Unpopular opinion: straight people using âpartnerâ to refer to their SO actually helps normalize the term so that lgbt folx can use it without automatically outing themselves to strangers. It also helps other straight ppl get comfortable with the fact that strangers arenât entitled to information about other peopleâs gender or sexuality.
Give op their hard-earned notes
Tbh I hear âpartnerâ and assume gay, I didnât know straights used it. Very fair point, OP
I hear âpartnerâ and think âgayâ too. A girl at work used it for months and I just went with it. When she would say âheâ I even thought maybe he was trans*. Anyways, someone using partner makes me more comfortable and I came out to her. She was just an intelligent straight girl that liked the term and was knowledgeable in human sexuality so definitely someone I should have felt comfortable coming out too. Itâs a good sign of a straight person uses it IMO.
As a mental health clinician, this is actually my blanket term when discussing any romantic relationship. I agree it normalizes it, but I also think itâs a relatively safe term to use to describe most romantic relationships without making any assumptions about the personâs orientation or identity. I also use the word âpartneredâ when describing a monogamous relationship status.
The term âpartnerâ also removes the implied hierarchy of boyfriend/girlfriend vs husband/wife. This is relevant both to non-monogamous people, and unmarried individuals for whom the importance of their relationship isnât dictated by its legal status.Â
also you can make cowboy jokes
