It’s only gender neutral when used as a direct address, as an alternative to “y’all” when you’re actually talking TO people:
“Hey guys!” or “Later, guys!”.
When you’re talking ABOUT people - “I saw some guys at the store” - it’s not neutral. In that case you’re essentially saying “I saw some dudes at the store.”
It’s basically the difference between using it as a greeting or direct address versus using it to DESCRIBE people. As a direct address in most of the US it is absolutely considered gender neutral. I’ve come around to “y’all” though :)
Edit: more precisely&concisely–
Vocative case = gender-neutral
Regular plural noun = masculine
It’s only gender neutral when used as a direct address, as an alternative to “y’all” when you’re actually talking TO people:
“Hey guys!” or “Later, guys!”.
When you’re talking ABOUT people - “I saw some guys at the store” - it’s not neutral. In that case you’re essentially saying “I saw some dudes at the store.”
It’s basically the difference between using it as a greeting or direct address versus using it to DESCRIBE people. As a direct address in most of the US it is absolutely considered gender neutral. I’ve come around to “y’all” though :)
Edit: more precisely&concisely–
Vocative case = gender-neutral
Regular plural noun = masculine