Is "You go girl!" offensive?

redsoxrule

I recently read in the Boston Globe (May 27, 2007, "Make sure company's hires and fliers reflect its desire for diversity," by Joan Cirillo), the following question written by a concerned manager:

Q. I am a fairly new supervisor, and I have been pulled in to a rather sensitive situation.

One of my Caucasian staff members said to one of my people of color: "You go girl!" The person of color took offense, though I am convinced that nothing mean-spirited was meant by the remark.

However, though they talked this out, the Caucasian staff member says that she and co-workers feel like they are always "walking on eggshells."

I was really surprised to read this question, because I have used this phrase many times (both in and out of the workplace) to encourage co-workers or friends, and never realized that some people might find this phrase offensive.

Legally, would this be a phrase to shy away from in the workplace?  Or is this employee overreacting?  Wondered if anyone had an opinion....

regdunlop

like many things, context is important.  obviously one employee was offended by how the phrase was used and that should be enough for co-workers to stop using it.  even though someone may not think they are being mean-spirited, someone else may see it in another way.  the phrase itself doesn't have a history of being offensive but there is a history of whites using colloquial phrases used in black communities in a mocking and derogatory way. maybe that's how the employee took it. the woman could have also been offended by being called a "girl."

countrygirl

i think that regdunlop is absolutely right...it all depends on the context. i don't know if it's per se offensive - i think it depends on the individual person. but, if an employee takes offense to it, it must be addressed.

RuthG

In this day and age, it is inappropriate to call women in the workplace "girls, " so I would definitely stop using this phrase - even though it was meant to be a positive statement rather than a negative one.

bevhunt

According to the Urban Dictionary (www.urbandictionary.com), "you go girl" is a phrase of encouragement  or praise for doing something right that only should be said by females, so it probably wasn't meant to be offensive.

In fact, a reporter used the phrase in describing Ruth Bader Ginsburg's dissent on the recent pay discrimination case.