Getting Rid of Flippant Language : Check Yourselves Here

[SuperFemme]

Originally Posted by Medusa

My love!

I have the same stuff going on around the word "crazy". I am, technically and medically, "crazy" and I have used that word to identify myself in mixed company as a way to show folks that Im ok talking about it. It is an intensely personal thing when it comes to medical stuff (as you well know) and I know that I have been in conversations where people are incredibly uncomfortable asking questions or trying to navigate around my idiosyncrasies. I use the word "crazy" to kinda say "Hey, I have a diagnosis for all of this eccentric stuff." I *identify* with "crazy".

But.

A mental health professional has told me that this word is hurtful to people who dont own it in the same way.

The question sets up a weird dichotomy for me where I put my identity as "crazy" first or those other "crazy" people's feelings. I dont think it has to *be* a dichotomy but Im still learning to navigate that.

In short, I HEAR YOU! YAY!

I know YOU get it. What I want to know is how DO we reclaim the epitaths that are commonly used by outsiders to hurt a sub-group? I mean, there is the "Thats so gay" and such. Gay is not a slur any longer. So what about the slurs that runs neck in neck? Psycho? Retarded? Lame?

What of those of us who fit the descriptor? Can we not use it as a tool to just get through the bullshit? Why CAN'T we reclaim the word rather than use them as slurs? I know for me it takes the power of those who use the words as slurs?