By Ouyang Dan on 18 October, 2010
Warning: Offsite links are not safe spaces. Articles and comments in the links may contain ableist, sexist, and other -ist language and ideas of varying intensity. Opinions expressed in the articles may not reflect the opinions held by the compiler of the post and links are provided as topics of interest and exploration only. I [...]
Posted in recommended reading | Tagged ableism, abuse, bullying, deportation, exploitation, immigration, NARAL Pro-Choice America, policing, words mean things
By s.e. smith on 23 July, 2010
Oh, Ask Amy. You’re still on my shit list for your rape apologism, and yet, I keep reading your column. I admit it, I mainly do it so that I can find particularly awful pieces of advice to feature here. This week, a high school student writes about a problem she’s experiencing at home: Dear [...]
Posted in Dear Imprudence, relationships | Tagged abuse, Amy Dickinson, Ask Amy, family, verbal abuse, words mean things
By Ouyang Dan on 12 June, 2010
[Trigger Warning for descriptions of violent thoughts of self harm] Oh, by now, faithful readers, you know where we are about to go. We are about to go on a little journey into my mind, the scary place that it is, where I open the floor to discussion about the ways that, once again! Stars [...]
Posted in intersectionality, language, media and pop culture, mental health, military, news, othering, oyd rants | Tagged ableism, i am not your metaphor, intersectionality, invisible disabilities, language, media and pop culture, mental health, mental illness, military, things people say, word use, words mean things
By s.e. smith on 28 April, 2010
The 24 April edition of Dear Abby led with this letter: Dear Abby: I am an average 17-year-old girl with a big problem. A few days ago, my cousin’s boyfriend touched me inappropriately. It took a few seconds for me to realize what was happening and stop him. I got up and left the room. [...]
Posted in Dear Imprudence, feminism | Tagged Abigail Van Buren, Dear Abby, Jeanne Phillips, rape, sexual assault, words mean things
By Guest on 9 April, 2010
Cara is a feminist writer who blogs at both The Curvature and Feministe. She likes The Beatles, vinyl records, and social justice, though not necessarily in that order. The first time I saw someone say in a progressive space that it was ableist to use the word “lame” as a pejorative, I thought they were [...]
Posted in guest post, language | Tagged ableism, lame, words mean things
By Chally on 19 January, 2010
The book we’re reading at present in the online bookclub to which I belong (Radical Readers, go check it out!) is The Ethical Slut by Dossie Easton and Janet W. Hardy. I almost threw it across the room when I reached the following on page 233: The historical censorship of discussion about sex has left [...]
Posted in 101, language, social attitudes | Tagged language, problematic attitudes, words mean things
By s.e. smith on 8 January, 2010
A few weeks ago, I went out to dinner at a local restaurant, and I happened to run into one of the owners on my way out the door. I’m friends with the owners, so I stopped to chat for a minute. She (I’ll call her “Susan” for the purpose of this story) has a [...]
Posted in language, social attitudes | Tagged parenting, words mean things
By s.e. smith on 1 January, 2010
Ableist Word Profile is an ongoing FWD/Forward series in which we explore ableism and the way it manifests in language usage. Here’s what this series is about: Examining word origins, the way in which ableism is unconsciously reinforced, the power that language has. Here’s what this series is not about: Telling people which words they [...]
Posted in 101, Ableist Word Profile, language | Tagged idiot, imbecile, language, moron, word use, words mean things
By s.e. smith on 4 December, 2009
Ableist Word Profile is an ongoing FWD/Forward series in which we explore ableism and the way it manifests in language usage. Here’s what this series is about: Examining word origins, the way in which ableism is unconsciously reinforced, the power that language has. Here’s what this series is not about: Telling people which words they [...]
Posted in 101, Ableist Word Profile, language | Tagged spak, spakking out, spaz, spazzing out, word use, words mean things
By Ouyang Dan on 24 November, 2009
…and I’m going to tell you why. Because the policing of women’s bodies, whether you are being cheeky, or saying it to a plastic doll, is not cool. It’s hurtful and not useful, and has no place in feminist discourse. Can we move past that point? Huh? That’s a pretty Kindy thing, IMNSFHO. ‘Kay. Moving [...]
Posted in bodies, feminism, intersectionality, language, mental health, shaming, Uncategorized | Tagged rants, words mean things
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