O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak Up. It’s your turn.
In early January 2025 a business leader was quoted anonymously celebrating the ability to use “retarded” again in polite company thanks to Donald Trump’s return to power. At the time, I had a bad feeling, this was a harbinger of things to come.
As a kid I was often on the receiving end of the R-slur. Although I don’t have an intellectual disability myself, my cerebral palsy results in mannerisms that are often mistaken for one. So, kids did what kids do. I was different. I was scary, and they needed to put me somewhere that made sense to them. The R-slur bucket was the safest place. They could dominate me there.
That’s how all slurs work. They dehumanize those seen as a threat. If we normalize people who are different from us by treating them with respect, we hasten our own extinction. People who use slurs tell on themselves. They identify those they fear.
The term “mental retardation” has been absent from U.S. regulations since 2010 when President Obama signed “Rosa’s Law”. Inspired by 9-year-old Rosa Marcellino, the law changed the term to “intellectual disability” – a term that disability community had been using for decades to demonstrate respect and inclusion.
Many on social media use the R-slur to appear transgressive or edgy. Social media algorithms reward this behavior by driving more engagement to this content and monetizing it.
In an April 10, 2025 episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” Rogan said, “Every time I see people that disagree with anything that’s happening, any gigantic world events, it’s one of these retarded shows where they’re screaming. The word ‘retarded’ is back, and it’s one of the great cultural victories that I think is spurred on, probably, by podcasts.”
To many, saying Joe Rogan is the arbiter of “cultural victories” is like suggesting Steve Erkle is the arbiter of high fashion. Unfortunately, his 16-20 million followers on various platforms likely disagree. Since many of his followers have followers of their own, his reach is substantial and his embrace of dehumanizing language can’t be overlooked.
It’s not just Rogan. Elon Musk and Donald Trump repeatedly use the slur in posts and each time occurrences of the word spiked by several hundred percent on their respective platforms.
In the Rolling Stones article “A Complete History of the R-word, The MAGA Movement’s Favorite Slur” author Miles Klee points out:
“It may be no coincidence that they’re specifically marginalizing a group that relies on the social safety nets they want to do away with.”
And there you have it. That’s what this is all about. Dehumanizing people means we don’t have to fund programs that provide for their well-being. If we can force people back into basements and poorly funded institutions it leaves more money for the uber rich who are driving this trend.
Make no mistake. This isn’t just “coarse language.” This is targeting a group that has been gassed by Nazis, burned at the stake as witches, neglected and tortured in institutions and allowed to die in droves during the pandemic. The R-slur needs to go back into the dustbin of history where it belongs.
Further Reading
- The Truth About the R-Word, From the People It Hurts Most
- Resurgence Of ‘R-Word’ Alarms Disability Advocates – Disability Scoop
- About Spread the Word
Patricia Vincent-Piet is an influential author, public speaker, and content creator with a deep-rooted passion for disability justice and the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of society. Her work illuminates the history of the disability rights movement and champions a future where accessibility is a fundamental right for all.
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