[raxxorraxor]

I wasn't referring to calling someone another gender. Doing so is just minimum courtesy. I do believe that courtesy cannot be mandated though and I would not want anyone having it mandated for my sake.

I meant words like mailman and such. Of course a mailman could also be a woman. I think calling someone a mailwoman is fine, but the word does not carry intrinsic offense.

[hef19898]

We don't disagree, I think. Gender neutral job titles are ok, as far as I'm concerned. Mostly that is, as the female jobs are, historically, more often lower income jobs in the same domain (nurse vs. doctor comes to mind). Coming back to courtesy, if a female mailman prefers to be addressed as mailwoman I would do so.

Funny side note, the German language has some interesting edge cases. E.g. the rank of Hauptmann (Captain in the army and air force) usually isn't gendered, the other ranks aren't neither. So usually female soldiers of that rank are addressed as Frau Hauptmann. The funny thing is Hauptmann is also last name... The plural of the rank Hauptmann is gender neutral again, it's Hauptleute...

[johnny22]

i just go with mail carrier and keep it simple

[raxxorraxor]

Of course, I just think that the term mailman, even if gendered, isn't exclusionary.

[johnny22]

I don't feel like i have the right to decide as an individual dude whether it is or not.

[raxxorraxor]

Taking offence is an individual decision too.

[johnny22]

I don't think see it as "taking offense" personally. If somebody just happens to prefer it, then I don't see why I wouldn't. No skin off my back.

[raxxorraxor]

I don't believe this is entirely honest since you probably also have a limit in what you are willing to accommodate, be that faith, self-identification or just a usual form of courtesy.

Granted, apathy would be my solution too, but here I am expected to align the way I express myself.

I do believe that the desire to frame anything gender neutral is not something I want to put too much thought into but I don't mind conflict if someone requests to accommodate what is basically a faith.