Intro
"Freaks DNI [Do Not Interact]" - 1 in 5 fandom users on Twitter
I feel a lot more strongly about the word "freak" than the average person. I know this about myself, and I accept that most people won't feel the same way I do about its use, however, in the hopes of giving people food for thought, and examining my own beliefs, I think explaining my thoughts and feelings about the word might be constructive.
When I refer to the usage of the word "freak" throughout, I will primarily be addressing its use by leftists and/or ostensibly "progressive" people who value building a world free of bigotry and hierarchy. This particularly relates to its use online, although it applies the same offline.
This isn't a subject I frequently bring up, but it is one that bothers me. I want to ask that leftists who use the term examine how they are using it, and whether it aligns with their values, or the kind of world that they want to live in.
So is it a Slur?
Short answer: it doesn't matter.
Long answer: While it baffles me when this kind of discourse appears, it is also worth thinking about. Many people instinctively scoff at questions like "are 'stupid' and 'dumb' slurs?", "is 'b*tch' a slur?". Surely words we use so frequently can't be slurs! Slurs are reserved for Heated Gamer Moments (HGMs) and right-wingers, not words so normalized in every day language that we use them without even thinking about it, right?
I don't think it's always productive, possible, or necessary to define whether each word that is ableist, misogynist, or otherwise is a "slur" or not. What I do find helpful, however, is asking myself "what would it mean if it were a slur?", "why am I so invested in this particular word being, or not being, a slur?", and by far most importantly "what function does this word serve?", "what do I and others use this term to mean?"
What Does "Freak" Mean?
What I think is easier to agree upon (at least among leftists), is that "stupid" and "dumb" are ableist words, and "b*tch" is uncontroversially misogynist. That alone should be reason enough to at least be more careful and aware of how we use these words. Being an autist who has a preoccupation with Accuracy (which I, uncoincidentally, feel is a more accurate term than the usual idea that autistic people are obsessed with Truth), I would rather use words that accurately communicate what it is I'm saying. Take the following table as an example:
| Term | Example Sentence | Accurate Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Stupid | "That plan is stupid." | "That plan won't work." |
| Dumb | "I can't believe how dumb that movie was." | "I can't believe many plotholes that movie had." |
| Idiot | "You're such an idiot." | "You're so irresponsible." |
| B*tch | "He's being a b*tch." | "He's being a coward." |
However, what about "freak"? It doesn't refer explicitly to intelligence or gender, but we should examine what it is that we mean when we use it; what effect do we want the word to have.
Etymology
The word didn't begin with a negative connotation, however it began to gain its modern associations during the early 20th century, coming to refer to a person with "extreme" phsyical abnormality (usually disabled people, though any bodies deemed unusual due to size, shape, and/or presentation, such as cis women with beards, also considered to be "freaks").