The subtle things are often more important than the major things.
In fact, subtle things are almost always major things to people who are negatively impacted by people's inattention to the subtle things.
You're on a webinar. Thousands of people. Interesting topic. Highly relevant. Eloquent MC:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the webinar. Thanks for coming today. . ."
Not a problem, right? Perfectly acceptable way to kick off a webinar. Welcoming. Inviting. Standard.
Ladies and gentlemen. An opening greeting used by MCs in professional, social, cultural, political settings.
Ladies and gentlemen. Respectful. Decorous. Polite.
Unless of course you're not a lady or a gentleman.
This common, ubiquitous, accepted-by-the-masses "ladies and gentlemen" greeting leaves no room for the gender non conforming person, the person who doesn't identify within the gender binary restrictions.
Ladies and gentlemen. Seemingly innocuous, harmless, unremarkable.
If you happen to identify as a lady. Or a gentleman. Or a woman or a man or a female or a male or a girl or a boy.
But if you don't. Then what?
The subtle things matter. The subtle things that are pretty major.
That can be addressed with just a wee bit of empathy and creativity.
Thanks, everybody. You all have a good day.