What the Beyoncé & Lizzo Debate Misses and What it Means

An ableist slur is at the center of the controversy

There is a hotly contested debate raging right now across social platforms surrounding lyrics that Beyoncé and earlier, Lizzo, changed.

The reason the artists chose to delete the term from their songs is because the term “spaz”, unbeknownst to them, had been used in a derogatory way toward the disabled community. The lyrics were changed almost immediately following each song release. In Lizzo’s case, an apology was issued.

So why is there need for any further debate? Well, the majority of debate does not center on the artists, but the derogatory term itself. Some contend that the word is an ablelist slur that is harmful and hurtful. Others contend that it is a slang term that is part of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and is somehow sacred canon of the dialect. The latter argument adds that neither performer should have changed their lyrics and that both Beyoncé and Lizzo are able to use the term because it falls under AAVE, in essence saying ‘Because it’s Black slang and they are both Black, they can use it.”