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Do you say "aspie" and have you heard of it being offensive?

  • I don't say the word and heard that it's offensive and think or used to think it's offensive

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    54

Myrtonos

Well-Known Member
Who here says the word "aspie"? And who here has ever heard that it's offensive. Can anyone tell the story behind their first introduction to the term?

And if you have ever heard that "aspie" is offensive, have you heard it from others on the spectrum, or from people without this syndrome?
 
I heard aspie from other aspies and that's how I call myself and anyone who orders me to do otherwise will get an earful!

Incidentally, the song I'm listening to right now is "I Feel Free" by Cream :D
 
Never heard it being offensive, I just don't personally the word. Just don't like when people shorten words with "ie" (or y, ey, whatever) to make it sound cute, and "aspie" sounds just like that so I don't use it. I actually prefer the words that can be used as insults (like autist).
 
I've only ever heard the term in the context of aspies using it to refer to themselves. I think I was actually first introduced to the word on this forum. Never heard of it being considered offensive and I use it myself.
 
I heard aspie from other aspies and that's how I call myself and anyone who orders me to do otherwise will get an earful!

An earful of what? Given that the word is part of the name of this forum, maybe you could get to tell others who post here to use the term, right?

I've only ever heard the term in the context of aspies using it to refer to themselves. I think I was actually first introduced to the word on this forum. Never heard of it being considered offensive and I use it myself.

Has anyone here heard the term "homo" used in the context of those attracted to the same sex refering to their sexuality?

One common critisism of the term is that it is defining a person by their diagnosable syndrome.
 
To clarify my vote (that "I say "Aspie" but used to think it was offensive"): I have heard it used in a kind of belittling way. It's hard to describe the context. But I have heard others say it with a somewhat condescending tone, about particular kids. I didn't use the term myself at that time and didn't like the tone others used when they said "Aspie". Incidentally, that was all before I even had a clue that I am on the spectrum myself. Now I say it with the understanding of what it is, and I also haven't heard it used in a condescending way for some time.
 
Has anyone here heard the term "homo" used in the context of those attracted to the same sex refering to their sexuality?

One common critisism of the term is that it is defining a person by their diagnosable syndrome.

No I have never heard a homosexual person refer to themselves as a 'homo', as far as I'm aware the term homo is considered offensive... I don't see your point.

As for defining a person by their diagnosable syndrome, from my experience many aspies consider aspergers syndrome to be a fundamental part of their identity or personality. Personally I prefer 'I am an aspie' to 'I have aspergers syndrome' because as far as i'm concerned aspergers syndrome is not something I 'have' like I might have a cold or depression, it is part of who I am and has been for as long as I can remember.
 
I've heard people on YouTube say other people find it offensive but I've never come across one person myself. I'm guessing these are people who decide to take offence on behalf of us...
 
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No I have never heard a homosexual person refer to themselves as a 'homo', as far as I'm aware the term homo is considered offensive... I don't see your point.

Both "homo" and "aspie" are short, neat little terms, one refering to a person attracted to the same sex, another meaning person with asperger's syndrome. Both terms have a reputation for being offensive. A person not attracted to the same sex can no more get to tell someone who is not to say "homo" than those not on the spectrum get to tell those who are not to say "aspie".

As for defining a person by their diagnosable syndrome, from my experience many aspies consider aspergers syndrome to be a fundamental part of their identity or personality. Personally I prefer 'I am an aspie' to 'I have aspergers syndrome' because as far as i'm concerned aspergers syndrome is not something I 'have' like I might have a cold or depression, it is part of who I am and has been for as long as I can remember.

And how about defining someone by their sexuality, would you think of the term "homo" as term that defines one in that way?
Anyway, the point is that no one in all honesty could define all of themself by their sexuality or diagnosable syndrome. For example Adora is a daughter, an aunt, a wife and a sister. She is also a Sydneysider, a cosmetic afficianado, and a drawing artist.

I've heard people on YouTube say other people find it offensive but I've never come across one person myself. I'm guessing these are person who decide to take offence on behalf of us...

I have never seen those comments, but I know about them because of this video by Maja Toudal. In addition to an aspie, she is a daughter, and girlfriend, a songwriter, a dreamer, a thinker and a Dane.
But I would guess that most telling her not to say "aspie" are not as well spoken as she is, and may be more anonymous than she is, not providing their real names, nor have any profile image or videos on their channels.
 
I've only seen one person take offense at the term, but it was just a commenter on an online news article.

I don't think offensiveness is an intrinsic property of words, it's a property that gets associated with a word by how people use it and how people feel when it's used to refer to them. As long as Aspies own the word it won't be offensive.
 
And how many have you seen take offense to the word homo?

And as long as so called owners of the word "homo" are attracted to the same sex, it won't be offensive either.

By the way, what others things are you in addition to an aspie?
 
Yeah, it is no longer politically correct to use the term Aspie for a high functioning individual on the ASD spectrum. My DC (damage control) tells me that I must choose among the following publicly when referring to Aspies.

High functioning individuals on the ASD spectrum
Persons diagnosed as having ASD
Neurodiverse persons.
People living with ASD.

Hrmph.. bloody DC trying to redefine me again LOL.
 
Is your DC someone not on the spectrum telling you how to talk about your own syndrome? Just say "aspie" here, it's in the name of this site!!!
 
I've heard the word homo a lot as an insult. I've also heard queer as an insult a lot, but I've seen LGBTs that like to call themselves that, even heard that to them it's better than LGBT. I think you'd get looked at a bit weird if you used homo though, as far as I know it's not been "reclaimed". I don't think aspie is the same; it hasn't been reclaimed, it was (as far as I know?) made up by people with Asperger's themselves.
 
Is your DC someone not on the spectrum telling you how to talk about your own syndrome? Just say "aspie" here, it's in the name of this site!!!

My damage Control is actual a team of four NTs, their job is to keep my public image from becoming too controversial or tarnished, to make sure I don't publicly say or do anything that would cause negative feedback or comments aimed at me personally and, to be sure that if something is said that might indicate a scandal, controversial, unpopular views, an injured fan, etc... basically if anything goes awry at all, it's their job to fix it, cover it up, bury it, counter it, do whatever it takes to make and keep me looking goo and, true to the image the rest of the handlers and I agree upon for my public image.

Yes they are all NTs, I need them there and, in PR if I am too be acceptable and, look good, but edgy and rebellious to the world, of which the majority are NTs. I need to know how NTs think and react tward anything I say or do publicly and, Damage control makes sure it comes out as intended and, doesn't cause problems, or fixes problems if I screw up.

They are valuable people on my team, anyone in the public eye needs them. Yes, every Aspie in the public eye has them and, that's why we all seem less Aspie like than we truly are - NTs make us look good, look "normal" and, the people that do that for us are very good at what they do.

The common slang for them is "Spin Doctors" Experts at twisting and interpreting anything anyone says or does in either a negative or positive light and, they make it positive for whomever is paying their paycheck. Ever public figure needs them, we'd all look a lot worse and have a lot more public problems without them.
 
So, you have four non-autstic people running your D.C.? Are they there at different times, or do they work together? You aren't famous, are you?

But anyway, do you remember your first introduction to the term aspie?
 
"Homo" is an absolutely terrible example. It's a deliberate insult by straight people against gay people. Queer is slightly different, I say don't use it except with people who use it for themselves, and there are many who do. It's a little bit old-fashioned to use it as an insult, but it still happens. If you are straight and you use it and someone in the LGBT community asks you not to, do not steamroll over them. You may not have meant it as an insult the first time, but when you redefine someone without their permission it is always insulting.

The concept of "referring to people by diagnosable condition" is one that was made up by Neurotypicals who started the "person first" movement. The whole idea of person-first language depends on the notion that disability makes someone less of a person. So I don't find person-first phrases offensive necessarily, but the insistence that I use them to refer to myself is absolutely offensive. No one has the right to get offended on my behalf. I'm not anybody's good deed for the day. Neurotypicals are not in charge of the autistic community and they don't get to dictate who we are or how we call ourselves.
 
i use the word aspie, i have never heard or thought of it as being offensive, to me it is a quick and easy and shortened way to talk about myself as an aspie and Asperger's in general, i also like the comradeship between aspergic people when we refer to ourselves as aspies collectively.

i believe i first came in to contact with it in the film Mary and Max

 

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