TW: ABLEISM, THE R-SLUR
We need to be discussing slurs and the impact that they have. There has been a lot of discussion lately pertaining to the use of the word sp*z in songs by Lizzo and Beyoncé, and there continues to be a large and offensive discussion about the r-slur online.
Slurs are not just insults or words that people find offensive. Slurs have real life consequences, cause harm and hold oppressive power over a group. Using slurs in day to day life reinforces this oppression, and is incredibly harmful towards the group the slur targets.
This is why slurs cannot just be reclaimed by anyone who fancies it. Only the group that the slur targets can reclaim the slur, as within that group the slur holds no oppressive power. The gay community reclaimed the word queer (though some are still uncomfortable about the word and that is valid), members of the black community have reclaimed the n-word and only intellectually disabled people can reclaim the r-word if they wish to (autism isn't an intellectual/learning disability, and learning difficulties such as dyslexia, adhd and dyspraxia are not either).
@another.autistic.aussie has been making educational content about the r-slur for months on TikTok and has received awful backlash from people defending the usage of the word. Please support them on TikTok and watch their videos for more information.
It is also extremely unacceptable for white people to use the Lizzo and Beyoncé incidents as an opportunity to be racist. We do not use bigotry, we must educate, which members of the black disabled community displayed. It is also unacceptable for non-disabled people to decide what we can and can't find offensive. If we tell you a word is a slur and causes offense and harm, do not debate with us. Listen to us.
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#autismacceptance#autism#autismadvocate#autismawareness#education#disability#disabled#autisticadult#actuallyautistic#sunflower#sunflowerlanyard#women#nonbinary#neurodiverse#neurotypical#adhd#ableism#asd#different#neurodiversity#neurodivergent#sensory#sensoryprocessing#stimming#people#autistictraits#asd#slur#racism#oppression
As a Social Worker I try to keep this in mind when I post, but also not be too censorial. Authenticity is very important. In my work I need to trust myself to do good where I am able & to “do no harm” (or the least possible amount of harm). The notion of doing no harm extends to many of the helping professions. It’s not just about avoiding making mistakes in actions, but also about not setting people up to fail, enabling choice, not disempowering anyone, allowing people the dignity of risk, & being aware of intrinsic power imbalances. In many of my posts I’m walking in the very well trodden arena of social inequalities. This is the proving ground of social work ethics, values & practice. I want to point at inequalities & injustices & make some purposeful noise. The consequence of silence is often the perpetuation of barriers to the eradication of inequalities. We can all use our voices to take a stand against the violence of patriarchal capitalist systems that create enormous barriers against the equal participation of people based on their gender, ethnicity, age, or geographical location.
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#inequality#poverty#ageing#education#ethnicity#gender#ableism#disability#capacity#isolation#vulnerability#religion#conflict#oppression#denialism#marginalisation#exclusion#launcestontasmania#attitude#attitudecounselling#launceston#tasmania#power#influence#abuse#violence#politics#conscientisation#respect#control