this post was submitted on 19 Aug 2023
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Sounds like folks have given a good number of alternatives, but I just wanted to share a resource: "Ableism/Language" by Lydia X. Z. Brown. It goes through a bunch of ableist words and suggests alternatives. :)
My biggest take away was:
So the language itself isn't ableist, technically, according to this, but abilism is when the person using the language thinks of the negative stereotypes associated and uses that to justify some shitty position or action.
So in other words, while lame is acknowledged as a problematic word, it's not inherently abilist to use it, which is not a takeaway I was expecting to get.
Let me know if I misread it, but thank you for posting! It was an informative read!
I think it's a super complicated topic. My understanding of the quote is that ableism is much bigger and more complicated than language, but we should be aware of how our language reflects ableist views - like the normalization of ableist slurs into our everyday vernacular, for example. In other words, our society is so comfortable with ableism, that even disabled people and advocates for disability rights may use ableist terminology regularly, whether or not they're aware of the origins.
I, personally, don't believe that "lame" is necessarily a word that needs to be changed, but I do believe it's a word with ableist origins. Like our conversation on "dumb", IMO most people don't think about the technical definition of "lame" anymore - but I might be wrong, or it might be regional. It's ultimately a personal choice whether or not it feels hurtful - and obviously, if someone tells you to not use a term around them, that's important to respect.
The key takeaway, to me, is that we should be mindful of how much ableism is normalized in our lives. I think you're definitely doing that, based on this post. It doesn't mean that using terms on this list is only ableist if you're thinking negatively about disabled people when you use it; it means that we should be thoughtful with our language, but more importantly, thoughtful of how our words and actions may be reinforcing hurtful systems. To use the example from before - if someone doesn't use the word "crazy" except when describing mentally ill people, that can speak to how they see mentally ill people as not just people who are ill, but as people who are undesirable boogeymen.
Take it on a case-by-case basis, IMO, and follow your gut if you feel shitty about certain words - better safe than sorry. But, at the end of the day, it's just... complicated!
I appreciate your nuanced take.