Hey I never knew about the ABO slur thing, I was told (as an immigrant) that it is a slur?? This is so confusing
Abo/abo is the slur. Calling an Aboriginal person an abo is a slur. Talking about “them abo’s” is a slur. It is a slur because it minimises the name of the people (similar to lower case aboriginal vs Aboriginal) and is disrespectful. It is used to suppress and trivialise and disregard.
ABO is an acronym, multiple acronyms even! It is never directed at or about Aboriginal people. It is not used to oppress. It is not a slur. Nobody is mistaking it for a slur. Nobody is thinking about Aboriginal people when they read ABO in context or out of context. Australia people are far more likely to think you’re talking about Red Cross blood donations than Aboriginal people if there is no context.
On the unlikely chance you are talking about ABO around Aboriginal people and worried about being overheard - the pronunciation is different. The weird looks are because you’re talking about ABO in a public place.
Just smacks of someone who read a slur dictionary, doesn’t even understand the slur, connected it back to fandom because of spelling, and then went on a campaign “speaking for Aboriginal people” for the social justice points.
