In reply to:

The world of the English language is becoming genderless. ... new gender-neutral alternatives are coined: mail-carrier, firefighter, chairperson (or chair), to cite but three examples.
It's easy to brush these off as a display of political correctness but there's a reason why we're moving away from those old terms. Often the feminine equivalents of the terms have inferior connotations: imitation (leather/leatherette), small size (statue/statuette), lesser social status (governor/governess), and at times the two terms are poles apart (wizard/witch) - wizard is a compliment while witch is disparaging.

Why is it important to recognize this? It's because while our language is a reflection of our society, the reverse is also true. Our society is also shaped by the language. ...
All this is not to say that men and women are not different. They are, but where that difference is irrelevant, there is no reason to use two different terms to describe them.

The problem, Anu, is that intercourse between the sexes is never irrelevant. Sexual differences in biology and mind are absolutely innate in our species and can not be changed lingually without a corresponding detrimental effect to our continuance.

We who know and love words should know best that words contrived for the purpose of an illusion of equality will fail.
Words are not made by wordsmiths they are made by men.

Men and women are not equal, women are better, and it is best that we reflect that fact in our language by designations of gender.