. At times it feels like a talking black top newspaper. I'm increasingly more uncomfortable with this - questioning whether it is casual racism and of course why I am not challenging this.'

Without identifying it obviously, where do you work and is there a policy about this sort of thing?

I had a guy I was volunteering with make a anti Semitic slur which I challenged loudly, he tried defending it and himself. Reported it to the management too, I don't think they knew what to do..

[Chick]

It's the last acceptable form of racism. And totally unacceptable.

[malumbu]

I'm not getting any hint of anyone saying that it is not racist, and even better anyone posting their (negative) views about travelers. Yes there is stuff that society needs to resolve, but you can say that about every demographic.

Thinking about why it seems to many to be acceptable -

(a) it is not a pejorative terms that we 'may' be able to use in banter - eg jocks, limies, poms, taffs, paddies etc, particularly if that group uses the term themselves

(b) it is not one of ignorance - in America 'oriental' is a slur word but not so in the UK, and similarly many innocently used the term coloured until a few decades ago again not realising how offensive this was in other countries

© how much of a case is this that things need to progress in the same way that it was acceptable to make 'puff' jokes on the media 30 years ago, and twenty years ago 'trannie' jokes. Little Britain being a great case in point where Lucas/Walliams feel some characters are in retrospect just wrong. Perhaps as much as this getting into the national lingo (only gay in the village, I'm a lady).

Heavens I am getting a bit deep tonight. But always good to self reflect.

Oh and the group also make the odd casual racist comment, and less casual sexist comments. Age certainly is no excuse. I'm now posting on the song for the weekend thread.