If, a decade from now, someone comes up with a better term I might be whatever that is.
But I still am glad we've moved on past early 20th century labels and are trying new ones on. Some might not fit nicely, but they are progress generally.
If, a decade from now, someone comes up with a better term I might be whatever that is.
But I still am glad we've moved on past early 20th century labels and are trying new ones on. Some might not fit nicely, but they are progress generally.
It just seems so futile to have to keep coming up with new words for the same thing, when the new words will inevitably become slurs in the same way, at least if anyone uses them. So it's not like we can avoid the offence, it is just transferred to a new word. Wouldn't it be better to accept that some people will say mean things, and focus on learning to live with that, and on making people be less mean?
And sometimes we return to them. Queer is a label I use for myself that's a reclaimed slur. I know plenty of gay men who call themselves fags. Some disabled people use "crip" as a term of endearment. But usually these reclaimed slurs are for the exclusive use of the members of the community internally.
I wonder how common this is with any minority. The majority gets to decide what to call you. Guessing they didn't ask first to see what you think, either. I would be wildly irritated to be in that position.
But also, pushing back against it sometimes get labeled as woke. Eskimo and Gypsy are both terms that were applied to groups without their choice. And some people are now preferring other terms that they do choose. (Eg Inuit or Roma)