Using the words Hearie & Deafie

TheHalfWayMan

TheHalfWayMan

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I see the words Hearie & Deafie used a lot and I wanted to know whether I, as a hearing person, am allowed to use them when talking with you guys.

You guys are all so friendly and I just want to know whether I'd be stepping out of my boots or not.

Thanks
 
I don't see why you couldn't, I'm deaf, my partner is hearing and he uses them words alot when in the deaf community.

Very considerate aren't you :-P
 
TheHalfWayMan said:
I see the words Hearie & Deafie used a lot and I wanted to know whether I, as a hearing person, am allowed to use them when talking with you guys.

You guys are all so friendly and I just want to know whether I'd be stepping out of my boots or not.

Thanks
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each person say it differently whatever they are comfortable with it... they have to accept ya for who you are not for them to change ya.. smile

I don't even say hearies (it just doesn't appeal to me) deafies (sometimes not always depending on the whole topic or conversation I will use it if I'm comfortable with it) ... again there's no right or wrong to say or do... smile
 
It does not bother me at all. It is all in attitude that counts. ;)
 
Pepsi Lover said:
It is all in attitude that counts.
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PL is so spot on. My girlfriend puts everything in such a sweet reference that she can call you "skunk face" and make you grin and beg for more.

I also had a girlfriend who could say "Good morning, sweetheart" in a way to make you want to commit hari-kari with the nearest dull table knife.

We all can take a thing or two wrongly, but believe it or not, we have members right here in AllDeaf who go out of their way to find insults in everything.

To topic, my deaf sister and I have used deafie and hearie so long that they're just defining terms like newbie and old-timer. On the other hand, my girlfriend at first thought them to be name-calling and mildly offensive.
 
Chase said:
PL is so spot on. My girlfriend puts everything in such a sweet reference that she can call you "skunk face" and make you grin and beg for more.

I also had a girlfriend who could say "Good morning, sweetheart" in a way to make you want to commit hari-kari with the nearest dull table knife.

We all can take a thing or two wrongly, but believe it or not, we have members right here in AllDeaf who go out of their way to find insults in everything.

To topic, my deaf sister and I have used deafie and hearie so long that they're just defining terms like newbie and old-timer. On the other hand, my girlfriend at first thought them to be name-calling and mildly offensive.
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Chase is right... It is the tone and intention. My teacher uses the term Deafie all of the time, and so we picked it up from her. I have never seen her use the word Hearie, cuz I don't think there is a slang word in ASL, and she has never written in on the Board. She has written the word Defie, and shen uses her voice at all, she says deafie a lot. By the way,, not everybody that has working ears can hear. The sound goes in, but their is no *LISTENING* going on.


Curious,, is there a sign for ignorant hearing people? Maybe the sign for fool would work.
 
well i grew up around hearing people and i can hear about 30 percent but if someone calleb me deafie i would be offended hearing or deaf but im not that familar with the culture
 
As a deaf person, I still like using the terms, "hearing", "deaf" as that continually segregates us from the human race.

I am pretty much undecided on this topic as I find it offensive to label one.
 
I don't feel that it is offensive that the "hearies" call us "deafies"

but I wonder if the hearies are offended by being called hearies by deafies?

vice versa?
 
"hearie" and "deafie" sound to me like disparaging nicknames used to label or stereotype.

an overweight child might be called "fatty" by his/her peers in elementary school. a black child in a racist all-white neighborhood might be called "blackie". i've also heard the phrase "kill Whitey!"

if i didn't know any better, it would sound like the same thing if a group of hearing people called a deaf person a "deafie" or vice versa.

there's just something about taking a single, superficial characteristic of someone, adding a "y" sound (which adds a diminutive connotation) and calling them that, as if that's all there was to them. in any case but "deafie" and "hearie", i would consider it offensive.
 
I think that, on the basis of the example which I hope to show, it would be best for me to use the words hearing & deaf.
 
August said:
"hearie" and "deafie" sound to me like disparaging nicknames used to label or stereotype.

an overweight child might be called "fatty" by his/her peers in elementary school. a black child in a racist all-white neighborhood might be called "blackie". i've also heard the phrase "kill Whitey!"

if i didn't know any better, it would sound like the same thing if a group of hearing people called a deaf person a "deafie" or vice versa.

there's just something about taking a single, superficial characteristic of someone, adding a "y" sound (which adds a diminutive connotation) and calling them that, as if that's all there was to them. in any case but "deafie" and "hearie", i would consider it offensive.
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Hold on, August! There's a reason that hearing people are called, "hearies." They're the ones that refer to deaf people as "deaf and dumb." Hence, "hearies" is okay, while "deafies" is not.

If a hearie called me that, they'd be sitting on their rump, wondering why I put them there.

Furthermore, as many deaf's know, for years, the hearies have treated us like trash. They have prohibited the useage of ASL, for starters . . . even going so far as tying hands so it can't be used. If I had learned asl as a child, I would be using it regularly and would have tons of deaf friends, not just those on alldeaf, which are still my friends. I've had way more problems with hearies, thinking they know what's good for me and not doing their job in teaching me. Tit for tat and the end indeed does justify the means. Respect goes both ways.
 
I'm just throwing my 2 cents in here...

I see Pete's point and he seems to be coming from a perspective of an individual who has had bad experiences with hearing people. I also see the other points made where people feel that it's just slang and no big deal.

I think if someone feels like something they say could be offensive, then they probably shouldn't say it just in case. Does that make sense? Then, no matter what, you would be safe from offending someone.
 
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