Partners
As I’ve been monitoring media coverage of push for same-sex “marriage” to be legally recognised in Oz, I’ve noticed the regular use of the word ‘partner‘ to describe each half of a same-sex couple. Partner is commonly used nowadays by people in both hetereosexual and homosexual relationships, in place of girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband/lover. However, I don’t think this became conventional until recently, say in the last 2 or so decades, as homosexual relationships started becoming more socially acceptable.
People, and particularly homosexuals, started using the word partner rather than having to distinguish their sexuality when talking to anyone with no business in knowing.
The media may have propogated the use of the term partner - it’s a convenient term with little connotations, and can be applied to almost any couple, whether they be married, de factos, sexual partners or even business partners. It doesn’t imply the sexual nature of a relationship, or the level of seriousness.
The Herald uses the regularly uses the word to describe people in same-sex relationships. In a Sun Herald article published today, titled Home is where the hearts should be joined, the word partner is used to describe people in 3 different same-sex relationships. On the other hand, it uses the word girlfriend to describe the woman in a heterosexual relationship.
Sydney Star Observer, a publication primarily concerned with issues the effect the gay and lesbian community, also uses the word partner regularly to describe people in same-sex couples.
It’s interesting, some people use “partner” to play the ‘pro-noun game’, as you said to avoid distinguishing their sexuality etc. I also use the word partner because I think ‘boyfriend’ sounds silly, ‘fiance’ sounds old fashioned and well, we aint married yet.
Comment by Liz Skuthorpe — January 9, 2006 @ 8:38 am