Starting this post by saying I'm not intending to single this person out (hence cropping username, etc.) and I think it's good that they are asking these questions in good faith, no ill will here. I just thought this was a very useful example of a thing that I have seen a lot in discussions on terminology and I wanted to talk about it. I have trouble putting this into words clearly (maybe a linguist can help) but here's my shot at it.

I think that a lot of folks have an impression that language and words are 'apolitical'-- that words in and of themselves are 'natural' and 'neutral' and exist before usage. That words are inherently devoid of connotation, and their usage happens after and separately from their 'invention'. That their usage gives connotation on top of their base neutrality.

And so there's a lot of conversations debating questions like: who owns a word? at what point can a word be 'reclaimed' or taken back (in this particular view, meaning wiped of its former connotation completely)? at what point has a word been taken by adversaries to the point that we must abandon it?

This particular view of language articulates a political struggle to terminology as something akin to a battle for words-as-resources that we can't let fall into enemy hands. But when the dust clears, we all take stock of which side gets what words, and if we lose a word then that's it, we don't use it because we're not allowed to, because the other side has it.

My view of language is very contrary to this. My view is that a word and its usage cannot be neatly divided--words do not exist before or separately from their usage. their creation is through usage, and are created (like all social interaction and communication) for a specific purpose within a specific historical & material context. People can use that word in varied contexts and thus bring in additional connotations and uses of the word, but the word always exists within a etymological history and always contains, within its use, implicit reference to all the ways it has been and can be used.

Reclamation within my view, for example, is not that a word is now owned by 'us' and we get to wipe the previous connotations and meaning from it, not that we maintain our ownership over it by insisting no one references other connotations or usage of it (e.g. "this isn't a slur anymore"). In my view, reclamation of terms is taking a word that has a political usage to define, oppress, and violate you and using it for yourself to highlight that power dynamic, to highlight that you are the target of that oppression and violation. To say, no, I'm not 'one of the good ones' and this oppression is not relegated to history. I won't let anyone pretend that this is a thing of the past. If you love me, you must love everyone who you associate with this word. Solidarity or nothing.

In the alternate view, there is a perception of words like "misandry" or "'reverse' (/'anti-white') racism" or "skinny shaming" or "cisphobia" or whatever articulation of interpersonal hostility towards people who are members of a powerful social class--that these are neutral descriptors of an interpersonal phenomenon, that their connotation is only afterwards "polluted" by violent supremacist groups who use them most frequently.

I assume that this perception comes from not understanding the usage/histories/connotations of the words they are modeled against, and thus, not understanding how these 'flipped' versions are inherently and always in reference to the earlier terms.

When we talk about misogyny, racism, fatphobia/fat antagonism, transphobia, etc., we are referencing the usage of these words as political analysis for material oppression that structures people's experiences. Misogyny, for example, is a word that always invokes generations of discussion around patriarchy, reproductive labor, gendered and sexual violence, femicide, gendered devaluation of labor, sexual objectification, etc. etc.

Even if in a particular instance someone is describing an interpersonal hostility (e.g. being raped, being expected to do unpaid labor by a specific man, etc.), the usage of the word highlights that this interpersonal hostility is part of the larger structure. It draws attention to it as part of a greater whole, through reference to scholarship/theory on the term (in this case, misogyny). So what about "misandry"? This word came into being as explicit reference to the word "misogyny." The word could not possibly exist without reference to it. It is always and forever engaging with the term misogyny. If "misogyny" is a political analysis for material oppression that structure's people's experiences, then "misandry" is too, inherently. So then, we must examine: what political analysis is the word "misandry" articulating?

When we explore the political analysis forwarded by these words that are created in reaction to progressive political analysis and scholarship, that emerge out of a desire to challenge the progressive analysis, we can understand these terms as being inherently reactionary. These terms always carry the connotation of being against and contrary to the political analysis offered by the words they reference. They seek to undermine, obfuscate, and challenge the analysis (even when they also use the original terms-- pay attention to the context and analysis).

So when someone like me does not use a particular word, that is not because I am "not allowed to" or because the word has been "taken" by reactionaries-- it is because the word articulates a political analysis that I do not hold, and that I oppose. I do not want to use the word, not because it is associated with people I don't like, but because it makes no sense to forward an analysis I don't hold. I'm trying to honestly communicate my own values, so why would I say something I fundamentally don't agree with?

doing a PhD to get better at posting

the crazy thing about systemic oppression is that it actually doesn’t require the active conscious participation by millions of random individuals all spontaneously deciding to be bigoted for oppression to work

trans women on here will say very run of the mill statements like I’m not going to forget about all the people who participated in widespread systemic violence against me even if society starts accepting trans women in the future and forty million people will immediately be like that’s so fascist of you and also oppressions not that big a deal

i feel like a lot of people constantly posting about how all the economic indicators are up under biden are being either regular ignorant or willfully ignorant about the relationship the average person is told they have to 'the economy'

are “is there a recession?” opinion polls actually measuring the thing they’re asking? like I don’t know how much the public actually knows about the technical criteria for a recession, and I feel like when a lot of people say “recession” they just mean, like, “I feel less secure about my own/my family and friends’ financial situation,” and responding to that with “GDP is actually going up and unemployment is low” isn’t really addressing that

what has Boston ever done for the culture of America? at least the city of New York had the decency to put down that tyrant John Lennon

my takeaway from reading history is always that the world is very old and was also created 2 seconds ago

The official recognition by the three nations of an independent Palestinian state will take effect on May 28[...]

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered his country's ambassadors to Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel and threatened to recall Israel's ambassador to Spain if that country takes a similar position, which it since has.[...]

Earlier Wednesday in announcing Norway's recognition of a Palestinian state, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said "there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition."

22 May 24

spreadsheets are my best friend in the entire world

wish $20 was $20 again.... it's literally $5. if ur fucking lucky

the year was Two Thousand and twenty-four. I took a puff of my Electronic-Cigarette, inhaling the vapours. my mobile terminal buzzed in my pocket, a flat slab of microchips and glossy touchscreen. I ignored it....... probably another Electronic-Mail

My 11-month male cat lets my foster kittens nurse on him.

(Source)

Heya! Just wanted to give you a quick thank you for all your explenations& helpfull posts about trans issues. As a newly out (it's been a year but still lol) trans-person who grew up around terfs and christian people, it means the world to me to see these posts clearly lay out vauge feelings I had but couldn't convey into words, or pinpoint the exact problem I coulnd't find on my own.

You made my life better! I am at peace with myself now. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!! I wish the godess smiles upon you! (If you're into that ofc)

awh omg this is so sweet, thank you! The reading and thinking and talking with other trans people I’ve done about this topic has also helped me a lot too, I’m so glad the feeling is mutual

I feel bad for your notifs about your badge post blowing up but at the same time it’s funny seeing people in real time prove your point exactly

saying something beautiful and true on tumblr is like being beaten and killed to death

you will never believe what’s happening in the notes of this post

pov you are about to read the worst opinion in your entire life