You have probably seen the word folx used in various media, and especially in progressive news media sites. But as the term folx gains wider acceptance among the general public, more questions are raised as to why it exists in the first place. How was the term invented? And how does one use it properly? To learn more, check out a handy FAQ guide for the term folx below!
What does folx mean?
Folx is most used as a more inclusive version of the common term folks. While folks is already a gender-neutral term, changing the spelling of the word signifies the inclusion of BIPOC, queer, and other marginalized communities that have been historically excluded from mainstream usage of folks. Basically, when an organization uses the word folx, they are intentionally letting you know that they are accepting towards marginalized identities.
Is folx related to womxn?
Yes! The New York Times published an article that discussed the growing use of the term womxn, which they defined as a term that includes “women and those affected by misogyny, or women-related issues.” The x in womxn is used as a signifier that whoever is using the term is referring to not just women who were included in the historical mainstream definition of women, but anyone who identifies as a woman, including all cis and trans women. Think of it as a way to progress past narrow definitions of gender, like how the term Latinx has replaced the use of the gendered terms Latino or Latina.
What is the history of the term?
The true history of the term is widely debated, but many point to the popularization of the term Mx. (in place of Mr. and Ms.) in the 1970s that might have caused the reinvention of the spelling folx as an inclusive version of folks. The spelling of folx itself, interestingly enough, has already existed for centuries, but it was always used as a word with the same definition of folks.
Why is there controversy around the word?
As with most new phrases and terminology, there will always be pushback from those with more traditional mindsets on why these words are unnecessary and useless. A new push to use these new terms might be misconstrued as attacking those who don’t want to use it, or those who have used older terms in their past writing and discussion. I want to make it clear that this is not the case! The English language is constantly changing, with new words and phrases constantly being invented. There is no harm in learning about the use and terminology of a new word, and if you’ve educated yourself and decided that it doesn’t fit your purposes, feel free to disregard posts like these. Make an educated decision, not an ignorant one.
Can I still use folks?
Yes! There is nothing wrong with using the word folks! It is still a great gender-neutral word and can be a wonderful catch-all term for a certain group of people you are referring to. Just be cognizant of the audience you are trying to reach — if your goal is to explicitly reach out to queer and marginalized communities, using the term folx might be a better way to demonstrate your acceptance of these folx!
