"Hey guys."
People say that all the time. No big deal, right? I'm not so sure.
You might think it's nit-picky to question it but I ask you to turn the tables...
If a female went up to a group of 4 or 5 men and said "Hey girls," I feel certain eyebrows would raise and perhaps a few tempers too :) If not insulting, it is certainly incorrect.
So why don't eyebrows or tempers raise when a male goes up to a group of 4 or 5 women and says "Hey guys"? Again, if not insulting, it certainly is incorrect.
To further ponder this point, think about a category outside of gender. Let's say religion.
A Christian could not go up to a group of 4 or 5 Muslims and say "Hey Christians." That surely would raise eyebrows and tempers.
What about race? Profession? Sexual orientation? Etc, etc, etc.
I admit, I tend to over-analyze things but, fortunately, this is an easy thing to fix. Obviously, to be on the safe side, you could just say "Hey girls" or "Hey ladies."
However, as a Southerner, I suggest my personal favorite - the most inclusive (gender or otherwise) greeting there is - "Hey y'all" ;)
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