Comments on: Ableist Word Profile: Lame

By: Ladystachette

Ladystachette — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:20:33 +0000

Just letting you know that this post was used in 'A Note On Language' over at my blog, Ladystachette. Thank you for this post, and all the others in the series; I find them immensely helpful, and will most likely link again.

By: DDog

DDog — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:48:48 +0000

Bingo. A friend of mine once wrote an informational post on LJ about how and why using “that’s so gay” as a pejorative was problematic because the person using it probably meant “lame” or “stupid” or something like that, and not “homosexual” or “happy,” and association “gay” with “bad” was homophobic and problematic. Good effort, but intersectionality fail.
DDog´s last blog ..DDog: @bwvalentine I didn’t really get it either. The wrapper story was mostly useless, but the inner story was interesting.

By: Dogged

Dogged — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:35:59 +0000

First of all, thank you so much for this blog. I was pointed to it by a friend, and I’ve been paging through it for the last couple of days. I think resources and communities like this are invaluable.

On the ‘I know someone who uses it self-referentially’ point, I often tell people I have a ‘gammy leg’, or that ‘my gammy leg is acting up’. It’s a slightly old-fashioned term, but it has the advantage of being both non-specific and easily understandable by the majority of people. It sure beats giving them my medical diagnosis (avascular nercosis or AVN, if anyone’s interested). That does not mean however that I want anyone *else* describing me in that way.

BTW, I’m a little concerned by the tendency to shorten the phrase ‘people/person with disabilities’ to the acronym ‘PWD’. If the intention of the phrase is to highlight the PERSONhood of disabled people, as opposed to their disability, surely reducing that back to an acronym – whose meaning can so easily be lost or perverted – effectively negates that intention? I know I wouldn’t be happy if someone referred to me as ‘a PWD’, or any other acronym for that matter.

By: Anna

Anna — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:23:49 +0000

Laura,

No. You’re not describing a person or an argument, you’re describing tea.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:23:24 +0000

Is ‘weak’ as in ‘I like my tea weak, thank you’ ableist, please?
Laura´s last blog ..What’s happening.

By: Alexandra Erin

Alexandra Erin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:02:22 +0000

I’m sorry to admit that though I’ve been trying to root it out, this is firmly rooted in my vocabulary… when I was younger, I forcefully insisted on it as an alternative to the go-to indicator of cultural suck for my peer group, which was “gay”.

I thought I was being all enlightened and junk.

By: Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D.

Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D. — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:10:56 +0000

EGhead, “Weak” is ableist because weakness is part and parcel of some disabilities (like mine–I have Post-polio Sequelae, or PPS). When we use it to insult a person it is exactly the same as discussed up-thread when we use “lame”: We are using a disabled person’s symptoms, someone else’s everyday reality, as an insult. There is no difference between “That’s so lame!” and “That’s weak, man!” No. Difference.

That said, let me admit here that I never would have written that before today. I have used “weak” and “lame” for years, despite the fact that I am both, as handy insults. All I can say in my defense is that I am a work in progress. I’m still learning and growing!

Thank you for asking about it. That you acknowledge you use it, disagree with others’ dislike of it, and are willing (hell, even looking forward to) being educated to think differently about the word–well, that all keeps you and this space safe for me and other folk here!
Virginia S. Wood, Psy.D.´s last blog ..9/11 still killing

By: were_duck

were_duck — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:52:12 +0000

This post has been added to a link roundup. Thank you!

By: meloukhia

meloukhia — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:50:40 +0000

Yes, Kaz, this, exactly. It’s why I’ve always found this justification totally bizarre when people say it. I want to reply “wait, you like your friends so much that you use the terms they use to refer to their disabilities as pejoratives? Wow, some friend you are.”

By: Kaz

Kaz — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:43:40 +0000

I’m not sure how “I know someone who uses it self-referentially” is supposed to be a *defense*. The usual defense I’ve seen is the exact opposite, namely “but no one ever uses it for actual disabled people anymore!!!” In fact – guilty admission time – when I was younger and a lot more ignorant about disability issues, I used to think that being against the word lame was omg /so/ PC and oversensitive. (*hides in shame*) Then I was chatting to a friend of mine online and I’m not sure what turn the conversation took but he said “oh, yeah, I’m lame,” and talked about needing a cane to walk with-

I just sat there mentally going “oh god I am never, ever using the word lame as a pejorative again.” For me, discovering people use it to describe themselves was the reason that made me stop using it. Because, you know, every time I would’ve used it afterwards I would’ve thought of my friend and how using his life to say something was pathetic/boring/etc. was really, really messed up.
Kaz´s last blog ..On talking vs. silence and currently-abledness