what that means is just that i want ppl to be aware that this pattern has happened in the past and of course the forces behind those happenings haven’t just disappeared. i think pride in being ND and the fact that “neurodiverse” is a word that is created by its own community are powerful reasons to doubt that the word will have the same fate. perhaps i would call this a “call to awareness” post rather than a call to action.

(making this disclaimer because a couple people are violently adamant that i am just trying to make an argument saying all these words are the same and predicting the future, which, sorry you got that impression it’s not true. but now you know!)

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[–] millie@beehaw.org 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

One of these things is not like the others.

[–] PeachyMcPeachface@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I can see the argument how there could have been an attempt to reclaim it, much like the n-slur, f-slur, or queer. Not sure if there was actually an attempt or not to reclaim, just to be clear.

[–] FirstMajesticComet@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 23 hours ago (1 children)

The difference is that Something like Retarded is used by someone else, someone who isn't like that person. It was a clinical term used by clinical people who would never know and could never know the feeling. That is to say it wasn't great to begin with. People who were "retarded" weren't embracing that for what they were, it was imposed upon them by medical professionals who don't really understand them as people (many were studying them like specimens). It was primed for derogatory use.

Neurodivergent on the other hand is a term embraced by the community, it's used as a self-identifier. It doesn't have the same oppressive connotations the others did. To turn it into a slur would be like turning transgender into a slur. It won't work because the group identifies as that, and will keep using it.

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