Streaming platform Twitch has reversed its decision to use the alternative spelling “womxn” instead of “women.”
Twitch announced its decision to swap “women” for “womxn” as part of its celebration of Women’s History Month. Women’s History Month celebrates historical moments and contributions women have made to society.
“Join us in celebrating and supporting all the Womxn creating their own worlds, building their communities, and leading the way on Twitch,” the company tweeted.
The tweet has since been removed.
The word “womxn” is considered by some to be more gender-neutral. Still, according to Pink News, the term has been “extensively” used on social media in an effort to delegitimize trans women’s identities.
The platform, known for its massive gaming community, immediately faced pushback from followers.
“No one who’s a woman wants to be called a womxn just like no Latinos want to be called Latinx. White liberals know what’s best for us tho~” one user tweeted.
Hours later, Twitch apologized for using the term and vowed to use the correct spelling in the future.
“While we originally wanted to use a word that acknowledges the shortcoming of gender-binary language, after hearing directly from you, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community on Twitch, we will be using the spelling ‘women’ moving forward.
“We want to assure you that we have, and will continue to, work with the LGBTQIA+ community. We’re still learning. Our good intentions don’t always equate to positive impact, but we’re committed to growing from these experiences, doing better, and ensuring we’re inclusive to all,” they added.
