Gender neutrality in Spanish
Have you ever noticed that in Spanish, some words have an "o" at the end, which usually means it's a boy, and some other words have an "a," which usually means it's a girl? For example, if we say "amigo," it means "friend," but it's usually used to refer to a boy. And if we say "amiga," it means "friend," but it's usually used to refer to a girl. This is because Spanish, like many languages, has gendered words.
However, some people don't like this because it can feel like it excludes people who don't identify as male or female. This is where "gender neutrality" comes in. Gender neutrality means using language and terms that don't categorize people as either male or female. Instead of using words like "amigo" or "amiga" to refer to a friend, they might prefer to use a neutral term like "amigue" or "amigx." These words can be used to refer to anyone, regardless of their gender identity.
Another way to practice gender neutrality in Spanish is by using articles that are gender-neutral. The articles "el" and "la" are gendered, just like a lot of nouns. But there's another article that is less commonly used, which is "lo." It's gender-neutral and it can be used when you want to refer to a general group of people. For example, instead of saying "ellos" (which means "they," but only for a group of boys or mixed gender groups with at least one boy), you can use "elle" or "ellxs" to include people of all genders.
Gender neutrality in Spanish is important because it allows people who don't feel like they fit into traditional binary gender categories to feel included and respected. By using more inclusive language, we can help create a more welcoming and accepting world for everyone.
However, some people don't like this because it can feel like it excludes people who don't identify as male or female. This is where "gender neutrality" comes in. Gender neutrality means using language and terms that don't categorize people as either male or female. Instead of using words like "amigo" or "amiga" to refer to a friend, they might prefer to use a neutral term like "amigue" or "amigx." These words can be used to refer to anyone, regardless of their gender identity.
Another way to practice gender neutrality in Spanish is by using articles that are gender-neutral. The articles "el" and "la" are gendered, just like a lot of nouns. But there's another article that is less commonly used, which is "lo." It's gender-neutral and it can be used when you want to refer to a general group of people. For example, instead of saying "ellos" (which means "they," but only for a group of boys or mixed gender groups with at least one boy), you can use "elle" or "ellxs" to include people of all genders.
Gender neutrality in Spanish is important because it allows people who don't feel like they fit into traditional binary gender categories to feel included and respected. By using more inclusive language, we can help create a more welcoming and accepting world for everyone.