Finale Fireworker -- First thanks for the level headed detailed reply. One thing I strongly disliked about GAF was that certain specific mods had very condescending, smart ass, sarcastic attitudes.
The truth is, and I just want to say this directly, I have no idea how the people around you feel. I don't know what the expectations of your friends and coworkers are. I have no idea what's going through the heads of people you interact with on a daily basis. I could not possibly tell you whether these people are or are not uncomfortable. So don't think I'm saying I know better than you because I don't.
Sure no problem, and I don't know the exact private thinkings of everyone I've acquainted with either.
You are correct that different parts of the world and different cultures have different priorities when it comes to things like this. Different places and people also have different expectations of where its appropriate to object to something like this. People can be uncomfortable quietly. If somebody is uncomfortable with terms like "you guys", it may be less uncomfortable than confronting somebody about it at work or in front of friends. Many people simply tolerate and internalize their discomfort (especially women) because the consequences of speaking up might be even more distressing or embarrassing than just keeping quiet. This doesn't mean they aren't uncomfortable in the meantime.
This is certainly true, no doubt about that. There are absolutely some people who do not want to verbalize their feelings on specific topics in groups.
But these kinds of movements and requests don't come from nowhere. The push for gender-neutral language comes from all kinds of people. It comes from women, it comes from trans people, it comes from non-binary people, and others. It comes from people in professional environments who feel invisible at work, or going to school, or while hanging out with their friends. These people talk to each other, then talk to their friends, and the request spreads far and wide to the point where you are reading about it on a gaming forum. These people come from all over the world, even Texas.
It's good you brought this point up, because I certainly realize there are some individuals in TEXAS who might object to "
you guys". I wasn't saying literally zero, there are always exceptions in any type of statistical human count.
Now this next part you may not agree with me on, but it's a general point on how I think of life using a hypothetical example. I believe in analyzing life using
percentages. So depending where you live and grew up, what percentage of people object to a certain topic?
If it's a miniscule percentage, let's say 1%, then it's not realistic to force the other 99% of people to change how they live. But if it's a topic where it's 49%/51%, then the 49% will be taken much more seriously. (Of course I'm not saying for this specific topic it's 1% of people, I'm just using examples.)
Obviously percentages will vary across the world, like we both acknowledge. If there's a similar phrase to "
you guys" in Saudi Arabia, I'm sure a lot less people object to it there, compared to California. So even though I completely agree with you there are people who are silently uncomfortable, I can only go by real-world observations in my life where I'm from.
Lastly, a
very ironic note --
I mentioned that I default to "
yall" anyway being a TEXAN in all personal circumstances. The one exception is actually my job, which is real estate Sales. We are actually trained to say (or email) "
you guys". Because "
yall" actually sounds less professional, at least for the price and demographics of the homes we sell.
