Now The Woke Mob Is Telling People They Need To Rename A Both Because It Is….

The destructive tree-defoliating, white and brown patterned “gypsy moth” will be receiving a name change due to views that the name could be offensive.

The Entomological Society of America will strike the name of the moth and similarly named gypsy ant from its “Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms List.” The name is considered racist against certain groups of people, especially since gypsy is often a slur used to describe some Romani people and the ESA has decided that its use has no place in the modern world.

ESA President Jessica Ware, Ph.D. said in a statement:

“Lymantria dispar is a damaging pest in North American forests, and public awareness is critical in slowing its spread. Spongy moth’ gives entomologists and foresters a name for this species that reinforces an important feature of the moth’s biology and moves away from the outdated term that was previously used. We are grateful to the diverse community of people and organizations who have been involved in this renaming process and have committed to adopting ‘spongy moth’ as well.”

It’s a welcome change. Names like these are insidiously harmful, quietly perpetuating the use of slurs that have otherwise disappeared from daily speech. And while the ESA is dropping this moniker immediately, the announcement is one piece of a larger effort to re-think the common names of insects more broadly.

According to AWM, many people find it bizarre that it is being changed after so many years.

One person was particularly outraged, writing on Twitter: “You f***heads are really something… Gypsy Moth is offensive now, and spongy moth is its new name… please for the love of everything stooooppppp!!!!!!”

“Just read the Gypsy moth name has changed to the Spongy moth. I guess we were offending Gypsies,” one person tweeted.

Another person suggested that the name change would not do too much good for the gypsy community in the long run, tweeting: “Here’s your congratulatory cookie. You have now put an end to injustice and hatred by a simple name change. Smfh.”

ESA archives show the term “Gypsy-moth” being used since at least 1908, if not earlier. And the ESA governing board approved the term “Gypsy ant” in 2006.

More details of this story from AWM:

Ware is glad that the new name is already making headway. The new name refers to how the moth creates “sponge-like” egg sacks. The name comes from France and French-speaking Canada, who refer to it as “spongieuse.” The moth’s new name no longer has the racist implication and will now be the official moniker of the critter when spoken about in articles, scientific journals, presentations, posters, websites, social media, and public policy documents, the ESA said

“‘Spongy moth’ is already beginning to appear in media stories and other online resources, which we’re excited to see. But we know this name change won’t happen overnight,” Ware says. “Particularly in books or print products, or regulations related to L. dispar, phasing in use of the new name may take some time. ESA will continue to provide supporting resources for organizations adopting this change.”

The name change for the gypsy moth comes as society is re-examining racist language and symbols in light of the police killing of George Floyd and the nationwide protests that have followed. Confederate monuments have been toppled, “Redskins” has been dropped as the name of Washington’s NFL team, and “Dixie” is no longer the name of a popular song at baseball games.

Sources: AWM, DailyMail