Zen had a good suggested response.

Well applegum, I'm glad though you earned your keep at LBS. Which one was it in T.O.? It must have been tiring to hear some of the crap.

When I started with my firm (2 yrs. ago) where I am now, my boss and other male managers, often referred to women, as the "girls". ..which irritated the heck of me. Other organizations where I worked with many men, most men no longer used the term in the workplace. Not that I said anything. But after awhile, they no longer use that term on me. I made sure I didn't refer to women as "girls" in my conversation at work. This latter is most emphasized since most women in my workplace still use "girls".

I am not sure why the term was dropped when these same guys now communicate with me. It is possibly just the way I am. ...which direct, open and business-like, almost too serious at times. For the guys, I just deal with them at face value and not with an underlying assumption that they are out to disrespect me. I guess like to chat up abit, joke but get on with biz stuff...my boss realized this early and adjusted fast. (By the way, he wasn't the person who originally hired me. I reported to him later...)

There was a woman who has since left the organization who was (rightfully in some cases) indignant for be treated in a sexist way by male coworkers. But part of her problem was that she felt she deserved more authority, yet she was doing alot of things that undermined her accountability to her job responsibilities..ie. gossiping alot about employees, taking too long lunch breaks, wearing ipod headphones for hrs. for a service-oriented role that didn't make her customer-friendly, etc.

Applegum, there's some improvement in some workplace areas, in others is just the same thing in a new disguise. I've learned to not take things too personally at work if there is expressed sexism..or racism even. Better just to focus on doing a job well and adopt a good learning style for anything an organization offers. And eventually leave an organization with lessons learned, as you will be.

There is a long journey ahead..and things both great and not-so-great to discover. May we just become more clever and strong..