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Activist Perfectly Explains The Terminology For People With Dwarfism

Activist Perfectly Explains The Terminology For People With Dwarfism

People have commended Eugene Grant on social media for providing a clear explanation of the topic

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

In the age of the 'woke' millennial, there seems to be a constant battle to establish how to use language without causing offence to people.

For some people, that battle can seem like little more than a troublesome way of policing what they can and can't say, put into action by 'snowflakes' who are 'offended by everything'.

For others, however, it's a reminder that there's a weight of context behind certain words - and it's the motivation behind that context that can cause offence.

That is especially relevant for the words people use to describe those with dwarfism, and now activist Eugene Grant has posted a handy explanation on Twitter to break down the confusion and set the record straight.

Twitter

He wrote: "I promise you: the best thing to call someone with #dwarfism is *their name*.

"If you don't know their name, ask yourself why you need to refer to their body before knowing who they are. This is important."

Eugene says if you know the person's name then you should ask them what they preferred to be called as it can differ between each individual.

"It's for them to decide, not you. They are the author of the dictionary that defines them," he said, referencing a message from British novelist Zadie Smith.

"You really should question why you feel you need to have a conversation about someone's body that excludes the very person you're talking about."

Mr Grant says if you don't know the person's name then you should always start with 'person with dwarfism' as that's the current correct way. He says while 'little person' is popular in America, he doesn't like the term as it suggests that he has less value and worth than a regular person.

The one word which has absolute clarity for Eugene is 'm*dget'.

"'M*dget' is a horrible slur. It should never be used. Tell your friends. And call them out when they use it," he says.

"If you feel uncomfortable calling out your friends using the m-word, well think about how *we* feel when we hear it in conversations, when strangers shout it at us."

Mr Grant's post has been liked, shared and commented on by thousands of people who are thankful for clarifying the situation.

Twitter

Unfortunately, the thread has also been the target of vile trolls who have written negative comments, some of them deliberately using the m-word to add insult to injury.

Mr Grant has told LADbible: "It's been relentless. I've got to the point where I don't want to retweet my friends in case they become targets. Still, it will take more than some trolls on Twitter to silence me."

Eugene also wanted to clear up another minor aspect when talking to or about people with dwarfism, telling LADbible that he has dwarfism, specifically achondroplasia, and he doesn't suffer from it.

About one in every 27,500 people have achondroplasia, which is a mutation of the FGFR3 gene.

Featured Image Credit: Eugene Grant

Topics: Inspirational, Community