Apologies Accepted

Lizzo: Word and Action


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Lizzo is a superstar performer and a superstar person.  Some fans reached out and took objection with a word in her new song Grrrls, explaining that it is commonly used as a slur against disabled people.  She was accused of being ableist, forgetting that disabled people are alive in the world and have the same feelings as anyone who has a slur used against them. Lizzo took fast action, re-recording the song and changing the word, then issuing an apology.  Lizzo explained that she understood the power and hurt that words can inflict and would never want to subject others to that same kind of hurt.  That should be the end of the story, except some people claimed that the word isn't a slur and is used differently in other communities (in a harmless non-slurry kind of way).  Lizzo hasn't said more on the subject but her actions and apology are pretty clear.

The history of the disabled movement (that feels like it should be a pun, but it is not) is one of prejudice, disregard, and a few disabled people who met at a summer camp in 1971 and by 1977 had changed the world forever in only 26 days.  Ableism is about to get a big dose of sorry this episode of Apologies Accepted!

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