Could Opposition to Gender-Neutral Language Become a Wedge Issue?

In 2023, both Democratic and Republican elected officials supported banning official use of the gender-neutral term " Latinx. " Using a nationally representative survey sample, this study examines whether opposition to the gender-neutral term " Latinx " suggests a potential wedge issue that cuts across partisanship. We find that opposition to " Latinx " is significantly higher among Republican partisans, those who disapprove of Joe Biden as president, and those with " colder " feelings toward Democrats. Opposition to " Latinx " generally converges with factors that predict existing partisan divisions; where it diverges, it does not affect respondent evaluations of Biden or feelings about Democrats. Based on these findings, we conclude that gender-neutral language currently shows little potential as a wedge issue.