Lauren Wyatt

It is definitely a very difficult situation.

People have every right to be hurt or upset by this tick, however you feel as a result of that word is valid.

But it does not mean that there was malicious intent behind the tick.

People with Tourette's do not get to choose our ticks.

Our ticks do not represent our personal feelings or beliefs.

And I think that's really important to remember.

A lot of people's kind of argument against this has been, well, if he said it as a tick, it must be in his vocabulary.

My response to that would be that that word is in most people's vocabulary.

Being in someone's vocabulary doesn't mean that they use the word.

It doesn't mean that they've ever said it.

And with contextual coprotics such as

the racial slur tick that John had during the performance, you specifically say the worst thing you could say in a situation.

Other examples could be saying, I've got a bomb at an airport, using homophobic slurs in front of gay people, anything like that, shouting insults at people who aren't conventionally attractive.

All of those words have the potential to cause harm and to hurt people, but that doesn't mean that there is intent behind it.

Only around 15% of people with Tourette's have coprolalia, which is the word for the socially inappropriate tics, including swearing and slurs.

And I am a part of that percentage who experiences those tics.

I have said very hurtful things as my tics before.

They have never once reflected my true feelings.

I think that people seem to think that our tics reveal what we really think, what we secretly want to say, and that we use it.

I often hear the word excuse.