Friday, April 6, 2012

Appropriative use of the word “trigger.”

lucypaw:

widdershinsgirl:

An AWFUL lot of pseudofeminists use the word “trigger” pretty freely. They know that triggers are things which form in response to psychological trauma, and thus figure they can use them as a get-out-of-jail-free card regarding actually CONFRONTING their own racism and cissexism.

This is BULLSHIT of the highest order.

If you are not someone who deals with or lives with an anxiety disorder, you have no right using the word “trigger” to describe something you don’t want to deal with. Furthermore, the idea that “penis = trigger,” which is commonly used as an excuse to exclude trans women REGARDLESS of the presence or absence of penis, is simply WRONG. Triggers are associations and they tend to be a bit random - they’re not a simple cause and effect relationship to a single thing.

The appropriation, abuse and misuse of the concept of triggering is something that needs to end. RIGHT NOW. I have panic attacks. What they’re triggered by is my own damn business to avoid, and nobody’s “right” to “protect” me from. Using someone else’s panic attacks to create a situation where YOUR OWN BIGOTRIES are insulated from criticism is EVIL.

The way ‘trigger’ is misused by so many people hurts people who have actual triggers as people start to assume anyone saying they are ‘triggered’ means ‘I’m offended by what you said’.  I have triggers from being sexually assaulted and other things.  As widdershinsgirl says, they’re random.

“Triggering” doesn’t mean “upsetting”, especially not in the context of “people are asking me to question my own bigoted assumptions and this upsets me.”

Posted at 10:03 AM 79 notes Reblogged from lucypaw

Notes

  1. cowboysaurus reblogged this from amydentata
  2. minionier reblogged this from bittergrapes
  3. impromptuonedykedanceparty reblogged this from amydentata
  4. justnodandsmile reblogged this from bblackenedbutterfly and added:
    This, this, this. You have not been triggered if you were made angry, upset, or uncomfortable by something. You have not...
  5. wellharkather reblogged this from notalwaysweak and added:
    Triggers are a lot like allergies. They can be more or less serious. They can be quite common, or really unusual. They...
  6. notalwaysweak reblogged this from widdershinsgirl and added:
    I’ve always felt like the onus was on me to avoid anything that might be triggering for me, especially because, as my...
  7. affairofthepoisons reblogged this from amydentata and added:
    TOTALLY AGREE. People need to stop using the word “trigger” so fucking freely. It undermines what we experience when we...
  8. dickensian-werewolf reblogged this from amydentata and added:
    “Triggering” doesn’t mean “upsetting”, especially not in the context of “people are asking me to question my own bigoted...
  9. bittergrapes reblogged this from alisonofagun
  10. alisonofagun reblogged this from tal9000 and added:
    Yessssss BUT the word “trigger” is used in more contexts than just that one. Eating disorders can triggered. Self-injury...
  11. paradife-loft reblogged this from tal9000
  12. spontaneousdistractions reblogged this from bblackenedbutterfly
  13. tal9000 reblogged this from bblackenedbutterfly and added:
    Underlining mine because holy shit yes.
  14. bblackenedbutterfly reblogged this from amydentata
  15. telegantmess reblogged this from lucypaw
  16. lucypaw reblogged this from amydentata and added:
    No, it doesn’t. I’ve been upset and I’ve been triggered. They are not the same thing.
  17. thethirddecade1121 reblogged this from southcarolinaboy
  18. amydentata reblogged this from lucypaw and added:
    “Triggering” doesn’t mean “upsetting”, especially not in the context of “people are asking me to question my own bigoted...
  19. morguenightmares reblogged this from lucypaw