this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
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“Guys” hasn’t actually been accepted as gender neutral for a number of years, due to its implicit anti-feminist bias (you’ll fit in if you act like us men).
I struggle with not using it constantly, as it was the go-to gender neutral term for my generation.
I think this is a bit regional. "Guys" sounds entirely gender neutral to my ear while "dudes" or "bro" sound specifically about men. But I know that "dude" and "bro" are used to refer to either women or men in other locations and "guys" is interpreted as being also referring to men there. I don't think there is an absolute with these particular terms.
As a Californian, I take GREAT offense at the idea of gendering “dude”.
There is no more gender neutral term than “dude.” You’re dude. I’m dude. He’s dude. She’s dude. They are dudes. The weather is dude. Animals… dudes. Kids: dudes. Elderly: dudes. Girls are dudes. Boys are dudes. Men and women are dudes. Google is dude. Your smart phone… also dude. Parking meter? Dude.
You can use it for anything… but do not gender it.
One might even say that we’re all dudes, hey!
"Folks" is a good replacement choice. Works in all the same contexts.
Y'all is a good one.
All y'all need to start using y'all.
Y'all is where it's at.
Thanks for the correction! I still hear that usage fairly often and wasn’t up with the discourse around it. Like the other reply I’m also more partial to “folks” personally (as well as “y’all”), but I think I still use “guys” out of habit on occasion