Five Hispanic Democrats propose banning gender-neutral word arguing it is offensive to state’s Puerto Rican population
A group of Hispanic lawmakers in Connecticut have proposed that the state follow Arkansas and ban the term “Latinx” from official government documents, calling it offensive to Spanish speakers.
The word is a gender-neutral alternative to “Latino” and “Latina”, helpful in supporting people who do not identify as either male or female, proponents say.
But Geraldo Reyes Jr, a state representative from Waterbury, chief sponsor of the Connecticut bill and one of five Hispanic Democrats who put their names to it, said Latinx was not a Spanish word but rather a “woke” term offensive to the large Puerto Rican population in the state.
“I’m of Puerto Rican descent and I find it offensive,” Reyes said.
Last month, Arkansas banned government officials from using Latinx on formal documents, one of several orders issued by Sarah Sanders, a former White House press secretary under Donald Trump, within hours of taking office as governor.
Reyes said his motivations might be different but he believed Sanders’ decision was the right one.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights group in the US, said in 2021 it would no longer use the term Latinx.
“The Spanish language, which is centuries old, defaults to Latino for everybody,” Reyes said. “It’s all-inclusive. They didn’t need to create a word, it already exists.”
More... Hispanic lawmakers in Connecticut seek official ban on term ‘Latinx’
Meh, I wish more liberals would use it as it helps quickly identify them as someone I no longer wish to listen to.
A group of Hispanic lawmakers in Connecticut have proposed that the state follow Arkansas and ban the term “Latinx” from official government documents, calling it offensive to Spanish speakers.
The word is a gender-neutral alternative to “Latino” and “Latina”, helpful in supporting people who do not identify as either male or female, proponents say.
But Geraldo Reyes Jr, a state representative from Waterbury, chief sponsor of the Connecticut bill and one of five Hispanic Democrats who put their names to it, said Latinx was not a Spanish word but rather a “woke” term offensive to the large Puerto Rican population in the state.
“I’m of Puerto Rican descent and I find it offensive,” Reyes said.
Last month, Arkansas banned government officials from using Latinx on formal documents, one of several orders issued by Sarah Sanders, a former White House press secretary under Donald Trump, within hours of taking office as governor.
Reyes said his motivations might be different but he believed Sanders’ decision was the right one.
The League of United Latin American Citizens, the oldest Latino civil rights group in the US, said in 2021 it would no longer use the term Latinx.
“The Spanish language, which is centuries old, defaults to Latino for everybody,” Reyes said. “It’s all-inclusive. They didn’t need to create a word, it already exists.”
More... Hispanic lawmakers in Connecticut seek official ban on term ‘Latinx’
Meh, I wish more liberals would use it as it helps quickly identify them as someone I no longer wish to listen to.
