Hey people, i wince slightly every time someone here uses the term "crippling" to describe their dysphoria, anxiety, etc., which occurs pretty regularly. I mean, it's a slur, (historically) used against physically disabled people. I get that you want to emphasize how much your problems hinder you from living the life you want etc., but that doesn't make it ok to use discriminating language that might really offend other people. Unless you're disabled yourself and reclaim the word for purposes of empowerment. Could we agree on really bad, horrible, awful, mind-wrecking, gut-wrenching... dysphoria? (English is not my first language, but be creative, people :icon_wink) Any thoughts? GenderSciFi
I think that it is also important to remember that how a person words a post is up to them. While I can understand why you feel this way, it is also important to not police the language that people use to describe their feelings. They have chosen those words for a reason, and those words are the best to them to convey their feelings.
"To cripple" is a word that is only offensive when used as a noun. As a verb, it's just a word that is the most accurate in English language to convey a certain meaning. I don't believe it carries any negativity [towards other people]. It means to damage, to impair, to cause functionality issues and so on. So, if dysphoria "cripples" you, it means it impairs your daily life. Sure, you could use other descriptors, but "to cripple" is a word with strong meaning. Not offensive, though. If someone said "Being transgender makes me feel like a cripple", then it would border on offensive (suggesting that there is negativity attatched to disability). English is not my first language either, although I do claim to know a bit about it from a semi-professional perspective. Cripple - definition of cripple by The Free Dictionary
I'm not so sure it can be called policing when you point out disciminating language? Policing would be: "You can't be so angry about transphobia, because that will scare people away!"
I disagree, policing goes both ways. Even if you think it's wrong to word it a certain way, you should respect that they probably don't mean it in a bad way and that that's how they feel--synonyms aren't always suitable. Sometimes bad, horrible, awful, mind-wrecking, and gut-wrenching don't cut it.
In general, it's okay to point out that something could be seen as discriminatory. It becomes policing when you tell people what they can and can not say. For instance, "queer" has a history of being used as a slur. However, many people use it to describe their own sexual orientation or in a phrase such as "the queer community." Policing would be going to someone and telling the "You can't identify as queer because it's a slur." Lots of things are bad, horrible, awful, mind-wrecking, gut-wrenching but not crippling. Those are all negative words but they're not synonyms.
Hmm, while I understand that sometimes more thought should be put into what words mean before you say them - I'm not so sure about this one. I think the line between emotional and physical 'pain' or 'impairment' is a thin one. For example, feeling emotionally wounded vs. being physically wounded. They're different, but they both hurt like hell. Having said that, there may be some translation/cultural differences here over the term cripple. For me it's nothing more than "to disable or impair" - I've never heard it said as in an insult apart from on TV programs set in the distant past.
Crippling is a fairly common adjective with wide usage besides as a slur. I entirely disagree here, actually.
"To cripple" simply means to disbale, impair, or weaken in some way. Like many words in the English language, there are subtle differences between verb/noun usages and context, as well as various subtexts, which all go into how a word is defined. That said, utilizing the word "crippling" to describe dysphoria isn't out of line at all. It just means that the person is saying it impairs their ability to function healthily/normally. It is not offensive, nor a slur (such as if you are labeling someone "a cripple"). It can be the difference between describing a condition or tacking a label in a demeaning way, like the following example with another term: 1) " He is mentally retarded" or "he has mental retardation" should be fine if used respectfully. 2) "He is a retard" is a slur, and is never acceptable. My point being, you cannot cry foul with a word because of its alternate definition. The association with "being a cripple" isn't what dysphoric people mean when they say their dysphoria is "crippling."
well i feel i can weigh in on this subject as i was born disabled but had enough surgeries to get 99% corrected. in fact i was "crippled" and would never walk with out those surgeries. while i never liked be called a cripple as it can be derogatory depending on context the fact remains that my condition was crippling. now on to the present tense with anxiety, disphoria, depression etc. to be crippling or to crippled by any of those conditions is not derogatory but to have this phrase used as a noun can be depending on context. as to the "policing" issue, none of us should be doing it but it happens all the time in both the LGBT world and in the greater, sometimes, overly politicaly correct world. perhaps the solution is to just police ourselves and if someone does say something or does something that is offensive to us personally to speak up then and work it out like mature adults. However, can we correct every word that is said? or phase uttered? if we did no one would say anything and we would never communicate or build relationships and communities.
Anxiety can certainly be crippling as it can totally prevent you from speaking or even breathing sometimes. Us anxiety sufferers need people to understand that!!
Sorry, but I'm going to have to join the chorus saying that just because a word can be a slur in one context does not mean it's a slur in all situations. Think of the word retard. If I'm using it as a noun for a person, it's a dehumanizing slur. But if I'm using it as a verb to mean to delay progress, it's not. Less we think that flame retardants should from here on out be referred to as flame slower-downers. Similarly, take the word transgender! If it's an adjective describing a person (ie, Caitlyn Jenner is a transgender woman), it's appropriate and just a fact. But if it's used as a noun (ie, the Stonewall Inn sure is frequented by a lot of transgenders), it's a slur because it takes away our humanity. To cripple means to cause an extreme or nearly insurmountable problem. If dysphoria gets to the point where it's causing clinically significant distress, it qualifies as crippling. Similarly, if a car accident causes someone to be paralyzed, the accident was, by definition, crippling. Calling the person "a cripple" or "crippled," however, is a slur because, similarly to transgender, it takes away their humanity.
Hello. Sorry if this isn't a good thing. But another example I find is words used have and is. For example, (this one bugs me the most), if someone says he is (so) OCD, that's offensive. But if someone says they have OCD, that's fine. It depends on the context of what the person is saying.
I think that the adverb and the noun have different contexts associated. Cripple as a label is generally applied to people, which many of them don't appreciate, but the verb "to cripple" is understood to be more synonymous to "to incapacitate" which isn't something you're going to really be applying to people. Also, it can be an apt descriptor, and one that explains the nature of the problem when it can't be easily seen. Disability exists in mental and physical forms at all levels of incapacitation, and many different types. It's the wrong battle to be fighting when you're screening people to see if they're "disabled enough". People may claim disability they don't really have to gain support and helpful concern, but on the other hand what if it really really helps some people who do really struggle with disabling mental health problems who need that support? It could do a little harm, but on the other hand, it could do a lot of good to accept mental disability as similar to physical. There are some very different struggles faced by each group that the other can't understand well, but that's similar in the LGBT community, and I feel it's also important to be very supportive and inclusive here. That's my 2￠.
The word "crippling" is commonly used and no-one intends for it to be offensive. I don't think many people would even think about disabled people upon hearing the word, it's normally used in contexts like "crippling debt" and just means to weaken or impair. I agree with many others on here that it depends on which way you are using the word. The noun "a cripple" is offensive, but the verb "to cripple" isn't really.
If someone is having a panic attack, they can feel like they're dying! Physically Disabled. Just because it isn't permanent, doesn't mean it isn't real!
