Giving up “guys” (and embracing y’all).
I’ve tried many times over the past 5 years to consciously remove the collective noun “guys” from my vocabulary. Why? Because it is a needlessly gendered way to refer to a general group of people. We and our audience deserve better than that.
I grew up near Philadelphia where “guys”, or more specifically “you guys” or even “youse guys” is commonplace. The word guys was such a staple in my every day language that I found it very unnatural to actively remove it. But yet, I still wanted to phase it out.
But Why?
Because language is powerful enough to evolve. We are working hard to build inclusive spaces at work, at home, in the community — to create spaces where people feel welcome to be themselves. So why would we address a group of people in a gendered way if we don’t need to? I’ve seen this topic hotly debated and it can sometimes trigger intense backlash of claims of “language policing.” But the argument for me is simple: I respect my friends and colleagues and when I address them, I want to do it in a way where people feel represented and comfortable. That means dropping “guys” once and for all.
Now what?
Well, I needed to find something to replace “guys”. But what? I used “folks” for a while, but it felt unnatural when addressing a group directly. I also tried a simple approach by using only “you” to imply a group. But this also did not feel right.
When I moved to Germany, I tried something new. I started using “y’all”. Even though I had always associated that word with a southern accent, it suddenly had a new purpose for me. Somehow, in Germany it did not feel as much like a regional word, but instead a tool to bring inclusion to language.
I’d encourage y’all to try it out and see how it sounds.
