Dwarfs

Why is the term "dwarf" considered an insult on this forum?
If the word is recognized in medical terminology to describe a specific condition, why is it prohibited here?

I posed this question in a specific thread and was immediately sent a PM telling me not to discuss it.
Can I get a public explanation?

http://onlinerjecnik.com/rjecnik/medicinski/nanosomi

http://www.mojezdravlje.net/Registar.../nanosomi.aspx

wiredviper said:and they're referring to the exact same disorder

First off, why feel the need to highlight someone's medical condition if you already know their name? Isn't that a little distasteful?

Secondly, the real reason we "banned" that specific term on this subforum is because it was being used primarily to mock people. There were all these discriminatory jokes and jabs about little people floating around, and frankly, it was pretty unpleasant to read. On top of that, the phrase itself is highly controversial. Even the host faced backlash from the media when she made a joke upon entering the house by saying, "I feel like Snow White" (clearly nodding to "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"). Many pointed out that "person of short stature" is a much more respectful way to put it. Ultimately, both Emma and Milan introduced themselves that way when they entered the house, and we should respect their own choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWz5f99S2YM

I honestly wouldn't want to get caught up in those Facebook groups about little people that you mentioned during the discussions.

Since you already reached out via PM and gave me your answer, I’m wondering—is that the official policy or just your personal take?

I want to know if the forum's stance is actually to prohibit the use of standard terms found in medical dictionaries, even when they aren't being used as insults?

wiredviper said:I'm wondering if this site's policy actually bans using standard medical terms just because they exist, even if you aren't trying to be offensive or anything?

There isn't one big official rule for the whole site. It basically comes down to the individual sub-forum moderators—they decide on their own whether to let stuff like that slide or shut it down.

Honestly, what Kevin Morris12 said makes total sense to me.

Kevin Morris12 said:I wouldn't dream of stepping foot into those Facebook groups about dwarfs—not after seeing the arguments you've dragged into them.

Since I was penalized for using that word—"dwarf"—instead of opting for the preferred, sanitized "person with dwarfism," I decided to point out the obvious: the term isn't inherently offensive, unless you happen to be someone terrified of the condition itself.

I provided my Facebook link for that very purpose—only for the whole thing, link and post included, to vanish. Are you going to delete it and then actually make it count?
Here’s a link you didn't ask for—and frankly, nobody is forcing you to click it.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111740361521

Thanks for the response, hollowtrucker77.

mellowraven22 said:Kevin Morris12’s explanation seems perfectly reasonable to me.

It’s completely irrational to ban legal, widely accepted words found in any standard dictionary—all because of some manufactured sense of morality or basic misunderstanding. Why let performative outrage dictate language?
Perhaps "person with visual impairment" would be more appropriate than "blind person"?
It’s laughable—but then again, that’s just the nature of an online forum.

It’s actually happening. 😉

wiredviper, let me lay this out for you one more time...

Look, there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying "Emma is a little person." The issue arises when people constantly lean into that label, highlighting her disability as if it were her defining trait, even though everyone knows her actual name. It’s just incredibly tacky to write things like "the little person is going to the bathroom," or "the heavy little person, Brandon and Soraya are having dinner at the table"—just constant references to it. At this point, her disability has been turned into a sort of nickname. Why? What is the motivation behind wanting to emphasize someone's handicap like that if you already know who they are? And then, to top it all off, someone drops a tasteless joke—which, let's face it, is way too easy to make given that terminology—and suddenly everything descends into total chaos. That is the exact reason we have told every single person on this forum a thousand times over: stop using that term. There is simply no reason for it.

The next logical step would be calling Nirmal a Muslim, referring to Duško Srbin as a Mexican, or calling Brandon a gay man. While none of those labels are inherently offensive, using them as nicknames for housemates in a discussion like this is profoundly distasteful.

And that is truly the heart of the matter.

As for that Facebook link you posted, it was removed ages ago because we don't want to loop back to the same argument a hundred times or have people nitpicking moderation decisions when the stance has already been made clear. So, please don't take it personally.

Soundvision hit the nail on the head, and honestly, I’ve got nothing left to add except this: it’s always the same old song and dance. It’s always the same handful of people getting picked on while everyone else gets a pass. If it isn't one user, it's another—it's always Vespasian or someone else. You have millions of users here, yet the same few people are perpetually being treated like they're the only ones ever breaking rules. It reminds me of how people act when they're being condescendingly polite just to mask an insult. If you told someone they were ugly, they'd call for the moderators in a heartbeat. But if you spend all day saying, "Good morning, gorgeous," or "Hey honey, watch your tone," they’ll claim you're being abusive. It's the exact same toxic energy you see in those obsessive, compulsive internet trolls who won't stop attacking a poor spouse or kid. You guys just never quit. Whether it's Bojan Džukela, some random guy, or some low-life nobody—are we running a civilized discussion on Reddit or are we at a flea market? If you can't meet the standard of discourse here on Reddit, go find some other corner of the internet where you can just spray your nonsense everywhere without consequence. 🤷