Is "host" gender specific?

Is there anything that implies that a "host" (noun- e.g. host of an event) is a male? Is there anything preventing a female from being host (as opposed to a hostess)?

In context: An organization holds a weekly event. One of several representatives from the organization hosts each event, and both genders are in the group of potential hosts. Thus, is it sufficient to say "please contact your host..." or would this be inappropriate considering some of the representatives are female?

Solution 1:

The answer to this may well be dependent on the local culture.

In the UK, I certainly would not assume that a host is male.

Moreover, if using the word hostess, I would perhaps be careful of context for the reasons apparent from the definitions in Chambers Dictionary:

hostess noun
1. a female host.
2. a woman employed as a man's companion for the evening at a night club, dance hall, etc.
3. euphemistic a prostitute.
4. an air hostess.

Thus, some female hosts may well prefer not to be referred to as a hostess.

Additionally, the first definition given for host is:

host noun
1. someone who entertains guests or strangers in his or her own home.
(emphasis added)

Thus confirming that host is an appropriate term irrespective of gender.

Solution 2:

-- original answer rewritten and qualified --

Host is originally from the Old French hoste which included both masculine and feminine in the general sense. Its female form, hostesse, was limited to social contexts. Modern American English mostly follows suit (host, hostess).

In short - host is gender neutral. But.

While host is technically neutral it does have a masculine implication in contexts where hostess is appropriate and is used, as in "host and hostess."

To qualify my original point, in contexts where hostess is appropriate the existence and common usage of the word hostess would suggest to your audience that when you use the word host you are referring to a male.

For completeness, I should point out that hostess is still clearly used in social settings. Googling good hostess (with filters to eliminate the baked goods Hostess and the hospitality industry) will return 20,700,000 results.