@Em

Was going to respond with jocular non-gendered usage of the word to demonstrate what I meant, but I have a feeling that you would take offense regardless of intention and humor.

I'm not a prescriptivist, but...

The OED definition (that applies) for dude is:

3a. More generally: a person, esp. a man.

Compare this to, say, bro:

II.5.a. A man considered as a fellow member of a particular social or cultural group
II.5.b. A close male friend.

So, while "dude" is not completely free from gendered connotation, it is regularly and often used to refer to any person, regardless of gender.

But really, all language is what it feels it is to the people who use it. That's how language works. You're welcome to feel gendered by usage of the word but the word itself isn't "gendered".

Just info from an etymological nerd.