• Fuckass [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    2 years ago

    There’s no universal perception to it. Like yes, technically ‘dude’ is a gendered term, and one for young people usually. But I’ve seen girls call each other that all the time, though usually they have to know each other and don’t call strangers that unlike guys. Some people are offended by it, others don’t think about it at all and don’t even see an “implication”. Like, most people don’t think twice when they hear mankind (though I’d argue that should be changed because the weight is heavier than “dude” or “hey guys”)

    Some people find “buddy” or “pal” condescending and angrily correct you when you call them that. It’s best to avoid calling people something they don’t like, but I find it a bit silly to assume someone is bad just because they’ve never thought about innocuous words having implications about identity. So many words and concepts have changed from its inception, so I don’t find it impossible that many people think dude is a universal/gender neutral term.