Why do people say 'partner' instead of girlfriend / boyfriend / husband (etc)

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

I created this thread to have a mature discussion.

Should have posted in humanities forum then

I pretty much think they're gay if they say partner. Alright I get it if you're together with them for years and bf/gf doesn't sound as serious but if you actually feel that way, put a ring on it ffs!

I Don't need them fucking up my gaydar with this 'partner' bs :rolleyes:

B.A._Baracus wrote: »

Just a random unimportant thread

Why do people refer to others as their 'partner'? ... Instead of girlfriend / boyfriend / wife / husband etc.
I understand its a 'mature' thing to say. For example a 41 year old man dating someone doesnt want to come off as a 15 year old by saying "shes my gurlfriend" - But you actually see married people saying partner Not only that but young people too. Could be only with them six months :pac:

Of course when it comes to homosexual people I perfectly understand the use of it. Its a nice elegant way to state relationships. But, that makes me think... I never heard the use of "partner" until homosexual people started to adobt it to discribe relationships. So ... could it be a 'pc' thing?

After all. My girlfriend is my girlfriend. Should we get engaged. She is my fiance. Should we get married she is my wife. Should the aforementioned fall apart I don't see alot of people refering to their ex-wife as "ex-partner"

i completely understand where the OP is coming from, i dont give it an awful lot of thought myself, but when i actually hear someone refer to their boyfriend/girlfriend/wife/husband, etc as their 'partner' or 'life partner', 'signifigant other', 'other half', it just plain and simple hurts my ears and makes me shudder!

of COURSE all these terms stem from the fact that some people seek to be politically correct by using an all encompassing generic term, and thats why it annoys me! to me these terms just come across as some attempt at creating "androgynous equality for all", and they actually take the meaning out of the signifigance of the other person in your life as an individual in their own right. being somebody's wife or husband IS more signifigant than just being their girlfriend or boyfriend, but because society has evolved beyond the norms of the old structures of relationships and we now have more people living together without being married ("co-habiting", my fúcking ears!), we have "fúck buddies", etc, relationships have become very complex, so to fulfill some people's need to categorise, simplify and label everything, we now have all encompassing generic terms like "partner".

i know for myself when people started referring to my girlfriend as my "partner", to me she was more signifigant than "just" my partner, or even "just" my girlfriend, and so she is now my wife, and i always make a point of correcting people when they use these non-specific, androgynous, generic terms.

my wife is my wife, not my partner, not my life partner, not my signifigant other, not my other half, or even my better half, and i have no qualms about correcting those who seem to think its perfectly fine to belittle her signifigance to me as an individual in her own right, just to make themselves feel more comfortable.

when it becomes socially acceptable to ignore the signifigance of an individual who has chosen to spend the rest of their life with you- i dont want to live on this planet any more!