> The belief that African Americans were literally inferior to European Americans animated most of 20th century racism, so this observation is probably less helpful than your otherwise clear writing makes it sound.
I'm afraid I may have implied something I didn't mean to imply.
I'm not sure what you mean by "this observation". I didn't mean to imply that people see girls as "literally inferior". Just that people probably think they're less likely to be competent.
> "Girls" is probably not the word you want to be using, by the way.
I'm saying girls to be all encompassing. "Women" just includes adults. And "females" sounds weird, like dehumanizing.
I understand your point that "girls" might have a connotation of disrespect. As if they're young and immature. But I think it's a slight connotation.
Given the context, of me pointing out that girls are being mistreated and that I think we should treat them better, I think the connotation is negligible. In other contexts I could see "girls" being disrespectful, but I don't think it is in this one.
With that said, maybe I'm being too stubborn. I often protest trivial things like this. For the record, if the case were reversed, I would absolutely be using the term "boys".
Edit: Also, I think the big thing is that I don't think of people in their mid-twenties as "adults" (men/women). I'm 21 and I'd refer to a friend of mine as "a guy I know" or "a girl I know".
Note that the male version of 'girl'is not 'guy', it's boy. Do you use 'boy' regularly to refer to adult men? If not, perhaps not using 'girl' either is appropriate.
You realize that you don't get to determine what feels disrespectful and diminutive to other people? That is sort of what it means for them to be other people.
If using the term "girl" is genuinely offensive, I'll happily stop. You're right, it isn't my place to hurt people who I think are misinterpreting a word.
However, I suspect that most people wouldn't be offended. If I used "women", I think the implication is "age > twenty something". I think the context makes it clear that I'm just using "girl" to be all encompassing, and thus, most people wouldn't be offended.
In the first place you should just go with what women actually say they prefer instead of trying to rationalize your own choice.
That said, if you want another reason, how about that it's quite all right to use the term woman to refer to a woman who is participating in a startup even if she has not reached legal majority. It is preferable to call a girl a woman than the other way around.
I'm afraid I may have implied something I didn't mean to imply.
I'm not sure what you mean by "this observation". I didn't mean to imply that people see girls as "literally inferior". Just that people probably think they're less likely to be competent.
> "Girls" is probably not the word you want to be using, by the way.
I'm saying girls to be all encompassing. "Women" just includes adults. And "females" sounds weird, like dehumanizing.