“I don’t mean those people!” Maybe you should bother to get to know some of those people. Because the community sentiment about that word is *extremely* clear.
Replies
Like, if implying someone else belongs to a group is an insult then you are indeed talking about that group. It's striking how many people don't understand that (or pretend they don't to keep using a word). Thank you for your message.
jul 14, 2025, 12:35 am • 17 2 • view
I truly cannot stress how vile using that word is. I’m not usually interested in being a word cop, but the R word is so far out of bounds when it comes to language around disability that it is basically in a different solar system.
jul 13, 2025, 11:08 pm • 537 55 • view
My niece was at a camp recently and said, "damnit." A boy wanted to know why she could say that, but he wasn't allowed to say the R word.
jul 14, 2025, 12:30 am • 11 1 • view
I hope someone explained to him the difference between a slur and a swear word.
jul 14, 2025, 6:20 am • 10 0 • view
My niece attempted, but I'm not sure it was brought up with adults.
jul 14, 2025, 2:13 pm • 1 0 • view
I remember in college in the 80s lots of white students debated whether it was OK to use the N word too, claiming it wasn't always meant as an insult, and, yeah. We've been through this: just don't use it.
jul 13, 2025, 11:11 pm • 39 1 • view
The resurgent use of this word is one of the most discouraging trends I’ve ever seen. Part and parcel of the current fascist backlash IMO. They resonate with the same gleeful cruelty
jul 13, 2025, 11:13 pm • 141 5 • view
I can't remember the big account on twitter that said, "We need to bring back r-" and it was like boom to the damn races. It was bonkers to watch.
jul 14, 2025, 8:41 am • 6 0 • view
Horrifying 😔
jul 14, 2025, 1:45 pm • 0 0 • view
Plus they want disabled ppl to either not exist or to be out of public
jul 14, 2025, 12:07 am • 48 0 • view
Yes! A whole segment of population wants disabled people (no matter disability) erased from society, same as Hitler. Only perfect specimens of health, like DJT himself, can exist.
jul 14, 2025, 1:21 am • 32 0 • view
While being “pro life”.
jul 14, 2025, 1:57 pm • 7 0 • view
This ☝️ is absolutely a massive part of it. Sadly 😞
jul 14, 2025, 5:51 am • 5 0 • view
I know someone who continues to justify why she uses that word, I want to throat punch her when she says it, I have told her repeatedly to find another word to use. If I was her boss, she'd be fired for it
jul 14, 2025, 11:39 am • 2 0 • view
🫶🏾 It’s not being a word cop at all to ask people to stop using dehumanizing, douchey words that degrade people.
jul 14, 2025, 2:03 pm • 21 1 • view
I mean it's a fascist slur and we should call it that.
jul 14, 2025, 1:30 pm • 5 2 • view
It was my uncle's diagnosis in the '50s. The word was absolutely banned in my house growing up in the '80s.
jul 14, 2025, 8:50 am • 9 0 • view
1/8 Ιτ αсτυαlly τοοκ mε α bιτ το rεαlιzε τнατ уου ωεrε ταlκιng αbουτ τнε rοοτ ωοrd, Rεταrd αnd ιτѕ dεrινατινεѕ, lικε Rεταrdεd, Rεταrdατιοn, Rεταrdѕ αnd Rεταrdεr. Ι fιnd уου το bε α cοωαrd αnd τнιѕ ριεсε το bε τнε ωοrκ οf ιnτεllεсτυαl сοωαrdιсε. Ѕαуιng “τнε 'R' ωοrd” αnd τнεn ταlκιng αbουτ ιτ,
jul 20, 2025, 7:57 am • 0 0 • view
2/8 ιѕ nο bεττεr τнαn ѕιмρly ѕαуιng τнε ωοrd, Rεταrd. Ι sαу τнατ ιτ'ѕ αсτυαllу ωοrѕε bεсαυѕε οf τнε lενεl οf ιnτεllεсτυαl сοωαrdιсε, bεсαυѕε ιnѕτεαd οf ωrιτιng ουτ τнε ωοrd, уου υѕε α ευρhεмιsм, ρυττιng τнε οnυѕ on τнε rεαdεr το τнιnκ τнε ωοrd, ιnѕτεαd οf ѕιмρlу rεαdιng уουr ωοrdѕ.
jul 20, 2025, 7:57 am • 0 0 • view
3/8 Ενεn мυсh ωοrѕε τнαn τнατ, bεсαυѕε уου ωαnτ το αсτυαllу ταlκ αbουτ τнε ωοrd, Rεταrd, ωιτнουτ ѕαуιng τнε ωοrd. Уου сουld нανε εαѕιly ѕαιd, ' “Rεταrd, Rεταrdεd, Rεταrdѕ αrε nοτ fυnnу, εdgу ωοrdѕ το τнrοω ατ ρεορlε ωнο αnnοу уου οn τнε Ιnτεrnετ.” '.
jul 20, 2025, 7:57 am • 0 0 • view
4/8 Ιτ'ѕ nο dιffεrεnτ το ѕαуιng “τнε 'Ν' ωοrd”, fοr Νιggεr, Νιggαн οr Νιggα. Ιτ'ѕ τнε sαмε lενεl οf ιnτεllεсτυαl сοωαrdιсε. Το dιѕταnсε уουrѕεlf frοm τнε τοριс τнατ уου αсτυαllу τοοκ τнε τιмε το dιѕсυѕѕ ουτ οf dεѕιrε το dιѕсυѕѕ ιτ.
jul 20, 2025, 7:57 am • 0 0 • view
5/8 Мοrεονεr, τнε “Сοммυnιτy” ѕεnτιмεnτ αbουτ τнε ωοrd ιѕ сlεαr. Οnlу ωιτнιn τнε 5 Εуεѕ, dο ρεορlε сry ѕο mυсн αbουτ ιτ αѕ α dεrοgατοrу τεrм. Ενεrуωнεrε εlsε, ιτ'ѕ сοnѕιdεrεd το bε αn αссυrατε, ѕсιεnτιfιс τεrм. Τнεrε αrε ρεορlε ωнο αrε мεnταllу/ρнуѕιсαllу rεταrdεd.
jul 20, 2025, 7:58 am • 0 0 • view
6/8 Τнατ'ѕ nοτ α dεrοgατοrу ѕτατεмεnτ, τнατ'ѕ α sτατεмεnτ οf fαсτ. Jυѕτ αѕ τнεrε αrε Rεταrdεrѕ οn αυτοмοbιlεѕ. Ιτ ιѕ уουr dεѕιrε το bε οffεndεd, τнατ ιѕ το ωhy уου fιnd οffεnѕε. Αnοτнεr ωοrd fοr τнιѕ εχαмρlε, Οrιεnταl. Οnlу ωιτнιn τнε 5 Εуεѕ ιѕ τнιѕ ωοrd сοnѕιdεrεd dεrοgατοrу.
jul 20, 2025, 7:58 am • 0 0 • view
7/8 Ι нανε уετ το mεετ ѕοмεοnε frοм τнοѕε rαсεѕ, frοм τнατ αrεα οf τнε ωοrld, ωнο fιnd τнε τεrм Οrιεnταl α dεrοgατοrу τεrм αnd Ι'νε уετ το hεαr ѕοмεοnε ѕαу ιτ ιn α dεrοgατοrу мαnnεr. Нοωενεr, Ι'll bε ιnѕυlτιng nοω αnd ѕαу τнατ τнιs lιττlε мυѕιng οf уουrѕ ιѕ fυсκιn' rεταrdεd ωrαρρεd ιn сοωαrdιсε.
jul 20, 2025, 7:58 am • 0 0 • view
8/8 Ι τrυlу cαnnοτ ѕτrεѕѕ нοω νιlε υѕιng τнατ Ρнrαѕε ιѕ. Ι’м nοτ υѕυαlly ιnτεrεѕτεd ιn bειng α ωοrd сορ, bυτ “τнε 'R' ωοrd” ιѕ ѕο fαr ουτ οf bουndѕ, ωнεn ιτ сοмεѕ το lαngυαgε αbουτ сοnνεуιng мεαnιng, τнατ ιτ'ѕ bαѕιсαlly frοм α dιffεrεnτ ѕοlαr ѕуѕτεм.
jul 20, 2025, 7:58 am • 0 0 • view
I can't remember who it was, but a big account on here posted a few months ago suggesting that everyone periodically put the R-word into the search bar and block the first dozen or so people using it disparagingly. I thought it was a great idea and do it every week or two.
jul 15, 2025, 5:16 am • 1 0 • view
what about the r-slur differentiates it from other formerly psychology/legal terms like idiot, moron, imbecile, cretin, etc?
jul 14, 2025, 6:50 am • 2 0 • view
Those words also have a medical history, but I think the big distinguishing factor is the advent of the Self-Advocacy/People First movement(s) in the 1980’s.
jul 14, 2025, 12:53 pm • 16 0 • view
Those older words fell out of favor because professionals wanted to make up a new, less stigmatized term. The R word is one that people with intellectual disabilities themselves have organized to get rid of.
jul 14, 2025, 12:54 pm • 26 2 • view
If a minority community says “this word is extremely hurtful and should be unacceptable” and organizes to change things, that matters more than the etymology or origin, IMO.
jul 14, 2025, 12:57 pm • 52 4 • view
It's an instant block for me for anyone who uses it. No exceptions.
jul 14, 2025, 1:22 pm • 4 1 • view
This is also why “it’s just the French word for ‘slow’” is a ridiculous argument.
jul 14, 2025, 1:16 pm • 24 1 • view
The problem (which i dont know how to solve) is we live in a troll/attention economy.the more established people and society accepts that a word should not be used... the more incentive people have to use it to get attention and provoke a response.
jul 14, 2025, 1:34 pm • 2 0 • view
Yeah, I don’t know either.
jul 14, 2025, 1:36 pm • 0 0 • view
I think a certain amount of discipline about not signal boosting trolls and proactively boosting good voices goes a long way.
jul 14, 2025, 2:59 pm • 2 0 • view
I used to think the old adage from The Simpsons song (guest starring Paul Anka) "Just dont look" would work but on a societal level people are looking, and attention is currency more than ever so im fresh out of ideas.
jul 14, 2025, 1:41 pm • 1 0 • view
I'm bilingual and sometimes cringe a little when I read the French word even when it's used completely appropriately in that language, because it's such a hurtful slur in my other language. That argument is like kids saying it's ok to say "Phoque you" because "it just means 'seal!'"
jul 14, 2025, 1:21 pm • 2 0 • view
this is interesting to me as I live in China (but from America); I assume this has been obvious to linguists for ages but I discovered there’s a distinct culturally dependent taboo about kids using bad words in China, the rule is simple: not in class, and not to your boss/parents/teachers, but…
jul 14, 2025, 1:39 pm • 0 0 • view
…there isn’t the idea that kids should be protected from bad words, and if kids are using them among themselves in earshot of an adult, it’s rare for anyone to care I’ve become a bit inured to it; if it needs to stop I just tell them to stop being rude (rather than “kids shouldn’t say that” or etc)
jul 14, 2025, 1:45 pm • 1 0 • view
How long it was used. The legal longevity. Pervasive targeting.
jul 14, 2025, 11:28 am • 1 0 • view
One thing that always lingers in mew mind when people say that is "Okay so what are you gonna do when you accidentally say it to the "wrong person""?
jul 14, 2025, 6:25 pm • 0 0 • view
I’m old enough that it was still officially used for my sister. So when people act all offended that I am offended that they use it and defend themselves saying they only ever use it as an insult, it’s extra enraging. They are staying they *intentionally* used intellectual disability is an insult.
jul 13, 2025, 11:16 pm • 30 2 • view