“Partner”

Scene: Some bar in the Lower East Side

Time: roughly midnight

Characters: Righetti and some guy talking who is a friend of a friend, lets name him “Matthew”



Righetti: how has everything been?


“Matthew” : not bad, you know just got a new apartment


Righetti: cool, where are you now?


“Matthew”: My partner and I just got a two bedroom in Brooklyn.


Righetti: cool, is it nice


“Matthew”: yeah we have some beautiful rustic furniture and this gorgeous table


Mundane Conversation goes on for a while


……….


(Yada Yada Yada


……..


Righetti: so is that dude Javier at the bar your partner?


“Matthew”: my what?


Righetti (confused): your partner?


“Matthew”:  I’m not gay, I have a live-in girlfriend


Righetti:  oh I thought that..eghh sorry


Uncomfortable conversation continues for a few minutes


Now this cannot be my fault, who the hell refers to their girlfriend as their “partner”?? I am completely pro-gay rights and have nothing against anybody who is but this is completely unacceptable. You can’t just use a term like “partner” indiscriminately especially if your name is “Matthew”. There is a right time and place to use “partner” and this is NOT it, I don’t care if you are European or Korean and the misuse is borderline criminal.  And if you are going to go down this slippery slope than realize that you are bound to  confuse people and you can't make 'em feel guility if they fall down that trap.

That’s like getting a poodle and calling him Spike.