Screenshot: Beyoncé on YouTube

What’s spastic diplegia?

Spastic diplegia is a form of cerebral palsy (CP) – a chronic neuromuscular condition. It usually involves a constant stiffness in the muscles of the legs. The word “spaz” is considered a derogatory reference to the medical term spastic diplegia.

What does Beyoncé have to do with the ableist word “spaz”?

Weeks after rapper Lizzo changed the lyrics of her song “Grrrls” to remove the offensive word, Beyoncé retracted her song “Heated” from her 2022 album “Renaissance” to replace the same term.