a Woman is not one of your Boys, stop talking to her as if she is a guy

 OK, Because male-based generics are another indicator — and more importantly, a reinforcer — of a system in which "man" in the abstract and men in the flesh are privileged over women. Some say that language merely reflects reality and so we should ignore our words and work on changing the unequal gender arrangements that are reflected in our language. Well, yes, in part.

Did he just refer to me as "man"

It's no accident that "man" is the anchor in our language and "woman" is not. And of course we should make social change all over the place. But the words we use can also reinforce current realities when they are sexist (or racist or heterosexist). Words are tools of thought. We can use words to maintain the status quo or to think in new ways -- which in turn creates the possibility of a new reality. It makes a difference if I think of myself as a "man" or a "woman" it makes a difference if we talk about "Negroes" or "African-Americans." Do we want a truly inclusive language or one that just pretends?

I need to pay more attention to what I call women

I'm convinced that choosing not to use "guys" is not just about creating a "new reality," but also has more immediate, personal consequences. A friend who works on a male-dominated team in field in which woman are scarce told me, "It used to not really bother me — because I say it a ton, and really don't mind when addressed as such because it's basically ingrained in society. But I've found that now that I'm on a team with only men, when they use it, it bothers me more." she said.

I asked around on Social Media and found that while plenty of people (men and women) said they used "guys" and their mixed-gender groups of friends were fine with it, plenty more said they were trying to eliminate it.  They offered up their alternatives, and there were more options than had originally occurred to me. However when guys get together and refer to their buddies as "ladies" or "bitches" the y are being sarcastic of insulting.  think before you insult people what does that say about you when you do things that this all of the time.

maybe we should give people the option and let them pick what works best for them  for example

• Friends

• Folks
• Everyone
• Colleagues
• Gang
• Team
• Y'all
• Guys and girls

They are not all going to fit every personality, or be appropriate in every situation, but it seems there are enough alternatives that we can pick and choose without too much trouble.