Raquel Reichard by

Has the word "Latinx" ever come across your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? The letter "x," instead of say an "o" or an "a," is not a typo. In fact, that final letter is very intentional.

The "x" makes Latino, a masculine identifier, gender-neutral. It also moves beyond Latin@ – which has been used in the past to include both masculine and feminine identities – to encompass genders outside of that limiting man-woman binary.

Latinx, pronounced "La-teen-ex," includes the numerous people of Latin American descent whose gender identities fluctuate along different points of the spectrum, from agender or nonbinary to gender non-conforming, genderqueer and genderfluid.

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But don’t take our word for it. Here’s why people who identify as Latinx resonate with the term.