The Pew Research study published in September highlighted Latinos' resistance to the term "Latinx," with only 4% of the Latino population in the U.S. using it to describe themselves. In addition, 75% of Latinos who know the term believe it should not be used to describe the general Latino population, an increase from five years ago. Most Latinos prefer the terms "Hispanic" or "Latino," which are widely accepted.

A new study, conducted by Marcel Roman (Harvard) and Amanda Sahar d'Urso (Georgetown), looks at the political implications of using "Latinx". The study suggests that the term, promoted in Democratic circles to include the LGBTQIA+ community, may have alienated some conservative Latino voters, especially those who have negative views on LGBTQIA+ issues. These voters interpret the use of "Latinx" as a sign of support for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, which leads them to view Democrats more unfavorably and to get closer to Republicans, as was evidenced in the 2020 elections, where support for Donald Trump increased among socially conservative Latinos.

Democrats have realized the negative impact of using "Latinx" and have adjusted their strategies: figures like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have avoided the term since 2021, concerned about the negative impact on the Latino base. Despite this, Roman suggests that the damage may have already been done, as the term has become associated with the Democratic Party, according to the Latin Times.

The research concludes that inclusive labels, such as "Latinx," can have backlash, especially when part of the target population has traditional values and views such terms as unnecessary or even offensive. Roman notes that the fundamental problem is not the term itself, but rather the queer-phobic attitudes that are still prevalent in some of the conservative Latino population. He believes that as long as attitudes do not change, the use of inclusive language will remain a sensitive and controversial topic among Latino voters.