Oh for heaven's sake.
Glutton, you asked a question. You got your answers. Many answers.
This whole discussion really has nothing to do with political correctness -- so I dunno what all your hand-wringing is really about.
You wrote something. One reader offered a comment about a phrase. The way to respond to that isn't "OH WOE! If I write the way I want to write, politically correct, censoring assholes will think I'm a sexist douchebag! And I'm TOTES NOT a sexist douchebag, I just want the freedom to sound like one!"
The way to respond to that is to decide whether or not those are the right words for your audience. If they aren't, then change 'em. But it's certainly not the fault of some faceless torch-bearing PC feminist mob if the phrase doesn't work.