The R Word

CW: Ableism

Elon Musk has President Donald Trump’s ear, making him one of the world’s most powerful people. He has full authority to change the federal government’s budget and headcount. Musk owns the social media site X and has roughly 220 million followers. He has regularly used the “R” word to disparage those with whom he disagrees. 

He’s mentioned it in at least three posts in the past week. The use of this language has prompted criticism from disabled people and advocates. “When we, disabled people, speak out against its usage, our concerns are frequently ignored or minimized with excuses like ‘I’m not using it in a harmful way,'” says Nila Morton, a 26-year-old disability advocate. “This dismissive attitude implies that the feelings of disabled people are less important like our pain does not matter. In reality, the casual use of this word further marginalizes our community that already struggles to secure equal opportunities and fair treatment in society” Morton continued. 

According to the nonprofit, The Arc, the “r” word was first used in the early 1960s as a medical term to describe people with intellectual disabilities. However, it has since become “a cruel insult.” National legislation known as Rosa’s Law advocated for the phrase “intellectual disability” to replace the “r” word in federal documents. The law was signed in 2010 by then-president Barack Obama. The law was named after Rosa Marcellino who was just nine years old at the time.

While the language itself is upsetting, many disabled people worry about the cultural implications of the word. “Too often, people dismiss it as a harmless negative word but in reality, its use reinforces harmful, ableist attitudes and behaviors,” adds Morton. “When people like Musk… use this slur, it not only undermines our community, but also opens the door for able-bodied people to justify discrimination and the denial of resources and opportunities to disabled people.”

Disabled people have never stopped fighting for our rights. We can’t be silent about our rights. The use of ableist slurs is dehumanizing. Disabled people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

Sources:

Cyphers, Luke. “Meet the Little Girl Who Wiped out Government Use of the R-Word.” ESPN, The Walt Disney Company, 20 July 2015, www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/13287823/meet-little-girl-wiped-government-use-r-word. 

Dilworth, Jackie. “The R-Word: Why Language Matters and How We Can Do Better.” The Arc, The Arc, 14 Oct. 2024, thearc.org/blog/the-r-word-why-language-matters-and-how-we-can-do-better/. 

Marrus, Natasha, and Lacey Hall. “Intellectual Disability and Language Disorder.” Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America vol. 26,3 (2017): 539-554. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.03.001

Oliver, David. “Elon Musk Keeps Tweeting the ‘r-Word.’ Disability Advocates Say He Needs to Stop.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 25 Feb. 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/02/25/elon-musk-donald-trump-disabled-people/80112602007/