Well, it would certainly make my life a lot easier because I hear this phrase multiple times a day. I wish I could accept being referred to in terms that insinuate the whole population is male or that male terms are ‘neutral,’ but I can’t. When I hear ‘you guys,’ I don’t feel like whoever is saying/writing this is talking to me because I am not an f***ing guy!
Yes, people claim this term is ‘gender neutral,’ that it ‘doesn’t do any harm,’ that ‘there’s no easy replacement,’ that ‘people don’t mean anything by it,’ that ‘there are so many bigger issues, why are you concerned with something so petty?’ and, lastly, that ‘girls is used in the same way as guys.’ Ugh and ugh.
Let’s deconstruct these excuses:
Excuse 1: ‘you guys is gender neutral’
Um, no it’s friggin not. While Merriam-Webster defines guy as “man, fellow b: person -used in plural to refer to the members of a group regardless of sex <saw her and the rest of the guys>” I still don’t buy it. This is like all those other claims that words such as mankind, policeman, brotherhood of man, etc really include women too. Uh, not so much. When you hear the word fireman, do you picture a woman?
Further, why is it that terms are only ‘neutral’ when they are male terms? Why isn’t ‘you gals’ or ‘you girls’ neutral by the same logic?
Try saying ‘you gals’ to a group of mixed gender individuals and see how many males respond… You see, for those identifying as male, being called a female term is an INSULT. For women, being called male terms is SUPPOSED to be a compliment or sign of inclusion. GAG.
Excuse 2: ‘it doesn’t do any harm’
Really? The idea that language is a harmless medium devoid of ideological content that merely objectively names the world is utter hogwash. See Plato or the work of Ferdinand de Saussure if you want to ruminate more deeply on this one. Language shapes how we see the world and helps to create what we call reality. Words are not innocent.
And, for all the little girls who never hear themselves validated in language – who hear their teachers say “you guys,” who hear that boys always come before and are more important than girls (as with the Boys and Girls Club et al) – well, sadly, ‘you guys’ harms them in the same way as language will continue to harm them as they grow – they will learn females are sluts, bitches, whores, gold-diggers, etc. ‘You guys’ is only their first step into misogynistic patriarchal indoctrination.
For the boys, it marks the stepping-stones of male privilege and programming into the cult of masculinity. They learn from the get go that they are the sex that counts, linguistically and otherwise.
Excuse 3: ‘there’s no easy replacement’
How about plain old ‘you’???? ‘You’ can be plural or singular.
As an example, ‘You need to bring your book to class on Friday’ can be said to one student or to the entire class.
If you find ‘you’ on its own too short, or boring, or non-slangy, how about you people, you all, you peeps, y’all. As for me, I like just plain old ‘you.’
Excuse 4: ‘people don’t mean anything by it’
Often this is true. And, often people are not even aware of just how often they say “you guys.” In fact, I know many feminists and women’s studies professors who use the phrase. However, I don’t think this makes the phrase ok, rather, I think the phrase has become so ubiquitous that people say it without even realizing it.
Sadly, this phrase seems to be taking over the world. When I lived in England several years ago, ‘you guys’ was not in use. This was no surprise, as Britain tends to be a bit more formal in its language use in general than the US. However, when I visited last summer, I sadly found the ‘you guys’ disease has spread.
I don’t feel that when people use this verbal tick a bazillion times each day they INTEND to perpetuate sexism and put females under erasure, yet the same could be said of earlier claims regarding now discarded words. It used to be argued that no harm was meant via terms like “colored” or “retarded.” Yet, as we attempt to evolve as a species, we have realized the damage that can be done by ‘mere words.’ So, while people might not ‘mean anything’ by saying ‘you guys,’ wouldn’t it be a lot more meaningful if they tried to replace this phrase with something that doesn’t smack of patriarchal brainwashing?
Excuse 5: ‘there are so many bigger issues’
Yes, that is true. ‘You guys’ is a mere blip on the unjust screen of our culture. This is why I tend to refer to my hatred for the phrase as a pet peeve. But, this peeve of mine has its justifications. If you have to pick between supporting reproductive justice, eradicating racism, or not shopping at Wal-Mart over not saying ‘you guys,’ well fine. However, I would prefer if you chose to do all of these and more. And, how hard is it really to eradicate ‘you guys’ from your speech? Probably a lot easier for many than not supporting one of the world’s number one human rights offenders… (aka Wal-Mart).
Excuse 6: ‘girls is used in the same way as guys’
Yes, people say things like ‘girls night out,’ ‘hey girls,’ and ‘you girls.’ However, they say this only to refer to actual females – when guys are present, even one guy, ‘you girls’ type phrases will not be used (you know, cuz that would like, insult the dude’s masculinity – whereas for a girl, it’s just fine to be called a guy).
Also, consider these equations:
Guy = Gal = adult
Boy = Girl = child
So, when you refer to a male as ‘guy,’ you refer to him as an ADULT. When you refer to a female as a ‘girl,’ you are using a term that indicates she is a child. Ever wonder why calling women ‘girls’ is so popular, while calling men boys has historically been seen as an insult? Yup, you got it, it’s called sexism. I know the use of ‘boys’ is becoming more common, but this is related to the whole “men will be boys” culture (see Jessica Valenti’s Full Frontal Feminism for a good discussion of this culture). And, even though using the term ‘boys’ to refer to men is becoming more common, it hasn’t reached the cultural saturation point that calling women of all ages ‘girls’ has. Why? Because men are individuals, silly. Women are mere appendages. They don’t grow up, they only (hopefully) grow tits and then attach themselves to a real human, a male. And, if they don’t do that, well, you know all the sexist terms that will be flung at them: dyke, bitch, frigid, ice queen, ho, tease, old maid…
**********************
To return to the question I posed in the title of this post, well, if I could overcome my gut-wrenching hatred for the term ‘you guys’ I wouldn’t have to wince multiple times each day when I hear it. I wouldn’t have to constantly ruminate on the plain old everyday sexism of our world. Yet, I refuse to let go of my dislike for this phrase. I do not like to be erased by language, I do no like to be infantalized by being called a “girl,” I do not like it when my female identity doesn’t count, I do not appreciate the implicit suggestion that being called a guy is somehow a compliment. In fact, I hate it.
Professor, What If...? 
Ugh. I’ve been trying to stop saying “guys” for the longest time now and it’s damn near impossible! I don’t like just plain old “you” so I keep trying to replace it with “folks.” Unfortunately, my mouth usually lets out “guys” before my brain realizes it. When referring to women, sometimes I do say “gals,” but I often forget to do that too.
Well, I have some Southern roots although I grew up in “the Basin” (L.A. County). I foundit fairly easy to replace “you guys” with “y’all.”
This post is incredibly timely for me. My seven year old has taken to using this phrase when he is addressing his father and I. I simply cannot stand it and have repeatedly told him that mommy is not a guy. It is not that I see male as an insult I just resent the exclusion. The idea that male universally represents all people is part of the way that patriarchy maintains its stranglehold on power. I am working on it but decolonizing language can be a very difficult thing to do when everything around him asserts that this is the proper way to speak.
Frau Sally Benz,
It is tough. I had a student teacher who had a heck of a time kicking the you guys habit. She eventually put a rubber band around her wrist and snapped herself when she said it. Ouch!
Rachel,
I say ‘you all’ quite often even though I have no southern roots that I know of — so it doesn’t have the y’all twang when I say it. 🙂
Renee,
Yes, the exclusionary part of the phrase is what gets me too. And decolonizing our language (let alone our minds) is no easy feat. Sad that your son learns ‘you guys’ is acceptable — both my kids learned this too. However, neither of them say it anymore. There was a time they both got really insulted when others said it so we had to have a talk about how people were not necessarily being intentionally sexist when they said it, and that it has become a common phrase in the language that people say without thinking. Nevertheless, I am glad neither of them (or my partner) use the phrase. I wish it didn’t bug me so much cuz pretty much the whole damn world seems to say it and think it’s just fine. At a feminist conference in NY City last November, I can’t even count how many times I heard it said! Maybe this one is a losing battle…
I have been trying for ages to drop this habit. I’m good if I’m thinking about it – I don’t do it when writing. But it does still slip out sometimes while talking. All the same, I’m trying not to use it at all, not even to refer to a group of men.
Damned cultural indoctrination.
I’m working on stopping – no, really. Some things (like adding pronouns or using gender neutral versions of job titles (firefighter, police officer) come pretty naturally, but “you guys” doesn’t. And, yes, I don’t mean anything by it, and I do think it is pseudo-neutral as a colloquialism, but it should be changed. I used it mostly in ESL classes to get people’s attention – when I didn’t want formality, or to single anyone out, but I did want to redirect attention to me. “You all” is the replacement I’m working for, but it still sounds bizarre to me.
I think slang, in general, is much harder to stop than formal language. For other reasons, I tried to stop saying “like” and “cool” for a solid year, and those words are entrenched in my vocabulary. They’re words I grab automatically; almost pre-thought. Which isn’t to say that people are choiceless, but that once speech patterns are established, they’re darn hard to remove.
Eyerollingcasualty,
“Damned cultural indoctrination.” Yes, I agree! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Anita,
Yes, slang seems to take residence in our brains all too easily and speech patterns are very hard to change. “Um” is another one that is hard to banish from speech.
Thanks for your comments!
you know whats really strange…I remember you discussing “you guys” with my class last semester and I remember thinking it wouldnt be that hard to give up the phrase…and oddly enough it really wasnt
I just started catching myself before i would say it and started saying “yall” or “boys and girls” and after a couple weeks i would say, i just kind of stopped using the term unknowingly. as far as i know at least. ha ha.
Jesse,
Thanks for commenting! Glad to hear you didn’t find it too tough to give up ‘you guys.’ Happy start to the semester!
Great post! I have cut down the number of times that I use the phrase “you guys.” Because of Women’s Studies I am much more conscious about the phrase and I notice it much more when I and other say it. I am not 100% rid of it, but I am trying. I do correct myself when I catch myself saying it. 🙂
It’s definately a habit we all can and should break.
Chicana,
Welcome to the blog and thanks for commenting! Glad to hear you too are attempting to give up the ‘you guys’ habit.
While I have no particular problem with “you guys”, I don’t use it myself.
But I think your point about “guys night out” and the “girls night out” is well placed. I tend to spend time with a group of females – and we tend to use the collective “ladies” rather than “girls” – but chaps don’t follow our lead at all.
I agree with you but I do not call my girlfriends “ladies” as most men do not call their male friends “gentlemen” unless it’s tongue in cheek..usually girls (no matter what age) works between girls.
THANK YOU! I was just listening to the President of the United States, Barack Obama and cringed when he referred to the Nurses Association and other people in the room as “you guys”! It is a phrase that I believe people use, when they are angry or refuse to acknowledge who or whom they are addressing. It is an insult!
I am one who tends to say that tick phrase as well. Not so much anymore but I still do.
Mine is “Hey Guys!” I know it is not much better but this is the one I tend to use. I also have been using phrases like, “My Boys” at work. I am the only female in the IT department. Of course one does jokingly tease me about being a ‘man’. However, I tell him when he gets hair on his chest then I will refer to him as a ‘man’. Or course this is another sad joke in itself as he is nearly full blood Native American and is unable to grow chest hair.
I understand where you are coming from and you have every right to get ticky.
This phrase is what I hear answering the IT phone. “Hello I need to speak to one of the IT guys.” I tell them that they are speaking to one of the IT guys. Of course it confuses them because of the misconception about the use of “You Guys” just like you noted. It really doesn’t seem to swing both ways.
Anyway, thanks!
Weez
They can’t have it both ways and that’s what the media and everyone seems to keep doing and it’s causing confusion and lowering IQs I mean, really, those guys over there are on their periods?..yeah..sounds correct.
Thanks for commenting. Perhaps when you get the phone calls asking for an “IT guy” you could try something like the following: “Ah, all the IT guys are busy flexing their muscles right now. I will have to put you on hold for an hour or more. If you had asked for an IT Gal, I would have been glad to help. Goodbye.”
I’m in IT as well..don’t you love it when the men AND women call applications and servers and pretty much all inanimate objects “guys”? Yeah..welcome to the wonderful world of IT 🙂
Hey,
I just came across your blog and I love it. It’s really helped me think about these issues. I like this post especially. I started using “y’all” instead of “you guys” precisely for the reasons you outline. It has been interesting because, as I am from New Hampshire, a lot of people have been all, “why have you turned southern?” when I use the one stereotypical word for promoting gender equality.
Thanks Victor!
Yes, “you all” is often linked with Southern lingo.
Remember just plain “you” works — it can be single or plural.
Glad you are trying to eradicate sexist language from your speech!!!!
I am trying to figure out how best to replace “you guys” in certain situations where “you” or “you all” doesn’t work. Recently, a man and a woman both said something nice to me in a forum. If it had been two men, I would have replied “Thank you, guys”. “You all” wouldn’t work because there are just two of them. I could say “Thank you, both”, but that sounds too formal for this occasion. What we need is a truly gender neutral, casual term to substitute for the casual term “guys”.
Oops, actually what I am actually trying to substitute is “Thanks guys”, which is even more casual than “Thank you, guys”. “Thanks y’all” is about the only gender neutral term I can think of which is also casual, but “y’all” doesn’t fit me, and also it implies that I am addressing more than two people, which I am not.
I agree we need more gender neutral terms in general. But, in this instance, wouldn’t “Thank you” work just fine?
Or “thanks everyone!”
You are giving perfect examples of the patriarchy you so insistently deny.
I agree with you–I can’t, no matter how hard I try, get used to being haild as “guy”. In Mpls., I’ve noticed the phenomenon is rampant in restaurants, and I wonder if it is an attempt by the usual perps of this behavior–young males–to reverse the power dynamics between the server and the served.
I always under-tip whenever I’ve experienced the “you guys” referent in a restaurant setting.
Been there, done that :)…if a tip isn’t an incentive, what is? :)..I think also taking the server aside and just politely saying that you wish to be referred to as “folks” or something other than “you guys” and see if they at least attempt. Some people learn from their friends how to talk and carry it off subconsciously into the business world. I give the servers one shot before I write them off. In Canada it’s pretty viral with servers of both genders 😦
I don’t use “you guys” or even “guys” anymore at all..I haven’t used it in about 10 years and I cringe and do comment on others when they use it..I figure someone has to start pointing it out..the more people object, the more likely it will stick..I’ve also replied to many threads online pointing out that a group of people isn’t “guys”…Another thing about working in “IT”..they call servers, cables, icons, etc “guys”…what do you do then?
Mona,
I cringe at “you guys” too! I teach about it every semester in my WMST courses. I am on a rid the world of “you guys” quest! My movement needs a t-shirt though. And stickers! Sadly, I am not good in creating such items…
Interesting point about IT language. Is it meant to mean “guy” as in male? Where does the usage originate?
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Hi Natalie,
I don’t think they mean GUY as in male but they mean GUY as in that THING..I saw it on TV…A TIDE commercial saying “we clean better than the other “guy”, meaning another product..so now we’ve moved into THING territory too..fun :)…Here’s a link to a cool site that has some personal cards dealing with this topic..you can print them out and give them to your friends..joy 🙂 LOL..I did that at work and I wasn’t too popular, but you know what I don’t care…there’s also a Facebook page about this…Here are the links
http://www.youall2.freeservers.com/home.html
This one above is a little hard to navigate through..just click on see the card and the you have the printable version :)..your friends and coworkers will LOVE YOU (LOL sarcasm)
Here’s the facebook page (I don’t have facebook for privacy reasons, but if you do you can join)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-are-not-GUYS/149682055072622:).
Tell me what you think 🙂
Thanks so much for these links!
Come on YOU GUYS…I think you’re being a little bit ridiculous here. First of all, I don’t think you need to worry about women being “erased” by language. In fact, I think women are now at their least erasable and will only improve their status in the world as time goes on, maybe eventually surpassing men. Mere phrases certainly shouldn’t make you so angry and fear for the power of your sex. Do you really feel as if the person referring to you as a “guy” really means to demean or “harm” your sex, even in a subconscious way? A little girl hearing the term for the first time may be slightly confused and possibly a little offended, but it’s hardly a matter of a shattered self-esteem and a feeling that her sex has been reduced to “bitches and whores.”
Second, you even looked up the word “guy” and STILL won’t “buy it” from the Merriam-Webster dictionary. I do hope you aren’t an English Professor (which I assume you are since you dedicated what was probably months to writing a book about “the contradictory messages” in a certain popular teen saga), since you can’t even trust a dictionary. You need to take a moment and face the fact that the definition of the word has changed instead of wincing in the face of your coworkers and students (a rudeness which I’m sure they appreciate). Also, maybe do a little research. To name a few languages, French, Italian, and Spanish utilize masculine words for phrases we would translate as “all of you” or “all of them.” For instance, if you want to refer to “the Italian people,” the word is the masculine “Italiani.” This is not a new concept.
Third, “you guys” should be seen as inclusive rather than condescending. I see the spread of this phrase as more of an egalitarian effort, not a stab at feminism. It could have just as easily become “you gals” if the situation had been a little different. I know that sounds strange now, but it’s like a nickname that sticks. Its meaning becomes kind and casual, not continuously derogatory.
I apologize for the rant, but like you I have pet peeves. Mine just happen to include people that make something very little into a huge deal that consumes their everyday life. It’s unnecessary. And if you read this comment thinking I’m male, think again. Come at me, BRO.
LOL….That’s the problem, you are FEMALE and you’re so brainwashed by society it’s not even funny, this is why we still have “you guys” around..if females stood up for themselves this gender biased language would have disappeared a long time ago…yeah try saying “You GALS” to a bunch of men, they would laugh and ignore you..you really really need to re-evaluate your perception of reality and see it for what it is. Just because other languages are also gender biased doesn’t make it OK! You can rant all you want, but you failed in your attempt to convince anyone of anything by your post except by your lack of self esteem. And usually MEN are the ones who disagree on calling females “you guys” from the people I know they make the best arguments against it, so you mentioning you’re female and we would presume you’re male is gender biased in itself..case closed.
To begin with, you seem so professional with all your ellipses and incorrect sentence structure! All I’m convinced of is YOUR lack of self-esteem, what with your assumption that men would laugh at you and ignore you if you called them “gals.” Not that I don’t agree with this, but didn’t you just tell me that I was being gender-biased and making assumptions? You yourself made several assumptions in your initial blog (ALL men think being referred to as feminine is an insult, ALL little girls have been taught that boys are more important, etc.). And do you really think the kind of girl that left a comment so confident and abrasive as that on your blog has self-esteem issues?
Maybe your first indication that “you guys” shouldn’t be torn to pieces is the fact that your fellow feminists use the term regularly. The definition has CHANGED, as you looked up in Merriam-Webster, which is a part of my argument you effectively ignored. All you refuted was the “you gals” aspect and the languages mentioned. The fact that you couldn’t combat the rest of my points is a sign that you should rethink your over-feministic ways a little bit. But you’re probably too closed-minded for that.
I have never felt this anti-feminism in our modern world that you speak so strongly against. Sometimes, yes, there is the occasional “go make me a sandwich” joke (JOKE) that raises my hackles, but that is literally the only thing that has ever bothered me as far as sexism goes. You’re rooting for a cause that has no reason to exist. Women can do everything a man can do nowadays, except pee standing. If you’re jealous of that, well, I suppose you’re allowed to be angry.
I’m merely trying to relieve you of some stress here. Your daily life need not be so impacted by a small yet immovable object such as this.
I apologize, I thought you were the author of this blog. This reply was obviously meant for Natalie Wilson, please ignore.
Thank god nobody in the UC system will ever take you seriously. This stuff is really reaching. Trying to sell the most garbage research-if it can be called that, EVER. Far greater things can be accomplished with an education, this is a waste. I’m sorry but your heads are so far up your butts you all are blind to the world.
Thank God? LOL Well it’s good to see some religious folks jumping in on this :)..We all know how much equality there is in the scriptures. If you call this garbage you don’t have to reply to it, but you read it, so it must have made an impact. Maybe you’re head is so far up your butt you can’t leave a proper argument as to why this is “garbage”. Thanx for the rant TROLL :).
It’s good that an English Professor knows which ‘your’ to use. Not.
I can’t reply to your last comment because the reply button is missing so I’ll comment on the original one…you got me there, I pressed reply before proofreading.MY BAD! :(…but unfortunately I’m not the original poster, just a supporter
So these are my thoughts… There are some “passionate” responses denouncing “passion” about the term “you guys” being an exclusive term (and specifically the “passion” some of us hold about this). Interesting.
I am simply denouncing the fact that this small, everyday phrase has become a continuous, big deal in her life. I’m passionate about the weight she has added to such a light subject, not the light subject itself.
And what if your passion was belittled? If what matters to you doesn’t matter to others who then said things along the lines of “get over it” or “your experiences are not important”. It is possible to disagree without being dismissive. Personally, I find the words “you guys” sexist, and uncomfortable.
Hey, I agree Monika :)..BTW, to everyone here..this is just a discussion, not a fight, the writer had a very good point to make and even though it’s socially acceptable to some, it doesn’t mean it’s not or could not be offensive to other people. This is sort of a thing that is personal, if someone got offended by being called “Ma’am” and many are, they are allowed to correct the speaker if it is directed towards them. The speaker can ignore the person or they can be courteous and respect the fact that not everyone wants to be referred to as such. In a professional environment, I think there are too many people who do not respect and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Some people think “Ma’am” is disrespectful some think it’s a sign of respect…Some people think it’s OK to say “you guys” amongst friends, but not strangers. So it’s not all black and white..me, myself I try not to use it because I lost that debate a long time ago and I used to be an avid user myself. It will never be gender neutral as long as singularly (and for the most part in plural) it is accepted as male only.
I got here by googling ‘is saying you guys offensive’ because this morning someone told me it was, and that was the first that I’ve ever heard of it. Back story: I’m a native Texan (woman) who lives in France and gives tours to English-speaking visitors (mostly Australian, but also British, American, Canadian, and more.) Anyway, being from Texas, I naturally say y’all, but because I’m teased a lot for that, I’ve started saying ‘you guys’ when I’m not around close friends. I don’t know why I feel the need to add anything to ‘you,’ but it could be from saying y’all and wanting to re-affirm the plural meaning.
Anyway, this morning I was shocked when an Australian tourist told me she was offended by the term ‘you guys.’ I’m youngish (31), consider myself feminist, am well-educated and well-travelled, and I don’t see the problem with it. I respect your opinion, but I don’t exactly understand it. I don’t know if you speak other languages, but I think you might be appalled by French pronouns and adjective agreement rules. If there’s a group of mostly women, but there’s one man, then the whole group is referred to with the masculine pronoun. Same with adjective agreements. Food for thought.
NMK that’s the beauty of the English language we actually have many words to mean the same thing and groups of people without putting gender in them. I know some languages don’t have that, but WE DO!
We have THEY and THEM and EVERYONE which are all gender neutral when referring to a certain group in a third party. If there is a group of mixed sexes you are directly addressing you can say everyone, you all, guys and gals etc.
By saying YOU GUYS you are just being lazy and sexist(even though you are on trend with a lot of people) when you can add “and GALS” to it for a mixed group.
Do not call a group of females “GUYS”, that’s just wrong even in “you guys”
I am thrilled to find this thread! I feel like a dinosaur when a young waiter approaches a table with six WOMEN and asks “How are you guys doing tonight?” I keep threatening to put a $20 bill on the table and saying “This is yours if you can NOT say “you guys” again while I’m sitting here.” I wish I could ignore it but it just feels as if it goes along with the general loss of decent vocabulary and clear pronunciation…. what’s wrong with clear speech?! Wake up folks, it makes you sound stupid when you use this lazy speech AND it does matter!
Hi Donna,
I’ve pointed it out to waiters/waitresses before and, if they are over doing it then yes, I think it’s fair not to tip as they are making you uncomfortable. I’m 20 and I’m insulted so don’t feel like a dinosaur! Never be afraid to speak up! The only reason “guys” is so prevalent is because most females don’t comment. I tell people at work and in social situations and sometimes it’s awkward but little by little I see changes!
Seriously!? Get over it. You guys who freak out about this stuff should do charity work of something and stop freaking spreading your politically correct disease that does nothing but hinder society.
LOL you really need to find another forum to troll. This is nothing to do with being politically correct, just CORRECT. If society was referred to as “you girls” men wouldn’t stand for it for one day. You have been brainwashed and I feel sorry for you. Now go work for a “charity” and do better things with your time than troll a board that tries to help equalize society.
So if someone doesn’t agree with you guys you call them a troll? Yup, you guys are whiners.. waaaaa
You’re a troll and an idiot, go crawl into your hole
Truly when someone doesn’t be aware of afterward its up to other viewers that they will help, so here it happens.
“If society was referred to as “you girls” men wouldn’t stand for it for one day.”
We haven’t stood for it for all of history, but isn’t that why this article can even exist. Anyway, just remember, in order to be truly equal, you have to take the good with the bad. As a male, I’ve taken it upon myself to use both male and female pronoun references when communicating. Of course, I only use the female form when discussing something negative. You wanted it, you got it.
No one on here EVER said anything against being equal, if you say something negative about one gender you can say the same of the other 99% of the time..This is not a history lesson, it’s 2013 and people should be aware that the female gender exists and will not be lumped into a male generic.
Like you said before, people don’t exactly try to imply male domination when saying “you guys” so that’s why it’s so hard for people to stop saying it. A lot of people don’t find anything wrong with it, which leads to the occassional slip and their excuses. I think the excuses are absolutely ridiculous, but I feel like I shouldn’t be talking, since I say “you guys” all the time lol. I’ve just grown so used to it that I don’t even know I’m saying it! Sometimes I get scared to point out the fact that it’s sexist because I’m afraid people will think I’m some sort of smartass bigot….but the point is, so many people are ignorant of what they’re saying, including myself at times.
Hey, that’s a thoughtful comment, I think we all have said it or might say it once in a while, and it’s not terrible..it’s just once you’re aware of it it become irritating, sometimes more than it should be I guess…but the people who use “guys” ALL THE TIME and that’s it, including calling inanimate objects GUYS (commercials for TIDE, etc etc)..should know better.