Just to spell it out: There’s nothing wrong with using “male” and “female” as adjectives (e.g. “male audience” or “female drivers”). The problem arises from using them as a noun (e.g., “females want a man” or “males are more likely”) which is a very reductive way of describing a person. It also evokes the way we refer to animals, which is, again, reductive.

We are more than our respective genders, just as we are more than merely animals.