Those characters may be funny on TV, but those attitudes are rage-inducing in real life.

My mother used sex, or lack thereof, as a weapon. (I know way too much about my parents’ sex life. Thanks, Dad. ) That’s my personal association with “frigid”.

As far as what I’m reclaiming… um. I don’t think I’m doing a very good job of it, but “feminist” and “disabled”.

I feel that, for me, there are two big reasons why I can’t stand “differently abled.” The first is that it really takes the white-out to the hardships in my life. Being disabled really does make life more challenging and I take great pride in being able to meet those challenges. I feel that people telling me that I’m just “differently abled” in some way strips me of this. I also feel that it really diminishes the experiences of people who are not able to necessarily meet those challenges fully due to their disability.

My main qualm I have with “differently abled” is that abled people who use the term are often times using it as a euphemism for disabled, as if being disabled was something undesirable or something we should be ashamed of.

Everyone has different abilities, even if you leave disability out of it. I think what annoys me about people using the phrase ‘differently-abled’ is that it sounds like they are trying to….diminish, perhaps…the seriousness of disability, by putting it on a par with differing levels of ability.

Also, the word ‘challenged’. GRARH! *TWL Smash!*

Also, for me the word “bitch” means oh so much more than it does for most women.

Finally, I’d just like to say I’m a proud tranny, although I’m careful where I use that term.

I think this is similar to my attitude towards using crazy, manic, depressed, panic, anxiety, etc. Around the people I am “out” to (mental illness-wise), I use those words descriptively. As if to say “no actually, THIS is what it is like to be depressed.” I want the “sane” people of the world to know that when they say they’re depressed when they are sad or tired, they are using the word wrong/invoking something serious.”

I don’t like nut-job, psycho, etc and would rather they stay unreclaimed.

Bitch, cunt, etc – meh. Sometimes I don’t feel strongly attached to my biologically female sex and so reclaiming these can feel inappropriate.

Fat – check (the last think I need in life is people trying to convince me that “you’re not fat.” Yes. I am. It’s ok, Im sure you’ll live. Me, I might not… being teh OBESE and all)

Angry – Along what Li was talking about, I see anger as not only not-bad, but as good and important.

Queer – I don’t really consider this to be a reclaimation, because I use it as the primary label to describe my gender and sexuality, but I know it technically is

I also use fag/faggot/transfag but ONLY when I know my audience very well and am sure that other LGB/trans/queer people around are ok with the term AND that any non LGBTQ people around would not take my usage of the term as a reason it’s ok for them to use the term.

I also know one trans guy who was badly beaten, his assailants launched the assault saying “he’s a trannny.”

So I’m hopeful for the reclamation of “tranny,” and I think that some FtMs, genderqueers and *most definitely* MtF cross-dressers (as the average bigot makes no distinction between CDs and TSs) should feel free to partake.

This said, I am very careful about *where* I use it. I use it only around people who I’m pretty darn sure are cool with it. I don’t use it around my older TS sisters, who have been through waaay more shit than I will ever go through. I certainly don’t use it in public.

Often, I see the discussion over “tranny” come down to “use it” vs “don’t use it.” But can we find a space for progression between the two; between taboo and open reclamation? How did “Queer,” and “Dyke” go from always-slurs to words used freely in naming marches, dances and organivations?