The controversial term Filipinx has yet again sparked discussion on social media.
This after Comic-Con International in its caption in a Facebook post last July 22, 2022, used the term Filipinx to refer to the Filipino-American panelists in the photo.
“The Filipinx Voices in Pop Culture was a fun and educational all Filipinx panel discussing Filipinx influences behind your favorite media!,” read the caption.
Netizens, mostly Pinoys, however, lambasted the use of Filipinx, with some noting how it appears to be “colonial” and “racist”.
Others, on the other hand, argue that the term Filipino is already inclusive and gender-neutral itself.
Filipinx was among the non-binary words added on English resource platform Dictionary.com’s database in 2020 and has since sent Pinoy netizens abuzz.
Pronounced as “Filipineks” or “Filipingks,” Dictionary.com defined Filipinx as “relating to people of Philippine origin or descent, especially those living in the United States (used in place of the masculine form Filipino or the feminine form Filipina).”
Meanwhile, Filipinx landed on Twitter’s trending topics on Tuesday as social media users aired their dismay and called on to refrain from using the term. Here’s what some netizens had to say about it:
“Sorry. I’m born and raised in the Philippines, and I only identify with Mamser.
“Filipino please. ‘Filipinx’ is just plain racist. Don’t dictate other people’s languages and culture, please.”
“Please just use ‘Filipinos’ like a normal person, stop with the ‘Filipinx’ nonsense already. ‘Filipino’ or ‘Pilipino’ is already gender-neutral.”
“It’s Filipino or Pilipino (Filipina or Pilipina).THERE IS NO FILIPINX and you insult us by continuing to foster that this nonsense exists.”
“Imagine being so detached from your native language that you think you need to adapt another culture to seem inclusive and gender neutral.”
