Self-Defined

Issues

Crazy is very commonly used as an adjective to embody a vast array of ideas, often not specifically. It is used so frequently that it sometimes is a filler. Crazy can also be used in a derogatory manner for someone with mental or psychiatric disabilities.

Impact

By using ableist language, we are perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities. Using this language perpetuates those systems and language of harm, regardless of our intent.

Usage Tip

Be more specific. Typically we can find an alternate definition by simply reflecting on what emotion we're really feeling.

Alt Words

abundant, bizarre, enormous, ludicrous, outlandish, ridiculous, unbelievable, unexpected, unfamiliar, unreal, scary, shocking, strange, wicked

Issues

Monolinguist, English-only speakers often refer to people who don't speak English natively as "ESL" or say they are learning a "second language". More often than not, this is not true, as many people are multi-lingual with 3 or more languages

Impact

It makes false assumptions about English learners, centres English as the "default" or "expected" first language, ignoring that many people learn multiple (>3), non-English languages first.

Alt Words

English as learning-language (ELL), or non-native, or omit (because do you really know, for sure?)

Further Reading

• ELL Glossary by Benchmark Education

Impact

Gaslighting reinfoces systems of power, as gaslighting abusers will tend to be in systematically dominant positions where they are intrinsically believed over their victim (e.g., white person over person of colour, man over woman, abled person over disabled person, parent over child, manager over worker, etc). Gaslighting is an abusive and oppressive behaviour and tactic.

The abuser can become in control of the victim, who now no longer trusts their own perception. The victim can become codependent upon their abuser, and internalise .

Further Reading

11 warnings signs of gaslighting; Gaslighting examples.

Issues

Minorities is not always accurate and is vague. As it deals with numbers, the term minorities can often be inaccurate, as is the case when speaking of communities of colour, who often outnumber white communities.

By referring to a group as 'minorities,' it can suggest the group hasn't taken initiative to show up, thereby blaming the oppressed for systemic issues that prevent their participation.

Impact

By repeatedly referring to groups as "minorities," they are being infantised to their numerical representation and made to feel minor. The vagueness also abstracts the identify of the marginalised group, making it difficult to address why they are minoritised to begin with.

Alt Words

minoritised, or omit

Benefits

Minoritised places the emphasis on the power struggle, and on the systemic issues at play. It's also an adjective, which requires you to add "group" or "people" so it's people-first language

Impact

It removes the pejorative nature of "minorities".

Further Reading

Minority vs minoritze

Issues

OCD is commonly misused to highlight personality quirks or fussiness, usually involving a preference for order or cleanliness. Use of 'OCD' as a noun or adjective in this manner diminishes the actual condition, resulting in reductive and over-normalised perception of a someone with these specific mental or psychiatric disabilities.

Impact

By conflating arbitrary quirks or behaviours with OCD, we are invalidating OCD as a medical condition and the people who experience it. Generally by using medically appropriative language, we are invalidating the existences of people with OCD, minimising their experiences, perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities. Using this language perpetuates those systems and language of harm, regardless of our intent.

Usage Tip

Be more specific. Typically we can find an alternate definition by simply reflecting on what emotion we're really feeling. In this case, be particularly aware if the behaviour is actually unwanted or uncontrollable.

Alt Words

conscientious, exact, fastidious, fussy, meticulous, nitpicky, particular, precise, quirky, thorough

Impact

Performative allyship detracts from the stories of the oppressed and the impact that oppression has on them in favour of the stories of the oppressors and their intent to help. The cost of performative allyship can also be that the stories of the oppressed people are appropriated, watered down, and inaccurately retold by people who should not be telling those stories.

Further Reading

Are you practicing performative allyship?; Is This Your Queen? Ellen Pompeo, Growth and Performative White Allyship; Performative allyship: what it is, what it looks like, and why we want to avoid it.

Impact

White fragility detracts from critical conversations about the systemic oppressors at play. The cost of white fragility is that it centres the feelings of white people while ignoring and invalidating the systemic harm conducted towards people of colour. White fragility also prevents white people from doing anti-racist work to unpack their socially internalised racism.

Further Reading

White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo; White Fragility tag on The Root.

Issues

What happens to women of colour? As a woman of colour, I am split between both women and people of colour.

Impact

As such, it elicits feelings of erasure for women of colour. It also neglects non-binary individuals.

Alt Words

people of colour and white women or people of colour, white non-binary people, and white women, find ways to reframe why this dynamic exists, or omit