words have a lot of power, and some people use them cruely to take away important parts of ourselves. others are simply careless.

the words ladies or girls is often used that way in sports and movies about sports - the military, too. i've heard coaches and team mates throw insults at each other - apparently the worst thing you can be is a girl

speaking as someone who was given no choice but to grow up as a girl, i think it would be worse in sports or the military to be a parakeet or a groundhog. in any event, it made me feel sick every time i heard it - still does