uh actually dont? yell at hets for using words like datemate and partner?
because there is always a chance that one of them is a closeted trans person and they’re trying to not misgender them while also not outing them
and normalizing gender-neutral language makes doing that safer anyway
normalizing gender-neutral language for romantic or sexual partners also lessens the strain on closeted LGBPA people in same gender relationships
normalizing gender-neutral language for spouses/partners/datemates/SOs/etc even for cishets is helpful to everyone, ESPECIALLY queer people
Make Gender Neutral Language Normal And Unremarkable For The General Population 2k17
Is this a thing? A problem with cis-straight people calling themselves partners? Because a lot of us started doing that because
a) almost all the other relationship term imply “property” in a way that partnership doesn’t. Even in the phrase “my partner.”
And we started doing it because too many other people didn’t have the privilege of calling the loves of their lives their husbands or wives or lovers or even their sweethearts! And if somebody can’t exercise a privilege then nobody should.
So I seriously appreciate reason c) above: adding cover for people who still can’t, particularly in these egregious cruel times.
Fuck gender. Bodies. Sure. Minds. You bet. Orientation and identification? Those are objective things. But gender? A set of proscriptive standards that fishtail sometimes from decade to decade or even year to year? Like who can hold hands or kiss, fuck, or marry? Yeah fuck that!
Partners? Oh hell yeah!
