by arsene wengers coat » Fri Feb 10, 2023 11:03 am
Offensiveness is a matter of context. The problem with “ladies”,for me, is three-fold:
1. In one context, it denotes a certain elevated social status. While perhaps intended as a compliment, it can be seen as snobbery.
2. In a related context, “lady” implies someone ascribing to or imposing older male standards of what is expected of women. How they dress, politeness, 'ladie-like' behaviour, and even an expectation of subservience to their male counterparts. Again, while maybe intended as a compliment, it can be seen as sexist.
3. In a number of references, it can be a sarcastic reference. For example, “a lady of the night” to describe a prostitute.
It’s become a bit of a loaded word. If you are saying “gentlemen,” then you might be able to get away with saying “ladies” as the two are complementary terms. But if we take our lead from sports, you hardly ever see women’s sports referred to as “ladies” anymore (e.g., “women’s” championships, leagues, etc.). This reflects that no one talks about gentlemen’s tennis, rowing, curling, etc. These are all “men’s” events. Of course, all that spins toward the issue of gender inclusivity, which is a more unwieldy topic.
We have a men's team, so we should have a women's team. If you disagree or even take offence to the term "ladies" being replaced by a more appropriate word women, that probably says more about you, actually.
We support #hergametoo but still have a ladies team. Irony not lost there.
Just a suggestion.
You've got to go there and come back, to know where you've been.