There are indeed varying feelings and opinions regarding the space that the letter "x" currently inhabits in the non-binary community, which is why Kossoff recently asked their Instagram audience about the growing use of the letter "x" for the purposes of this article. There are different ways to mark an area as an inclusive space or to let others know of your inclusive space." "I think of 'x' like the bandanas and flagging, for instance, which were an innocuous way to signal inclusion. "The letter 'x' is a signifier in the way in which I think that the queer community, in particular, has always found ways to signal ," says Nina Kossoff, creator of ThemsHealth, an Instagram account dedicated to expanding health and wellness information beyond the gender binary. In 2020, "x" can act as a signifier of gender non-conformity or allyship, but it's not something with which everyone agrees And not all of them necessarily station "x" as a progressive step forward into a more inclusive world. While there's a "right" answer when you're solving for "x" in algebra, though, the "x" in language can be interpreted in various ways. (Filipinx is similarly used where no gender-neutral pronoun is evident.) It demands greater inclusiveness and fluidity, encompassing trans, women, and non-binary people." (But, many people in the trans and nonbinary community don't feel this to be true.)įolx showed up in the '90s, while Latinx- used to describe those of Latin American descent without defaulting to the gender binary- originated in the aughts.
Running a parallel path, the word 'womxn' originated in 1971 but only gained visibility in the last decade. "However, some saw 'womyn' as not inclusive enough, in particular not including the transgender community. "With what meaning? To avoid defining women in reference to male norms and forms," says Dr. Lahmann adds, "there is also the variant of 'womyn' with a 'y.'" This feminist spelling (the plural form of the singular "womon") first appeared in print in 1975 and was added to the Oxford English dictionary in 2006, she says. It demands greater inclusiveness and fluidity, encompassing trans, women, and non-binary people." - Cornelia Lahmann, PhD "'Womxn' originated in 1971, but only gained visibility in the last decade.
Lahmann, but "why 'x' became the more popularly used letter in math is speculation." In his 17th century text La Géométrie, philosopher René Descartes popularized the use of " x, y, z" to represent the unknown quantities (and "a, b, c" for known quantities), says Dr.
FOLKS VS FOLX HOW TO
Below, get background on how the third-to-last letter in the English alphabet came to be in the first place, different schools of thought regarding its success in fostering inclusivity, and how to be the best ally you can with your word choice-regarding spelling and beyond. Of course, the fact that language is constantly under construction means that it's never perfect-and the proliferation of the letter "x" is no exception. "As our culture changes, we may need new words or reconsider existing words…language affects how we view the world and behave." The uptick in use of and interest in words using "x" (like folx, womxn, and Latinx), then, is a direct reflection of society's need for terms that support identities that don't fit in a gender binary, like genderqueer, trans, and agender people, among many others.
FOLKS VS FOLX DRIVER
"Language is part and parcel of what we call culture, but also a driver of culture," Dr. They're intended to promote inclusivity, but given that intent and impact are two very different things, there's debate around whether the "x" actually makes a word more inclusive.Īccording to Cornelia Lahmann, PhD, a linguistic expert with the language-learning platform Babbel, language evolves to fit cultural needs. "Folx," "womxn," and "Latinx” are all terms that have all spiked in Google searches over the last five years and have become the subject of lengthy subreddits focused on understanding the problematic nature of binary-centered language (male vs female).
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