Bro-Guys: Workplace Friendships Are More Than Just Gender Neutral

We are a woke generation who talks about gender equality, inclusion, LGBTQ rights and preferred pronouns. We talk about using gender neutral terms in everyday conversations to be more inclusive but at the same time we go around calling our besties and colleagues 'bro' and 'guys' almost all the time. Isn't that hypocrisy?

No it is not, well at least for the majority of people. Terms like 'bro' and 'guys' are largely being considered as gender neutral terms these days. Technically they are not but practically they are. Might seem a little complicated but that's how the younger generation is operating. Whether it is a girl or a boy or a person of any gender, 'bro' is a term of endearment that we use for our homies. It shows a level of comfort, a feeling of belonging and a friendly connection these days. In fact, calling each other 'bro' is considered a form of breaking the ice with strangers.

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Gender Neutral Vocabulary At Workplace

Even in workplaces, people use terms as 'guys' to refer to teams which is not a very gender neutral term but is still comfortable for many people. Well, it's better than calling each other gentlemen and ladies. A Reddit thread on @AskWomen asked people what they thought about being referred to as 'guys' in a work setting and there were many people who said that they had no problem with it.

Though they welcomed gender neutral terms like 'folks' and 'people', they were also comfortable with 'guys'. For some, it is an unintentional habit that they can't grow out of, for others it is rather an inclusive term as referring to them separately according to their pronouns would be awkward. That's what these words mean in a work setting or working with mixed teams.

These terms are not meant to demean anyone or exclude someone from the picture. It is actually a more chilled out approach to telling a person that they are in your inner circle of friends. You never use these terms with strangers, you try to be conscious of what you refer them to as they might get offended. But the people you know and are close to, you feel comfortable calling them 'bros' or 'guys' irrespective of their gender.

Though there are a lot of changes the world needs when it comes to gender inclusion, there are things that would look better unchanged. Certain terms, certain gestures, they harbour feelings and comfort of people and have more meaning to them than just gender vocabulary.

A group of girlfriends calling each other 'bros' or you entering your co-workers group and being like "Guys, you know what happened?". We can call them habits or our level of comfort with them which is aptly defined by these terms. The world is already a stressed out place and there are very few things that make you feel at home or being welcomed. Let's chill out and make sure we protect those sentiments and connections.