I had a fairly good time at the Men's Greet 'N Chat on Thursday. One of the guys there was a lawyer. We were talking about the person one is in a relationship, and the lawyer said that he tended to use the term "lover." The issue he ran into was that when he brought the man he was seeing to functions, if he introduced him as his partner, people immediately asked if he had expanded his law firm. Apparently, the lawyer had introduced his other half to a Supreme Court Justice who didn't get that their connection was personal, rather than professional. So, "lover" seemed to be the less-easily confused term in his case. (I flippantly said that he could have clarified matters by saying, "Look we're guys and we have sex together. Get it now??")
His other half jokingly suggested "co-sodomite", which I thought was pretty funny.
Michael
Sometimes I wish there was a universal term everyone would understand without it sounding like it is naughty. I always use the term partner when i mention my daughter in law's Mom and her other half (for lack of a better word). Do you think people would get it if you simply say 'boy-friend' or 'girl-friend'. I'm not saying 'lover' sounds naughty, but people seem to turn their noses up at such terms. A relationship is more than intimate, so I'm wondering if soul-mate would be a better term or 'partner-friend'. Perhaps someday we will not even think twice about such things.
Hmm, I am guessing that no matter what term is picked, someone will find it isn't a right fit. I was talking with someone who thought that boyfriend / girlfriend sounded too teenybopper.
I also wonder that if opposite sex couples didn't have the legal term husband/wide to fall back on, how much variation would they show.