Is calling 'people' 'folk' part of gender ideology rewriting language norms or is it separate?

"They" spell it Folx.

'Folk' is a well-established word as PPs say, but it's a familiar 'folksy' word, in a more formal setting the word 'people' would be used. You wouldn't expect to see 'folk' on an official form, or public notice.
I think it is used in the gender ideology context to make it sound familiar and unthreatening, otherwise they'd just say 'people'. To that extent, there is a bit of a subtext, possibly not conscious.

I think it may be like doctors using the verb 'pop' a lot, as in 'I'm just going to pop this in here' or 'Just pop your top off' to 'soften' awkward situations.

So 'transfolk' sounds more familiar and unthreatening than 'transgender people'.
That's my theory anyway

This is interesting. I’ve noticed this and wondered. The explanations on this this thread are helpful.

I assumed it was a regional thing. I would use folk over people and always have done, it's pretty standard language here - up north. I also agree that's it's less formal than people.

I think it’s because people used to say ‘ladies and gentlemen’ or ‘women and men’ or ‘girls and boys’ and ‘people’ doesn’t have the same warmth to it eg- ‘welcome people’. So ‘folks’ sounds is the ‘gender neutral’ version. It’s a way of avoiding mentioning people’s sex.

The other bonus is because it blurs the distinction between family and people outside the family. “I’m going back to see my folks”. There’s a move towards recognising ‘found families’ for people who are estranged from theirs, and also at school the word ‘parents’ is now ‘parents and carers’ to avoiding offending kids who don’t live with their parents.

It is annoying though. It’s like everyone taking on ‘all y’all’ even though they’re not from the southern United States.

This explains it all much better than me:

https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-folks/

That's fascinating, thank you.

I might launch a campaign to bring back the word "Peeps"

My understanding (from reading an infufferably woke lecture rant on this topic in 2020 - forgive me, it was lockdown, I was bored) is that 'folks' is preferable because it is seen as a reaosnably inclusive, gender neutral term.

Of course if you really want to be On the Right Side of History, you should say 'folx'.

'People' is a white supremacist word for some reason. It's more Progressive to refer to people as 'bodies' and to use 'Folks' or ideally 'Folx' as the vocative.

Obviously this is a US thing, only US west coast progressives would ever propose something this stupid. In the UK, as PPs have rightly pointed out, 'folk' has a long, separate and entirely politically neutral history as a word for 'people', from the Germanic Volk.

I've noticed this and agree with you, OP. I really struggle to articulate what I'm observing or what it means. But I've noticed it.

I’ve seen the correlation - I have sometimes thought it’s because “folk” sounds a bit more informal and like a community than “people” - feels like there’s a faint tribal or community connection. Hints at bonds of connection.

It has been used for probably over a hundred years in Ireland so I imagine it is international now.----

I've definitely noticed the link. I'm in the south and the people I know who are full on TWAW use 'folk' a lot. I've rarely noticed others using it.

None of those things. It certainly isn’t related to a younger and trendier language. “Folk” has been part of the English language for years and has no sinister subtext.

I don’t think saying folk instead of people has anything to do with gender. Just different vocabulary for different parts of the country.

I'm in my 50s and use folk all the time, always have.

I'm in Scotland and it's pretty common here - there's no connection with genderism in that respect although I know how much genderists love to use the term.

It's quite common in some areas (Northern) and has been for a long time. Your explanation wouldn't even occur to me.