Cripes! "Crip!"
A story in our News Department headlined "Norfolk VA crips protest ampitheater lawn ban" generated comments from the Norfolk contingent:
"Not sure how I feel about you using the word 'crips,' " wrote Matthew. "We are working on forward thinking, not negative rhetoric." Ivy Kennedy, who sent Ragged Edge the story idea (but not the "crip" title) commented, "In my eyes it's kind of like the "N" word for African Americans."
So your Ragged Edge editor ventures another foray into language.
Using the word "crip," like using the word "gimp," is a reclaiming tactic. Taking a word seen as bad and adopting it with pride, making a kind of in-your-face statement: "This is OUR word which you use to degrade us. We will use it with pride!" Much like gays and lesbians have adopted "queer."
On the web, you'll find Crip Commentary and Crip College. One of our fav of all websites, Ouch, is replete with "crip."
Back in the 1980s, songwriter and ADAPT activist Elaine Kolb sang "It's Hip to be Crip." Poet and performance artist Cheryl Marie Wade founded the Wry Crips theater group. In the New Mobility archives you can find an article about Crip Caste. You can even find Crip Pride buttons for sale.
"Crip" is definitely not the same as "cripple." It's disability with attitude. But it also has to do with who's using it, and why. In this way it's like "spazz," which I blogged on not too long ago.
This is language coming from the disability community. But what about language out in the "real world"?
I'll get back to that in a bit.
"Using the word "crip," like using the word "gimp," is a reclaiming tactic. Taking a word seen as bad and adopting it with pride, making a kind of in-your-face statement: "This is OUR word which you use to degrade us. We will use it with pride!" Much like gays and lesbians have adopted "queer." "
that pretty much sums up how i feel about it. when i'm around my disabled friends and we get to preaching and such, i holler "power to the crips!" it's a type of comedic relief, which always gets many laughs.
Posted by: ivy | November 11, 2005 03:36 PM
Yes, but ... I think "crip" and "gimp" both feed the stereotype that disability = wheelchair user. Activists promote an inclusive definition of "disability membership" when it's politically useful -- 43 million is the number in the ADA's preamble compared with less than 2 million wheelchair users. When the "in" word is "crip" or "gimp," then are the "blinks" and "STONE DEAF" and "crazies" and "dummies" and the rest of us still welcome?
Posted by: Jesse the K | November 15, 2005 10:49 PM
good point jesse. maybe we should only use it among ourselves. not where "regulars" can hear/see it.
Posted by: ivy | November 16, 2005 04:17 PM
Ivy, I'm afraid you miss my point. If "among ourselves" is only people in wheelchairs, then our circle has bought into the same stereotype: that only wheelchair users are "really disabled" as far as "disability rights" is concerned.
Posted by: Jesse the K | November 18, 2005 08:22 PM