Gender-Neutral Language and Pronouns

The gender-neutral term Latinx was highly discussed this week. While some LGBTQ+ members enjoy and use this gender-neutral term because they feel represented by it, others are not in favor of it. One person stated, “These labels are colonial and European in origin. What we end up doing is celebrating or centering colonialism or European heritage and in the process, we eliminate people of indigenous or African heritage.” Another article discussed how the gender-neutral term for Latino/Latina, “Latine” is gaining more popularity in 2020 since it’s easier to pronounce for Spanish speakers.

One article discussed a nonbinary Latinx teen using the term “elle” as a gender-neutral Spanish pronoun. International Pronouns Day occurred in India this past week with an article focusing on gender-neutral pronouns for nonbinary individuals. Queer filmmaker Faraz Arif Ansari stated, “Pronouns or gender identity are not only limited to the queer community. One can be hetero and still identify as a non-binary person. So while I am gay, my gender identity is non-binary and the pronouns I use are they, them, their.” 

Meanwhile, a bill in Germany was rejected as invalid for using the feminine to refer to individuals instead of the masculine default. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry stated, “The generic feminine for use for female and male people has not yet been linguistically recognized. This applies completely independently of whether a certain social state is desired.”