When I was a kid, I couldn't pronounce R's and used to be teased endlessly. Should I demand words with r be banished because they made me uncomfortable? I didn't even know that was an option.
I'm not sure this is the hill I want to die on, but where is the line? How few or many people have to feel a certain way to effect change?
i'm not sure how this is the same as asking "please call me x", "please refer to me as his/her/them" compared to "i'm not going to say your name because i can't pronounce it" ?
This is under a thread of using "guys", which is what i'm specifically referring to, nothing else. Its common use, and dictionary definition even, is a nonderogatory nongendered word. So I personally feel taking it as gendered or as disrespect is disregarding the meaning of the word, and asking me to accept whatever yours is. Just as me asking nobody to use r words is asking the world to comply with my preferences.
I'm not going to argue right vs wrong or with you directly, I'm just explaining my comment and thought process.
It's the same argument thou - when you refer to a person/group of people you imply a lot about them with the word you use, men/children/kids/elders/americans/whites/ect - guys is no different to a lot of people as its so easily taken as gendered, and if said people don't want to be referred to by guys why not use a different one?
and fwiw the first definition for guys/guy in most dictionaries is "a man".
I'm not sure this is the hill I want to die on, but where is the line? How few or many people have to feel a certain way to effect change?