@b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 
The Patriarchy in action... Even the briefest implication that a man might be viewed as a woman is a Threat. An Insult. Calling someone a woman or any feminine associate adjective is inherently seen as an insult to diminish them. 

 @54a21f42 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 yeah the only time you hear men call a group of men by a female term, it’s because they’re being sarcastic or disparaging. Like the stereotypical drill sergeant referring to his new batch of recruits as “ladies” 

 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 A good test for whether a term is really gender neutral is to use it in the phrase “I like to have sex with…”. A hetero man who uses “guys” or “dudes” as a gender neutral term would still be unlikely to say  “I like to have sex with guys”. 

 @223cead5 @c5dffaf5 

That's a great test! 

 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 I was just thinking recently we need to go much further, but I realized that there's somewhat of a shortage of terms which are conventionally female, and when they are, they feel much more personal and close: "babe", "sis", "girl" 

 @5c2ba53d @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 babe seems to have crawled somewhat into a gender neutral term from personal experience. 

 @c09eb2e8

@5c2ba53d @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 

TBF, "babe" was originally gender neutral. It means "infant human", after all.

The expression "out of the mouth of babes" refers to children, not sexy ladies. 

 @c09eb2e8 @5c2ba53d @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 It's still used more intimately, though, except when it's a man being inappropriate. 

 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 Be right back, off to go greet a group of male coworkers with "Hi girls," and see what happens. 

 @1854e8be @c5dffaf5 

"Hey gals, what up?"  :D 

 @1854e8be @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 I support this. 

I was just using "Hey fuckers" but HR didn't like it so I've had to scale it back to "Hey f'ers".

I have another meeting with HR today, I wonder what its about. 

 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 

I'm trying to stop using gendered phrases like "Hey guys" and use the more neutral "Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up!" 

 @d0154568 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 

I like to use the phrase “What up, nerds!” If they take issue with that, I know they are not my people. 

And of course, signing off with the classic, “Stay fresh Cheesebags™️” 

 @c53d74b8 @b541bfe5 @d0154568 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @c5dffaf5 I love that it’s now a classic 😄

https://assets.ottawa.place/media_attachments/files/111/133/623/692/349/108/original/8c63c3896591ecfe.jpeg 

 @71247a99 @b541bfe5 @d0154568 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @c5dffaf5 

Aaah THANK YOU for posting the meme! I was trying to find it in my memes folder, but alas, I think it got ferreted away in another (probably unrelated) folder.

Now I have it again, and will cherish it always. ❤️ 

 @c53d74b8 @b541bfe5 @d0154568 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @c5dffaf5 You have to be organized with this stuff 😄 

 @71247a99 @b541bfe5 @d0154568 @cfe163c8 @1854e8be @c5dffaf5 

I try, but the ADHD does make it more challenging. :sadness: 

 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 which is biologically ironic, given that X is pretty much the default sex chromosome. 

 @b541bfe5 @c5dffaf5 Depends where you go - 'Hey girl' is often used for all genders. See also 'Sup, bitches?' Also 'queen' and various other originally female-coded terms, although I'm not sure guy or dude is new to being gender neutral, that's been around at least 30 years and I would hazard considerably longer.