Originally Posted by VEGANGELICA

In professional settings, calling a woman a "girl" would definitely be derotagory, I feel. For example, if someone refers to a female politician or police officer as a girl, that is probably to reduce her status and power.

But I agree with you that in a college setting people often refer to a group of "girls" and a group of "guys" just out of habit without meaning anything derogatory by it. Yet to me it still sounds like people are trying to make women seem less than fully adult. "Guy" at least doesn't have any age connotation to it.

When I hear someone referring to a woman as a "gal," I always think he's going to slap her ass or something.

Yep, woman = wo man. Sigh.