Familial Frictions: Intersectional Inequalities Faced by Romani Queer Women

Abstract

This article reviews the growing but still scarce scholarly work on queer Romani women in Eastern and Central Europe to highlight how economic and symbolic inequalities are inseparably intertwined and mutually strengthen each other in the case of this group. The review finds that cultural and symbolic injustices dominate the analysis of the situation of queer Romani women; economic deprivation is often mentioned when providing an overview of the situation of Romani people but is hardly ever brought up when the specific experiences of queer Romani people are discussed. The article zooms in on one area where the interplay between economic and symbolic inequality is pronounced: the central role of familism in the lives of Romani communities, and the detrimental impact it has on the situation of queer Romani women. The article also proposes a set of other mechanisms undermining the equality and well-being of queer Romani women where economic and symbolic inequalities are similarly intertwined.