Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
Just as an aside, also, I personally have a problem with the fact that in some professional settings, at nearly 50 years of age, I'm still a "girl" to some of my physical-STEM 'peers.' I'm pretty sure that calling them "boys" wouldn't go over very well, so it's unclear why they think that calling me a "girl" is professionally appropriate.

Yes, really. smirk
Well.. in the tiny start-up company I worked as a programmer for 10 years I was refereed to as 'one of the boys'. The small group of us who programmed were younger (20's) than the 'administrators' (30's). We were top heavy with as many vice-presidents as programmers and the company president referred to the programmers as 'the boys' even after I joined the team. And yes the company eventually failed. At the time (in the 90's) I was flattered that they didn't see my sex only that I could do the job. But I see now how that could be seen as very offensive.