For the record I was posting in support of inclusive language, but pointing out that context and convention matter.
They seem to have even scrubbed my comment from their instance, lol.
I’m just glad I’m not the only one who views dude as androgynous.
I thought I was one of the few.
I find these always interesting to read in the following sentence: ‘I fucked a bunch of dudes’.
Do you also believe that this sentence would work for you? (Assuming you are a heterosexual)
Because I always thought I was in the ‘Dude is androgynous’ camp, but after considering that sentence: I don’t think so anymore
Conflation due to context?
I think sexual activity adds implied gender relationships that shift how ‘dude’ is interpreted. While ‘dude’ can feel androgynous in casual contexts, in a phrase like ‘fucked a bunch of dudes,’ the sexual framing amplifies its masculine connotations. This shows how cultural norms around sexuality and gender can override attempts at neutrality.