This is a word that causes nothing but trouble; it is a word that nobody really understands.
It is a word that some groups claim as their own and defend fiercely; it is a word that is denied by other groups with equal ferocity.
Such groups lay claim to it and then define it to suit, eschewing all other interpretations.
It is a word that is loaded with stigma, and fearful ignorance.
It is a word used by professionals to describe very different things, thus confusing each other and those they serve.
It is a word that is argued over endlessly; it is a word that now has no real meaning.
I have no intention of attempting a definition, nor do I claim to know its true meaning, despite having used it repeatedly.
My suggestion is that it be banned; erased from the language, because only then will those who brandish it, claim it, profess to understand it, offer solutions to it, treat it, use it as a derogatory term or an excuse, legislate to prevent it and then enforce such laws, say it does not exist or demand that it does, earn a living or a dying from it. Only then will they be forced to find a new term that accurately describes whatever the hell it is that they are talking about.
Francis de Aguilar©2015
Illustration Nick Victor