Why is midget offensive

I found out having a son yes, I had a boy instead of a [ In a recent organizational statement, LPA put forward a call to action to abolish the word from the everyday nomenclature and to replace it with synonymous designations when necessary. Because of these associations and the desire for people with a form of dwarfism to be accepted as positive contributors of society it is important for our community to move away from the word and not be labeled as such. In fact, the Little People of America was founded as Midgets of America in though it changed to its current name after just three years. Retrieved 18 January It marked the organization's first anti-midget petition drive.

Retrieved 14 December What is your feeling about "dwarf? I had no idea how to respond. More and more, however, in recent decades, midget has become recognized as a derogatory, hurtful term, a term of derision used to ridicule short-statured individuals. We are forbidden to join the military or police force based purely on size and not ability.

I do use the term, "midget" in the satire of my stand-up comedy act, and that is the closest I get to it. It was coined by PT Barnum in the mid 's to describe members of the dwarf community who were the most socially acceptable, i. As a result, I can refer to us as the dwarf community today without raising too many eyebrows. Why can't I write about us as the midget community?

I am not my label. However, the intent of the people using the term was empowerment. It was a moonless night and I was alone with my mind. Continue reading this story Ebert rates Spielberg's movies Previous Article: The name was changed in