Saying “guys” to mean all genders led job ads and influencers like recruiters to say, “let’s hire a guy“ (illegal), companies were built by guys (but not all were men), “hedge fund guys,“ “congressmen,“ etc.  That affects people's career choices.  Men and women apply for jobs in more equal proportions when inclusive language is used.  Kids say careers for women are hairdressers and men have jobs where they’re in charge.  In 2017!  Surprise!  Research shows saying “he” and “man” to refer to all people causes people to only think of males.

I never told anyone that it bothered me that people said “you guys” to me, even if they meant no harm.  I didn’t want to offend anyone.  But warning: now I make snarky pins that say, “She/her not ‘guys’” and “Saying ‘you guys’ is totally sexist, you guys ;)”  I knew I had to speak up when I heard girls didn’t raise their hand and were wrongly labeled as having learning disabilities only because kids take words literally.  They didn’t think their teacher’s repeated “What do you guys think?” questions to the class were addressed to them.  It’s usually only masculine words masquerading as gender neutral.

More Reasons Why People Say “You All” to Help You All:        

A recent study found that when men and women completed a questionnaire of their self-efficacy (the belief in their ability to succeed in specific situations), the women reported lower self-efficacy when filling out the masculine-generic form than when they filled out the gender-neutral form.

Former Chief of the Army David Morrison is trying to phase out “you guys” from Australian workplaces.  He cited Australian Diversity Council research that shows gender-based language has as much a harmful effect as when you say something blatantly inappropriate to another person.  Research shows that more inclusive workforces are more effective.  One of the ways that you can create that environment is talking to people with respect.  

If women primarily exist in language as “girls” (children), “sluts” and “guys,” it’s not surprising there are a lot of gender inequalities to fix like violence. Words shape our thoughts. More on that below.

If you want anyone to listen to anything you say, it’s safer to not unintentionally offend people.  Plus, it's rude to call someone something they said they don't want to be called.  “Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it’s not a problem to you personally,” says David Gaider. 

Non-sexist language can help everyone.  Join thousands of people like you that avoid calling women "guys" and "girls," such as Australia Diversity Council, colleges (e.g., University of Nebraska, U of Michigan, Duke, Princeton), U.S. states (Washington, Florida, North Carolina, California, New York, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island and Utah), U.S. federal agencies (18F, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), companies (Google, Salesforce, Slack, Spotify, npm), and writers (Thanks to Grace Jennings-Edquist for interviewing me for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.  Others include The Atlantic, USA TODAY, New Yorker, The Huffington Post, KALW, AlterNet, xoJane, Bustle, Jezebel, Bustle, Everyday Feminism, ShoutOutJMU, and more.

Michael Jascz writes that saying “guys” to describe both sexes started catching on in the 1980s, when women were publicly asserting their rights.  If men wouldn’t like being called “gals,” then the message is there must be something wrong with being feminine (e.g., man up, don't cry like a girl).  “Guys” does not recognize women.  It also excludes them.  

“Making the switch from ‘ladies’ and ‘guys’ to ‘folks’... would be pretty easy if you could see the way it affects people. A small effort from you could make a big difference for a lot of folks,” says Alyssa Garrison.

Author Alice Walker said some women who say “you guys” may feel the need to be accepted, and that it’s ironic that after so many years of struggle for women's liberation, women are called guys.

Most people don’t like to being called something they’re not.  

Think of something you've done that you're most proud of that helped other people.  Then consider signing this friendly petition.  (You don't have to write your full name or address).  Then dictionaries and media companies will get this letter: 

Saying "you guys" is totally ‪sexist‬, you guys ;)

How soon can you join Google, tech companies, governments and colleges and avoid calling everyone “guys“ and calling women “girls“?    

Media companies can encourage writers and reporters to avoid calling everyone "guys." And these "guys" at Oxford​, Merriam Webster and MacMillan  dictionaries seem to be some of the people who can change their definition of "guys" as "persons of either sex" to “it's sometimes offensive to call everyone 'guys.'” (I just wrote "these guys" to show that it'd be even clearer if they define "guys" as "men."  In those links, they seem to be all men though I can't assume their gender.)   It’s not too much to ask for because some dictionaries already say it’s “sometimes offensive” to call a grown woman a girl.

Join other dictionaries that are not reinforcing ‪sexism‬.  Words like "bossy‬" and "nagging” are not ‪gender neutral‬.  Pronouns in dictionaries for “doctor” and “research” are male, while “she” can be found doing “housework.”  When Michael Oman-Reagan looked up the word “rabid,” the dictionary said “a rabid feminist.”  He tweeted it at Oxford Dictionaries with the suggestion, “maybe change that?”  When he woke up the next day, he found that his tweet was shared hundreds of times.  Oxford ultimately tweeted an apology.

Hope to hear from you soon!

XOXO,

Thousands of people that promoting inclusive language

Dictionaries and the media will be more likely to change if you share my posts on Facebook​, Twitter​, Instagram​, Medium​, Tumblr and Pinterest! 

Get more: Woman Sick of Being Called a Guy and Girl, Makes Pins, Petitions Dictionaries and Influencers, Shares Tips to Help You All.