Girls aren't Women

I hate being called a girl.  It's not cute, it's not friendly, it's not conversational.  It's condescending.  Whether it's intentional or not, it belittles.  I am a woman, not a girl.  Journalism style guides tell us that females under 18 are referred to as girls.  Over 18, it's women.  There.  That wasn't so hard.

I cringed when I got an email today that started like this: 

Girls,

     thanks for taking the time to meet yesterday!
    To review what we talked about.....

This was from the chair of a committee from school.  

I had a boss in New Mexico who called his office staff "his girls".  "Oh, let me get one of my girls to help you."  "Well, let me check with one of my girls."  He also had three little yappy dogs.  He referred to them as, you guessed it, his girls.   I was the only girl who minded.  The others thought it was fine, flattering even.  They would tell me I wouldn't mind being called a girl so much when I was older.   I was 25.  I was the youngest by a few years.  I used to yank their chains and say that I'd rather be called bitch than girl.  I thought that a bitch would be more likely to get respect than a girl.  I'm not sure that's true,  but now I'm 40, and I still don't like being called a girl.