Partner

[Courtneyyy]

So, I've never liked the term partner, but that's besides the point.

I'm in the process of filling out this "Educational Loan Fund" application. I have to have two financially responsible adults cosign for me. The form says:

"Spouses, fiances, partners (current, former or future) may not cosign an ELF loan."

I thought it was really cool that they included partners in with fiances and spouses. Just thought I'd share.

Anyone else come across anything similar?

[Greggers]

Partners as in boyfriends and girlfriends or Partners as in homosexual relationships? Not sure what they mean there, but its nice to see more broad wording for sure

[antarranger]

yea it is good to see that.

[Courtneyyy]

Originally Posted by Greggers

Partners as in boyfriends and girlfriends or Partners as in homosexual relationships? Not sure what they mean there, but its nice to see more broad wording for sure

I don't know any straight person that calls their bf/gf a partner, I've never heard the word partner used to describe a straight person so idk. What I am applying for is a girls only thing through P.E.O (I have no idea what that stands for). I'm not sure why they didn't put husbands instead of spouse, as legally a husband is my only option for a spouse.

[AtticusFinch]

I too am not a huge fan of the word partner, but there are few other options. Sure, you can use boyfriend/girlfriend, but how do you distinguish that from a spouse. To say husband or wife is not technically correct unless you live in MASS or CONN. I wish it were correct everywhere.

So this leaves us with an interesting predicament... what do we call the person next to whom we wake up every morning? They are more than a boyfriend/girlfriend, but the state won't let us call them our husband/wife because the state will not sanction such a title. I suppose you could say "significant other," but that sounds too politically correct and impersonal. Partner works; I just prefer to use that for more professional type relationships (ie. a coworker, fellow police officer/soldier, etc.).

I had a teacher who doesn't believe in marriage (he's straight btw). He lives with a "significant other" and wears a wedding ring, but they are not married. He simply refers to her as his friend. I think that's so cute. The problem there is it isn't very personal (for a spouse), and it is rather ambiguous unless you are familiar with the situation. If I simply referred to my boyfriend as my friend, I am not doing him justice.

This brings me back to square one... what do we call the person who satisfies our deepest desires??? Any thoughts?

[LorenzG1950]

Lover!

[Greggers]

Originally Posted by Courtneyyy

I don't know any straight person that calls their bf/gf a partner, I've never heard the word partner used to describe a straight person so idk. What I am applying for is a girls only thing through P.E.O (I have no idea what that stands for). I'm not sure why they didn't put husbands instead of spouse, as legally a husband is my only option for a spouse.

Ah that makes more sense and you *can* have a female spouse as a woman in a few states, a few accept marriages done in other places thankfully.

But yea I know quite a few people who call there gf or bf there partner. Not the mainly used term, but ive heard it more than once for sure.

[xequar]

Originally Posted by Greggers

Partners as in boyfriends and girlfriends or Partners as in homosexual relationships? Not sure what they mean there, but its nice to see more broad wording for sure

Partner generally refers to the spouse in a same-sex relationship, especially since most same-sex relationships aren't recognized in most places.

But, I find the term is starting to fall out of favor, and same-sex couples are now opting for whichever term is appropriate, i.e. boyfriend, husband, et cetera. I know a gay couple in Tennessee, where same-sex marriage will be recognized over the dead bodies of most of its "citizens," and they refer to each other as husbands. They've never done a formal committment ceremony, but they've been together for seven years.

I honestly believe "partner" is beginning to be viewed by many gay people as a term from an era where we couldn't be as open as we can be now, an era where the idea of same-sex relationships was barely in its infancy, an era where most gay people met in clandestine settings for a few fleeting moments of very hidden openness and intimacy and sex. Truthfully, there's a part of me that sees the adoption of "husband" and "boyfriend" and the like as a major societal evolution and a watershed point in the social conversation about gays, a sign that we're here to stay and it's just a matter of time until we finally gain equality socially and legally.