In fact they are mistaken about the dictionary, which is a serious and scholarly attempt to represent the Greek language as it is currently spoken. I imagine there are, but the attempt was sincere, and mistakes can be corrected in future editions. And Merriam has responded to their demands, correctly, as it seems to me. But that is a case of a pressure group, a minority group, objecting to the presentation not the inclusion of a word that they find offensive. These things are common.
Several questions arise.
That, however, is not the point, at least not mine. People look to it for information and also for guidance on language and style, just as they look to any reputable newspaper or journal. Readers will model their own usage on the Times. Perhaps the best thing was to inter it gracefully before subjecting it to the indignity of false usage. Its passing could have been marked with sadness or simply with benign neglect.