Alice talks Crip Culture

Alice Kirby
Alice Kirby, 24, F, Leading Edge

Crip is bold, rebellious and unapologetic. Crip has sass and attitude. Crip is a movement that has emerged from the disability community actively rebelling against ableist attitudes, prejudice and stereotypes.

Disabled people around the world are re-purposing and reclaiming derogatory language which has historically been used to oppress. Crip is short for cripple, a term which was once acceptable, before it was turned around and used to discriminate. Crips are now reclaiming the word.

The disability community is of course, like any other, diverse and heterogeneous. Crip is controversial, and whilst some advocate this language, others feel very uncomfortable around it. However, we must accept and respect how each individual wishes to refer to themselves.

The movement has reclaimed a range of other ableist slurs, spaz is my favourite and the word I most identify with. It perfectly describes my body at three in the morning when it’s uncontrollably shaking and won’t let me sleep. It derives from ‘spastic’, a medical term describing muscle spasms or tightness and was also used to describe the physical condition of people with cerebral palsy. It was then shortened and used to victimise disabled people with a range of conditions, including myself.

Reclamation is not a new phenomenon, it’s common amongst marginalised and oppressed groups. Five years ago the feminist movement reclaimed ‘slut’ in protest of a Toronto police officer who claimed women could avoid being raped if they didn’t dress like one. Slut belongs to feminism as crip belongs to disabled people.

Whilst the two cannot be compared, they are both words which belong to their respective communities and should not be used by outsiders. We have taken ownership of these words, they are ours and they empower us.

Most disabled people who identify as crips use disability first language. We prefer to be called disabled people rather than people with disabilities. Why? Because the d-word means something very different to us than it does to non-disabled people.

We are not disabled by our conditions, but by the society we live in. The theory that disability is socially constructed comes from the social model and the vast majority of people identify with it, I don’t think I’ve met a disabled person who doesn’t. Picture a wheelchair user trying to enter a building which has a flight of stairs but no lift. Is it their condition disabling them, or the fact that the place was built without their access needs in mind?

We embrace disability first language to make a statement. We are voicing that our identities are affected by the way society treats us, not by our conditions.

Non-disabled people often want to separate the disability from the identity. They would prefer to call someone a person with a visual impairment rather than a blind person. This does not make sense to me because we do not separate gender, race, sexuality or religion from our identity. For example, I am a woman, not a “person with womanliness”. In my opinion, this separation shows a lack of understanding of what disability actually is and the impact it has on our lives.

Beyond language, crip culture rejects the stereotypes that are often associated with disabled people, particularly our desexualisation. Ever wonder why accessible toilets don’t have condom machines in them? It seems to surprise some non-disabled people that not only are we able to have sex, but that we have sexualities. We are straight, gay, lesbian, bi and queer. We are also cis, transgender and genderqueer.

Crips are often seen as undesirable and asexual. Our sexualities are very rarely represented in the media, or mainstream porn, and I have never seen a queer crip represented anywhere, ever. On the other extreme we are fetishised by some, which is just as bad, google ‘devotees’ and you’ll understand why.

It’s impossible to discuss crip culture without mentioning Leroy Moore, the founder of Krip Hop Nation (spelt with a K to differentiate itself from the gang). Krip Hop artists use their lyrics to speak out against the discrimination of disabled people and police brutality. Check it out on YouTube, you won’t be disappointed! Caitlin Wood, another loud and proud crip, is also worth looking up. She published Criptiques, an anthology of disabled writers challenging stereotypes, and well worth a read!

I’d encourage you to explore crip culture and respect the choice that people have made to reclaim this language, whilst being mindful that not every disabled person identifies with these words.

Crips are purposefully provocative with language for a reason; it serves as a constant reminder of the oppression of our community. If the words I use to describe myself make you feel uncomfortable, maybe you should ask yourself why?