TW: discussion of t-slur, n-slur

Because systemic oppression exists, and because words carry such weight and meaning and power, there are certain slurs I choose to talk around rather than saying outright, even in my art. Because I am not and cannot be harmed by those words, and I have been asked not to use them by people who are harmed by them. I can’t reclaim a word I have never been oppressed by. That’s just appropriation.

For example, as a trans person who was assigned female at birth, I don’t use the t-slur. Because it is almost exclusively used violently against trans feminine people (and in fact, I have only ever had it used against me by people who first mistook me for a trans feminine person). I know many trans femme people who have had the word used very violently against them — often combined with physical violence — and can have their PTSD triggered just by hearing it. I don’t feel I have a right to use a word that doesn’t really hurt me, but violently harms trans femme people, who are more oppressed than I am.

For very similar reasons, as a white person, I don’t use the n-slur. Because it would never be used against me, and it’s used violently against Black people constantly, most often by white people. The word wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for colonialism and white supremacy. Again, I don’t feel I have a right to use a word that has violently oppressed billions of Black people.

I have no idea what your intersections are, so I’m not trying to imply that you ought not to be using any of the words you used — I hope it doesn’t come across that way. Just adding a slightly different perspective. Life is a shithole, and I also aim to drag people who haven’t had to experience it down into it. But I’m trying very hard not to add to accidentally add to the shit while I’m doing that.