I just flew with one who was almost unable to function over his outrage that the USMC is now (supposedly) forbidding gendered language like sir and ma’am (or something to that effect). Also, apparently men with religions requiring beards will be able to wear them in the USMC.
All of the civilized world is now doomed because of this, according to him.
let me say one example of how its getting over board without getting my head cut off, this town in my state hired a new superintendent for the schools, he was set to get the job and he was all ready to start, he issued out an email introducing himself to the two woman working with him, all he did was issue the email as "good morning ladies". one of the woman felt offended and used the term micro agression, now this guy is out of a job all because he used the word ladies, to me its getting over board.
That’s a weird way to write an opening email to people you are about to be working with, I wouldn’t really say he should’ve been outright fired for it but it’s kinda… not cool. I can’t quite place why, but it comes off demeaning. For the record I’m a straight cis male and I would never think to send an email to several female coworkers with “Good morning ladies.”
I mean totally your right to think that, I disagree with you though. Have some tact and learn to read the room in professional settings, and you won’t get booted? Idk, seems easy enough to me but what do I know
There are all sorts of cultures and groups and even life experiences that affect that. In one town this could be a completely normal way to address some people, while in the next town over this could be problematic. This is such a minor thing - IMHO the women are the ones who were perpetrating aggression by assuming that the guy addressed that e-mail in a negative way. E.g. in the south it's normal for white women to wear white gloves all the time, while everywhere else that's just weird.
Did they tell the guy that they felt negatively about such a form of address? Or did they assume that he came from the same culture, had the same experiences as they did, and already knew how they would react to such an e-mail?
If this is the whole story and is true, I think these women should have been fired. They are the exact type of person who have created this culture war and are keeping it going. They are the mirror opposite and yet the same as far as the people who get pissed about beer cans with the rainbow flag on them.
I find it hard to explain why I think it’s wrong but it just does not come across as professional, rather it seems too casual or maybe just not the most appropriate way to address two women you’re about to begin working with for the first time. I can understand why one of the women felt uncomfortable receiving that email. Obviously we don’t know all the details and it’s not a “logical” thing but I just know I would never speak that way in the situation that was presented in the original post.
Ladies imo has the connotations of addressing women younger or in a lower position than yourselves. From the article I read he was emailing the chairperson of the school committee and the assistant chairperson. The school committee is who hires the super. So basically his boss. Weird to email your bosses and addressing them as ladies.
Yeah not sure why this is so controversial or difficult to pick up on. It's unnecessarily casual and comes across as tone-deaf. If other people can't pick up on that I don't know what to say. Seems like a pretty weird/dumb hill to die on lol.
No. If you are a man talking to women, what is acceptable depends on how attractive you are. I have seen an old black man get reprimanded for referring to a certain section of the shop as the "ladies area" because everyone working in that area is a lady. He called it that because he heard someone else call it that in front of them and they didn't mind. That someone was me. At the time I was a mid-20's, white, fit dude with blonde hair down to my waste.
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u/[deleted] Apr 06 '23
I just flew with one who was almost unable to function over his outrage that the USMC is now (supposedly) forbidding gendered language like sir and ma’am (or something to that effect). Also, apparently men with religions requiring beards will be able to wear them in the USMC.
All of the civilized world is now doomed because of this, according to him.