Karamo Brown Wondered If A Common Phrase Was Offensive, So He Asked
Karamo Brown of “Queer Eye” tweeted Thursday that he had a conversation with someone who used an idiom that he thought may be offensive to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
“Someone just said to me, ‘I feel like my message is falling on deaf ears...’ and I told them that I felt that ‘saying’ is inappropriate,” he wrote. “It seems disrespectful and rude to the deaf & HOH community. She said I was being over sensitive.”
Instead of just rolling with his gut, Brown decided to start a conversation about the subject, ending his tweet with, “Thoughts?”
Someone just said to me, “I feel like my message is falling on deaf ears...” and I told them that I felt that “saying” is inappropriate. It seems disrespectful and rude to the deaf & HOH community. She said I was being over sensitive. Thoughts?
— Karamo Brown (@Karamo) May 23, 2019
Brown’s tweet opened the question up to the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community, with people offering a range of opinions on how the language others use affects the way they are perceived.
I think it depends on the context. It also depends on deaf individuals. However if we can find a better word/idiom, then always go with that!
— Nyle DiMarco (@NyleDiMarco) May 23, 2019
Deaf here! I think the saying is a bit ridiculous as being deaf isn’t a choice like ignorance. It depends on the person tho, I’m not TOO bothered by it. However, it does rub me the wrong way
Thank you for being aware & using your platform to elevate Disabled & Deaf perspectives!— Anderson “Andy” Pleasants (@pleasantandy) May 23, 2019
I have an auditory processing disorder and I've never liked that saying. It makes me feel like I'm being lumped in with those who intentionally don't listen to others. So I'd say you're totally right!
— Claric (@cassettesideB) May 23, 2019
It depends... As a Deaf person, I’ve teased my friends & family, “You’re going Deaf!” If it’s light, I’m not offended. If it’s “He’s deaf & dumb!” That’s not okay ever. Or making up signs in the air. AND don’t tell me for the 100th time you want to learn sign (& not learn after).
— Sheena McFeely (@SheenaMcfeely) May 23, 2019
Thank you! I don’t like the phrase because it implies that deaf people can’t listen.
I put 10x more effort into communicating than hearing people.
Thank you for being aware & using your platform to recognize and elevate Deaf/HOH perspectives 💜— Chrissy🌈🎬💜 (@life_laughter_) May 23, 2019
I'm hard of hearing and I don't mind the disability-related metaphors. (Could also be bc I'm a writer and very attached to a good idiom.) I care more about abled people not speaking on my behalf or presuming to know for sure what will bother me. Say what u want, just w humility!
— Cameron Baumgartner (@cameronhbg) May 23, 2019
Speaking for myself as a deaf person,
That's exactly the issue I have with this phrase. It DOESN'T distinguish between inability to hear versus choosing to not listen / or not knowing how to listen. It conflates them as if they're all the one and same.— AShettle (@AShettle) May 23, 2019
People with disabilities often are not asked to explain or comment on their own lives. Caregivers, parents, friends, experts and medical professionals who are not disabled often speak on behalf of people with disabilities in news stories. That’s a major issue for those who are disabled, whose lived experiences should take precedence over how other people see them. When people with disabilities don’t have the opportunity to speak for themselves, it contributes to both ableism ― meaning discrimination against those who are disabled ― as well as misconceptions about the lives of people with disabilities.
By opening up the question on a public forum where he has such a large reach, Brown gave people with disabilities the opportunity to speak their minds and offer insight on their own lives.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.