Several of the Latino legislators who had proposed banning the term "Latinx" in official state documents, are proposing the gender-neutral word "Latine."
The bill H.B.-6909 aims to approve the use of the terms "Latine" as well as "Latino" and "Latina" in state documents and official communications. Additionally, this new legislation wouldn't prohibit the use of "Latinx."
Democrat Rep. Geraldo Reyes, who previously led the legislation of the Latinx ban, is the new co-sponsor of the proposed bill. After Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders banned the term in state documents on her first day in office, Reyes began advocating for the bill.
Reyes said his motivations to ban Latinx differed from Sanders since he explained the Spanish language "defaults to Latino" for everyone regardless of gender.
He argued that Latinx is not a Spanish word and was offensive to the Puerto Rican population.
However, in legislative hearings, LGBTQ groups testified about the growing use of the gender-neutral "Latine" within the Latino and Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ community.
The growing acceptance of the term was a selling point in the hearings, according to Nelson Rafael Feliciano Roman, founder and CEO of the Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center and coalition president of the Greater Waterbury PRIDE, a coalition of 15 LGTBQ+ community organizations.
Moreover, Roman said the revised bill is expected to receive support in the Senate and is a huge advocate for this proposed bill since he self-identifies as Latine.
If passed by state Senate, the bill would go into law in October.
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