This from a blog (belonging to a beautiful woman who writes as Bazima) which I clearly visit with not enough regularity:

Friday, July 12, 2002

An Important Message from My Gay Boyfriend

I noticed that my two "straight" male friends now also refer to each other as *girl*. On the cab ride downtown: "Girl. Is this crazy cabbie gonna take 5th Avenue all the way down?" Answer: "Girl. I don't know."