I am not sure if it is trendy but I have heard women call each other the b-word recently and not meant in a confrontational way. A synonym for friend.
Sort of like the N word for blacks.
Remember that black comedian who called Obama “my nigger” at a public White House event? That was ok.
Black rappers freely use that vile word in their lyrics, and that’s ok.
“I have heard women call each other the b-word recently and not meant in a confrontational way.”
Like the bumper sticker: “You call me ‘b!tch’ like that’s a bad thing”