What is an ableist slur? Ableism definition explained as Lizzo offers clarification amid Grrrls backlash

Singer-songwriter Lizzo recently landed in hot water for using an ableist slur in her new single Grrrls. The opening verse of the much-awaited track contained certain offensive lyrics that read:

“Hold my bag, b**h (girls)/ Hold my bag/ Do you see this s**t? I’ma sp*z/ I’m about to knock somebody out (girls).”

The song was met with immediate criticism on social media, and listeners were quick to point out that the term “sp*z” is a derogatory word for spastic diplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy.

Disability advocate Hannah Diviney took to Twitter to explain that the word is considered an ableist slur and said that she was “angry and sad” with the lyrics in Lizzo’s song:

Several others also took to social media to explain the history and meaning of terms that are considered to be offensive to the disabled community. Following the backlash, the three-time Grammy Award winner changed the lyrics of her song and mentioned that she never intended to promote “derogatory language” in her work.

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A look into the meaning of Ableism and ableist slur

Ableism is defined as a form of social prejudice and discrimination against individuals with disabilities. As per experts, ableism is characterized by the tendency to define people by their disabilities and hold them inferior as compared to people without disabilities or 'able-bodied' individuals.

According to the Urban Dictionary, ableism can appear in the form of attitudes, practices, ideas, stereotypes and assumptions, among other things:

“Ableism is the discrimination or prejudice against people who have disabilities. Ableism can take the form of ideas and assumptions, stereotypes, attitudes and practices, physical barriers in the environment, or larger scale oppression.”

The site also states that Ableism can also be unintentional, and that people might be oblivious about offending the disabled community with their words and actions:

“It is oftentimes unintentional and most people are completely unaware of the impact of their words or actions.”

Ableist slur can be described as offensive or discriminatory words, phrases, remarks, comments or statements made towards a disabled individual or the disabled community. The Harvard Business Review notes that ableist words are often used as “metaphors, jokes and euphemisms” during a conversation.

It also mentioned that people often use ableist language by using words like “crazy,” “stupid,” “dumb,” “lame,” or “insane,” either intentionally or unintentionally without realizing the harmful impact it can cause.

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Lizzo addresses ableist slur controversy and makes a lyric change

Lizzo changed the lyrics of her song 'Grrrls' following ableist controversy (Image via Getty Images)

As Lizzo faced major criticism for using an ableist slur in her song Grrrls, the singer decided to change the derogatory lyrics mentioned in her new track. The newly changed lyrics of the song read:

“Hold my bag, b**h (girls)/ Hold my bag/ Do you see this s**t? Hold me back.”

In the new opening verse, the offensive “I’ma sp*z” lyric was changed to “hold me back.” Following the lyric change, the singer also took to social media to issue an official statement about the controversy.

She stated that she never wanted to “promote derogatory language” and mentioned that she can “overstand the power words can hold.” The musician also confirmed that the use of the offensive word was “unintentional” in her case and announced that the song lyrics were changed:

According to The New York Post, the word “sp*z” is used to define the term “spastic.” It is reportedly used as a slang to mean “going crazy” or “freaking out” in the US, but is considered to be extremely offensive towards the disabled community in the UK and Australia.

Lizzo’s track Grrrls is the second single from her upcoming studio album Special, which is reportedly set to release on July 15 via Nice Life Recording Company and Atlantic Records.