This is stupid. There is definitely a place in human society for gender-specific insults, otherwise we'd never have invented them.
Many women I know are pretty quick to call another woman "bitch", or "slut", "whore" whatever. But if a man does it, it's wrong? I don't follow that reasoning. It's just like calling a man "dickhead", "prick", "numbnuts" or the like. So what? Get over it.
I personally feel that derogatory terms which characterize a woman as overly sexually responsive (ie. "loose" or "easy") are pretty stupid. Those kinds of insults are usually based on outdated modes of thought regarding feminine roles, or else they're expressions of male insecurity or female jealousy. I don't feel it's appropriate to judge a person (male or female) on the basis of how much sex that person enjoys, unless that person deliberately uses his or her sexuality to abuse or unfairly manipulate others.
But to get back on topic, epithets which imply that a man is effeminite, girly or "bitchy" is IMO just a way of adding insult by attacking the male ego. It's like saying a woman is coarse, unattractive or mannish. Nobody likes being called out of their sex, because sex is such an integral part of our identity as individuals.
AFAIC, insults are intended to offend, period. If you really want to offend somebody, Western language and culture provide you with plenty of attack vectors. But before you start slinging invectives, you may want to make sure that what you say isn't going to insult any innocent bystanders. Using insults that defame minorities or other broad sections of the population (no pun intended
), will increase the likelihood of collateral damage, and that's a quick-and-dirty way to make a roomful of enemies.
When it comes to hurling slander, it's best to keep it as pointed as possible. Instead of going the cheap route of attacking their sex or ethnicity or whatever, why not just directly target their own personal foibles and failures? People really notice when you add that extra personal touch.
