We’re ending use of the term “Latinx”

San Francisco AIDS Foundation had previously embraced the gender-neutral and inclusive nature of the term “Latinx” as a descriptor for Latino, Latina, Hispanic, and other Spanish-speaking people and communities. In order to be responsive to the fluid nature of language and the changing ways staff and community members identify, SFAF will begin to phase out the use of “Latinx” from our communications. 

There a few reasons why we have decided to phase out the use of “Latinx”: 

• The term “Latinx” originated in academic and social media circles, and has been criticized as a term used in “ivy league tower settings” but not everyday language;
• The “x” ending does not conform to Spanish grammar and is difficult to pronounce in Spanish; 
• The term has not enjoyed widespread uptake in identity, with only 3% of Latino people in the U.S. identifying as “Latinx”; and, 
• Many similarly-valued health and social justice organizations and groups have abandoned the term “Latinx” in favor of other descriptors. 

When describing individual people, SFAF will use the terminology preferred by the individual (as the organization currently does). In those instances, individuals may choose to identify as “Latinx” and will be described accordingly. 

“Latino” and “Latina” will be used in contexts such as when groups, programs, and services self-define and describe their client populations (e.g., “a group for trans Latinas”). “People who speak Spanish” or “Spanish-speaking individuals” may be used when the language is the first consideration for who is being described (with the recognition that not all Latin individuals may speak Spanish and that not all people who speak Spanish are from or have ancestry from Latin America).

“Latine” [lah-tee-ney] will be used in other instances when we wish to describe, generally, groups of clients, participants, and communities who are from or have ancestry from Latin America. 

“Latine” is an inclusive, gender-neutral term that originated in gender non-binary and feminist communities in Spanish-speaking countries, with an aim to “dismantle male-gendered language.” “Latine” aligns with Spanish grammar, and the “e” ending is gender neutral for other nouns in Spanish. The term has grown in use and popularity–especially among LGTBQ+ populations–in recent years, and 41% of U.S. Latinos say they are comfortable with the term.