The Association of Little People of Alberta (ALPA) is reaching out to sports organizations across the province in an effort to stop the use of a derogatory term that has become commonplace in minor sports.
Taylor Loewen, an ALPA board member, say the association would like the term midget removed as an age classification in sport. The move comes at a time when pressure mounts on select professional sports franchises and postsecondary institutions with controversial team names or logos.
“We could pick anything for these sports organizations, for these names. for these leagues,” said Taylor Loewen, ALPA board member. “Why does it have to be something offensive to someone? We’re just looking for inclusion and respect and awareness.”
He says the term midget has no medical roots and was utilized by freak shows and circuses as a way to dehumanize people with dwarfism. “It’s never used in a nice manner, it’s always something negative,” said Loewen. “It’s definitely an old term and maybe a lot of people don’t have the awareness that it’s offensive. ”
Teresa Saunders says she understands midget’s place as a hockey term but says the use of the word can spread outside of the rink. “I’m not offended by (midget) in that context because it’s a hockey reference,” explained Saunders. “The problem I find with it is that, because we are allowing for that word to be used in a situation, that kids will use it in public in the wrong context, in an offensive context.”
Saunders says she has had to educate people in public who referred to her as a midget and most offenders were apologetic after learning the term is derogatory.
The ALPA suggests players with dwarfism could feel uncomfortable at games or tournaments where the word midget is plastered around the arena or building.
Hockey Canada released the following statement to CTV Calgary on Monday addressing the future use of midget.
“Hockey Canada and its Members believe in making everyone feel welcome in the game. We are currently reviewing the names of the age classifications within our Minor Hockey Divisions. Under our Regulations, any change to those classifications would require a majority vote of our Members at a Members’ Meeting. The next opportunity for such a meeting on our current schedule is at our Hockey Canada Congress in May.”
The grassroots movement to eliminate the term from minor sports has found success in eastern Canada and Loewen hopes Alberta will follow suit. “All we really want them to do is change the name for the one age classification.”
Ontario Baseball, the International Ice Hockey Federation and American Hockey Federation no longer use ‘midget’ as an age category and Calgary Midget Football changes its name to the Calgary Spring Football Association a year ago.
Loewen says the ALPA awaits a response from Sport Alberta on the issues and his association would gladly assist with the process of finding a new name.
With files from CTV’s Shaun Frenette
