Me and my coworker who came across the code really appreciated how understanding and respectful everyone was about the issue. Yeah, it's not the end of the world to have code like this, but it can definitely make people uncomfortable, which is unnecessary. My coworker's perspective was one of fresh eyes since she doesn't have all the history with WP that I have. She put it really well: she's in the beginning of her journey with WP and coming across this type of code did not make her feel comfortable or included.

Thank you to all those involved who respectfully accepted the feedback and quickly implemented the changes! We were all so touched and it was a reminder of how kind and empathetic our community is ❤️