Actors and Actresses

Deedaa , single sex schools are known to empower girls who do better academically and gain in confidence. Adding the ess, does imo, belittle women.
I'm with Maw, Suzied, Nellie and others here who say its out dated and unnecessary to add an ess to waiter, actor, to call Headteachers anything but that and so on. No need for gender to be specified. That doesn't mean I'm a blob or would be happy to ditch Ms iam and become Mrs or Mr X

I still say "actor" and "actress" are not interchangeable jobs, so separate words are appropriate.

But tell you what: I am an executor to my step-mum's will, and I refuse to style myself as "executrix". Ridiculous word! No one says it in normal conversation; and in this case I am doing just the same job as a male executor would. There is absolutely no need for different words. We don't say "solicitrix" or "barristress", so why do pernickity legal people use "executrtix"?

I was a waitress for quite a number of years - and more than happy not to be called a waiter. However, later in my working life I was a manager - and did not like being called a manageress - completely illogical, I know.

Agree that no gender references are needed but would add that, as usual, there was a ( female) conductor on the bus that brought me home today.
At other times we might have a male conductor and female driver but haven't heard of a driveress!

While on the subject the thing that really grates with me is the term "Chair". I don't see why it matters whether you are a Chairman or a Chairwoman, it's just a description. But a chair is an item of furniture not a person.

Should we think about dropping mothers and fathers and just be parents?