A San Francisco Chronicle opinion piece published Wednesday argued that rejecting the use of the word "LatinX" is discriminatory and harmful to people who identify as transgender.
The piece, written by Sebastian Ferrada, a faculty member in ethnic studies at Cuesta College, appeared to blast Hispanics for their widespread rejection of the use of the term.
"The debate over the use of Latinx (and more recently, Latine, which I prefer) to refer to people with origins in Latin America has become a source of fierce disagreements among Latine people of all races, ages, genders and sexual identities," Ferrada wrote.
He lamented that debates over the use of the term focus on linguistic orthodoxy rather than the experiences and feelings of transgender people.
"The linguistic debate on Latinx, then, serves as a useful example to understand the transphobia prevalent in our community and the importance of adopting language that better reflects our communities writ large," he wrote.
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"Critics of the term Latinx often cite linguistic purity and Spanish heritage for their critiques," he wrote.
"Latinx provides a linguistic vehicle to represent gender-fluid experiences and to organize these communities under an inclusive umbrella," he argued.
Ferrada recalled telling NBC in a 2018 interview that the term "LatinX" best describes him because he identifies as non-binary.
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The writer accused people who disapprove of the term as being a part of a war against transgender people.
"Negating the term also contributes to an erasure of trans experiences that perpetuates violence and discrimination. Currently, the rights of transgender communities across all races and ages in the U.S. are under attack," he wrote.
"Trans women already experience greater employment discrimination than any other demographic and are more likely to be victims of violent crimes," he continued.
"The insistence on rejecting the use of Latinx is a transphobic act because it denies trans-Latine and Latinx people a term that represents them. When conservative leaders in our communities double down on that denial, it shows that they don’t see trans-Latines as part of the communities they represent," Ferrada argued.
Various Republican-led states have passed legislation banning children from receiving gender transition surgeries, puberty blockers, and other gender reassignment procedures. Other issues have arisen, such as the inherent conflict between trans-activists demanding that people use their preferred pronouns, and free speech concerns about forcing such language. Women's sports, locker room usage, and other areas of cultural disagreement have also emerged.
