What's In a Word? by Carolyn Cartland, Vice President of Equual Access

Carolyn Cartland

When the Equual Access board chose the monthly theme for March a few months ago, we didn’t know how appropriate it would be. The March theme we selected, “What’s in a Word? Do the Words We Use Matter?”, is an apt description of the discussion now taking place on the “Standing on the Side of Love” blog. You may have seen it; if not, I recommend it. We are all invited to comment on whether the use of the word “standing” may be alienating to people with disabilities, how this issue may be impacting folks in our communities, and how ableism has affected our lives. I encourage everyone to make their opinions known below, on the Equual Access blog or on Access-l, the UU open forum for people who are interested in matters relating to accessibility. You are invited to join others who are committed to creating a faith community in which all people are truly welcomed into all aspects of congregational life. for UU. To view the sermon which initiated this conversation, go to the sermons web page for the Unitarian Society of Hartford, Connecticut and click on "2-12-12 Standing on the Side of Love - Rev. Katie Lee Crane."

At the Equual Access board meeting on March 7, we discussed this topic. We decided that words do matter to us, that words can change behavior and open minds, and that certain language presents opportunities to increase awareness of “the other” while other uses of language can limit understanding of others’ experiences. We understand that, initially, it may seem as though we are being “nit-picky”, “politically correct”, or “overly sensitive”. We are sympathetic to that perspective but weren’t those same comments made when women first objected to the sole use of the pronoun “he” in UU hymns, readings, and sermons? Weren’t similar comments made when the GBLTQ community objected to words that they deemed offensive? Who gets to decide if a word is offensive or not…the person offended or the person using the word? How do we show our belief in the “inherent worth and dignity of every person” if not by the language we use?

At our board meeting, we decided to pursue this conversation. We believe it is a valuable one for all of us, those with disabilities and those without, because at the very least it may open minds and hearts by providing a different perspective on the experiences of those whose lives are different from our own. Ableism, like sexism, heterosexism, racism, ageism, and all other forms of oppression, is alive and real in our culture; as in all forms of oppression, language is one of its most powerful tools. We encourage everyone to use this powerful tool in ways that are respectful, inclusive, and constructive. Whether SSL ultimately chooses to remove the word "standing" from the name of this social justice campaign or not, we believe this dialogue is necessary for the campaign to be inclusive and respectful of all people.