It irks me when women call their long term boyfriend their husband. amirite?

I've been with my non-husband for nearly 30 years. We have a 26 year old son. Feels strange calling him my boyfriend. I call him my partner and everyone assumes he is a she.

by Anonymous 4 hours ago

This. Boyfriend - sounds juvenile and unserious Partner - either gay or wants to sound quirky Husband - where is the ring There's no good way to say it until you conform to the norm

by Anonymous 4 hours ago

Honestly, who cares? As long as you're happy, that's what matters. My wife and I were together for 10 years before getting married, and I would called her my girlfriend. Titles are overrated. Call your partner whatever feels right—boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband, wife. People get way too hung up on labels.

by Reingerluther 3 hours ago

Same boat (freshly engaged now). He was boyfriend to friends and family but husband in professional settings. Telling your manager "I need to use a sick day because my boyfriend is having an emergency" vs "need to use a sick day because my /husband/ is having an emergency" carries different connotation, even though we've been together for 10+ years

by Anonymous 3 hours ago

This is so true and such an amazing point! I can relate to that because, unfortunately,y my sister passed away two years ago, and when I needed my partner to come home asap from work, he said to his boss that his sister-in-law passed away because "my girlfriend's sister" doesn't carry the same weight. Forgot about that, actually!

by Connellypatrici 3 hours ago

I always think gay relationship when i hear partner

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

A psychiatrist asked me about my marital status and I said I had a partner but not legally married. She went, "does that mean you're a lesbian?"

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

Romantic partner

by Putrid-Investment-45 2 hours ago

Since I was a kid I've heard people in the U.K. mean partner for straight people too, wonder if it's a regional thing.

by Anonymous 2 hours ago

Partner is perfect. We should be past the weird gay panic. If I hear partner, I rightly assume that this person has a person in their life, and I don't care whether they're same or opposite gender.

by Which_Palpitation 1 hour ago

I also say it as an ally! I like to say 'partner' so we can help normalize couples in the queer community. :)

by Connellypatrici 1 hour ago

Are couples NOT normalized in the LGBTQ+ community?

by Sweaty-Egg-2284 1 hour ago

Well, it's using gender-neutral language and helps shift away from assuming homosexuality if straight couples are using the term also. Basically just more inclusive language that can also help the queer community :)

by Connellypatrici 1 hour ago

Its about normalizing the term outside the LGBTQ+ community

by Anonymous 1 hour ago

No man it's crazy you date another person and they all call you a freak or a weirdo. Like what the hell am I doing here then? Just because I'm now acting on my homosexual attraction suddenly I don't belong here?

by Anonymous 1 hour ago

"Partner" = inclusive of nonbinary individuals in relationships

by Anonymous 44 minutes ago

You know there is more to marriage than a piece of paper or a church, right?

by Anonymous 34 minutes ago

Same situation, 10 years, she's my partner. This is extremely common in the UK, it definitely sounds better than boyfriend/girlfriend.

by CellistPositive1104 28 minutes ago

Oh interesting! I didn't know that! I wish it were as common here in the US. Exactly, it definitely does.

by Connellypatrici 24 minutes ago

From the Swedish language: sambo. There's no English translation that fits its meaning well, a couple that's living together and as close to married as one can be without actually being married. There's a lot of cultural, emotional and even legal weight behind the term despite it being very causally used. It's one of those words that English needs, it's something between "life-partner" and "common-law spouse" You can also be särbo, which is similar but not living together Iblandbo (much less common), sometimes living together and sometimes apart And my personal favourite: mambo, an adult (usually male) who is single, lives at home, is doted on by mother and refuses to grow up. Though I've only ever seen that used in books for language learners

by Hermistonalfred 14 minutes ago