Anyone notice how people say “partner” now?

[SW15]

In recent months I've noticed many people who are unmarried say partner. Opposed to saying my boyfriend/girlfriend.

Wondering if anyone else has noticed/experienced this?

I have not noticed or experienced this. The ultra progressive Washington Post wrote an article about this in 2019. I can't read it to due to a paywall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/life...riend-why-millennials-are-using-word-partner/

@Stanley is 25 so his social circle is likely younger Millennials and older Gen Z'ers. Many in these 2 generations are super woke and progressive.

Using the term 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' can be a bit strange after age 30, but still better than any alternative.

 

[Giovanni SouthSide]

Off topic, but what would you refer your plate as?

“friend/homegirl of mine”
thats it with no extra sauce.

 

[VirtuousD]

Always looked at it as more formal word for boyfriend/girlfriend, granted with the lgbt increase it may well be to avoid placing a gender on something lol

 

[The Duke]

In most circles the terms boyfriend/girlfriend imply no financial relationship between the two. Although somewhat ambiguous, the term "partner" carries more financial weight.

Just another step in the wrong direction to blur male/female relations and cause confusion. A traditional man will see thru this and not go along with it.

 

[LTG71]

I’m of the opinion that this is a coping word used to minimize the social and religious expectation that a normal couple would eventually commit to each other through marriage. As social morality and religious beliefs are on the decline, this word gets thrown around a lot. Here are two examples of where I know people that use and don’t use this word.

#1 - straight female that uses the phrase “life partner” instead of boyfriend
and
#2 - lesbian female that uses the word “wife”.

#1 and her boyfriend both have deep seated abandonment and commitment issues and are fearful of getting married even though they have been together for 12+ years. She even has a “promise ring” like you would give a girl in high school. Since the old norm would be that these two get married, calling each other boyfriend/girlfriend sounds a little ridiculous. “Partner” to me is their way to feel less shame for not fully committing with a legal and religious marriage. What is funny is that this woman’s father has asked her boyfriend what’s the deal? But the reality is that his daughter is the one not wanting to get married for some reason. She says she doesn’t want to have a big ceremoney, which has nothing to do with getting married. Just an excuse to defer the conversation.

#2 is the butch lesbian. She says “my wife“ all the time. I’m wondering if her “wife” calls her “husband” but I doubt it. So two “wives?” This situation would make more sense to use the word “partner“ to describe the other. I find her using the word “wife” a little disingenuous because I am heterosexual. Wife to me will always be a female married to a male. The alphabet community is all mixed up with pronouns and definitions so I take it all with a grain of salt. I’m surprised with all their 72 genders, the alphabet community hasn’t come up with some antiestablishment word to use for the person they are commented too.

I can’t remember how long ago but insurance and tax codes adopted the distinction “domestic partner” to allow gay/lesbian couples reap the legal benefits of their union. All too confusing to throw around the words husband and wife, when two of the same gender are involved. Partner is more non-gender specific.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

I would be insulted if my GF called me her "partner" or wanted to refer to each other as such.

I don't think it's juvenile to say BF/GF. I'd sooner use the term "lovers" over partner.

"Partner" implies a passionless, transactional, unnatural, "equal" business relationship... exactly the sort of term a feminist or career-empowered women on would use to refer to her beta boyfriend; meanwhile she would refer to the Chad she's fvcking on the side as her lover.

. “It’s a word that says, ‘We are equal components of this relationship,’ ” said Katie Takakjian, a 25-year-old lawyer based in Los Angeles, who started using the term “partner” while interviewing at law firms. One of the youngest students in her law school’s graduating class, Takakjian told me, she worried the word “boyfriend” could make her seem even younger.

Yeah, this is pretty much what I'd expect someone like her to say.

"Partner" implies they're equal. There is no such thing as equality in a relationship.

 

[Modern Man Advice]

It's part of the whole pronoun and non-binary crap being pushed into people's throats and young generations' minds. Partner is equal to them/they so people don't assume whether it's a heterosexual or homosexual relationship.

Again, it's one of these million little idiot woke trends.

 

[FlexpertHamilton]

It's part of the whole pronoun and non-binary crap being pushed into people's throats and young generations' minds. Partner is equal to them/they so people don't assume whether it's a heterosexual or homosexual relationship.

Again, it's one of these million little idiot woke trends.

I think it goes beyond that because it implies a 50-50 "partnership" which is inherently unnatural and almost guarantees the girl wears the pants.