Awaiting moderator approval
View all comments
I do agree that "Little person" sounds super condescending and I can't bring myself to use it. But I also know that terms like "midget" and "dwarf" have been used negatively for so long that it makes sense that people find these terms offensive and they shouldn't be used.
I usually say "person with dwarfism", as I feel like it's the least offensive thing I could say. It makes sure to put the person first, with the condition as an afterthought.
The problem there is that many little people don't have dwarfism.
That's a point I'm ashamed to say I hadn't considered. I guess I thought that dwarfism was more of an umbrella term that perhaps covered a few conditions.
Is there an umbrella term for the range of conditions that could be used as a replacement or are they too varied?
I think the umbrella term you’re looking for that’s used by the community is little people
I meant in terms of the group of conditions, like you wouldn't say "I have little person" or "I have a form of little person".
Yeah, but it's not up to you to decide they should be called a "person with x" instead of a little person. If anything you're just gonna rub them the wrong way, by bending over backwards to find a solution for a non-issue.
While I agree that going with the general consensus of the overall respective community in regards to using the term “little person”, I do feel it is not out of the question to request a more scientific or medical term. Of course, how you use said medical term plays a major part too, but the distinct categorization using a more specific term could have many functions. Plus, we consider little person to be the acceptable term now but the previously stated arguments still exist and could become more problematic as society changes. By being proactive and defining a proper medical umbrella term, we may avoid future generations of little people who may disagree with the current consensus.
I do concede that I myself, as with the majority of the people here, have very little overall say in how the terms are perceived as a little person. Furthermore, I also see a good few flaws in my own argument but I believe the larger idea has merit.
Thing is, there isn't a single condition that can encapsulate the entire community and population so there isn't a medical term that can be used to describe it.
I understand that. But we admit the community does fall under the term little people indicating some shared symptom or trait. That is what I believe should have a more specific medical term to lower ambiguity and prevent any stigma.