Republicans Blast Groups and Media for Amplifying ‘Offensive’ Latinx Term

June 16, 2022  Updated 9:23 A.M. ET

FLORIDA (FLV) – Advocacy groups and media outlets are under fire from Republicans for amplifying the term “Latinx” that many people in the Hispanic community have rejected. 

Latinx is the ‘gender-neutral’ form of Latina and Latino but some Hispanics find the term disrespectful to the Spanish language. A 2021 poll said only 2% of Hispanic voters choose the term Latinx. 40% of Hispanic voters said the term “Latinx” bothers or offends them.

Media outlets in Florida and across the nation this week reported on the Hispanic Federation launching an advocacy initiative to serve “Latinx LGBTQ communities.”

Republican 13th District Congressional Candidate Anna Paulina Luna, who is a descendent of Mexican immigrants, said it is ironic the media emphasizes the need to recognize people’s gender identities, but then uses a term a large number of the population does not like. 

“The Spanish language is one of the oldest languages in the world, or a Latin base,” Luna said. “To even just attack that and say that if you are using the traditional language routes, that you’re apparently not recognizing, that you’re discriminating is just completely ridiculous.”

Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Florida Chairman Santiago Avila said in the name of inclusivity, there are groups starting to “make up” languages or words that should not change. 

“I mean, are we going to start using that with words like water? Which is agua. Are we going to call it ‘aguax’ or something like that,” Avila said.

Avila believes Democrats will ultimately alienate Hispanic voters on all sides with this term.

“I find it very offensive. Just as many of my Hispanic colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I’ve spoken to a lot of Democrats too,” Avila said. “And I can tell you that even within the Democratic community, a lot of them still don’t support the idea of being called Latinx.”

A Miami Herald editorial from 2021 told progressives to “just drop” the use of Latinx.

“That’s the irony of “Latinx” — it’s supposed to be inclusive but erases a crucial part of Latin American identity and language, and replaces it with an English word,” the editorial said.

Democrats like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said people created “drama” over the term Latinx. 

“I want to have a note on gender inclusivity in Spanish language,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a video posted to Instagram. 

Outspoken instagram influencer Anthony Rai, known as ConservativeAnt and who describes himself as a gay conservative with moderate views, said changing language adds another barrier

“Nobody really knows any more what the proper term for anything is,” Raid said. “So it almost cuts down the communication process between human to human.”