I can't help but find this irritating, and I think the people who do this really are sheltered, or get off on trivializing other people's relationships. This is something my mother still does constantly, and while I don't think it's malicious, I do think in 2015 with widespread knowledge and acceptance of same-sex couples it's a very antiquated way to speak, and it can confuse other people. What are other people's opinions on this?
Yes, I hate this too. It's very old-fashioned now and it invalidates actual lesbian relationships (even if not intended). I had to drill it in my Mom's head when I first had my first girlfriend what I even meant.
It annoys me because when I think of the word "girlfriend", I think romantic partner. Why do people have to define their friends by gender? Just say "my friend(s)."
Well, I personally don't find it irritating, but what I do find irritating is when you ask for clarification, and people say "ew that's gross, you know I'm not gay" when I ask hat they mean by girlfriend.
I don't mind it. Usually older people use the term it seems. But it can be confusing I guess! I said "my girlfriend" at a group setting with friends once and a guy who was new to the group said "girl friend or real girlfriend, girlfriend?" I was like "no not a girl who is a friend; real girlfriend; I am bi." I kinda thought the term was out of date too and was surprised he needed clarification... lol
It bugs the heck out of me too. If I have a friend who is a girl, I say that. Same with friends who are guys.
I can see why people find it irritating. Mind you when I think about the sort who tend to use this: "I'm having a night in watchin Towie and drinking prosecco with my girlfriends" - these really are not the sort of people I have any desire to have much interaction with anyway. Its also usually the sort who make statements like "I love gay men!" or "I'm going to meet up with my gays". :dry:
lol the Dutch language has no gender neutral word for friends... You call a female friend 'vriendin' and you call your girlfriend 'vriendin' as well (and for male friends/your boyfriend you use 'vriend'). Sometimes people use 'vriendje' or 'vriendinnetje' instead when they're talking about the person they're dating but I don't know any adults who do that. Anyway... In English, idk. I don't hate it but it's confusing? They could just use 'friend'.
It's ridiculously old fashioned and it irks me. I have cousins in their 20s who say this all the time, and it makes me feel like they're living in the 1930s.
It doesn't bother me. Just makes me do a double-take when I hear older people talking about their "girlfriends" lol.
I don't think it's irritating at all and it really shouldn't be. It's just a word folks, get over it. No need to complicate things even more than what they already are.
I'm not really too irritated by it, but I'm not a fan either, and I wish they'd stop. I do feel like some people don't take lesbian relationships seriously because of it.
I get irritated by this, exspecailly when my mom or someone refer to my friends as my 'girlfriends' last time I said "No mom, I'm not dating her...she's just a friend."
its really annoying because ill be out and someone will mention their "girlfriend" and i get excited to meet a fellow gay but then my my dreams are dashed.
Wait, didn't the terms "girlfriend" and "boyfriend" use to mean that you have a friend that of which is a female, or male? The words themselves don't seem to imply anything about a romantic relationship, it's just the way we use it now, so as a result it seems that way when it's mentioned.
It doesn't bother me at all, except for when my mom calls me a girlfriend (cuz I'm not one...). She has used "girlfriend" for friends that are girls while I grew up, so I'm used to it. It's just a kind of affectionate term for her best friends, who happen to be girls.
I've never heard guys refer to their friends as their "boyfriends", so why this is still going on with "girlfriends", I don't know.
