word connotations have power in public discourse. its part of why languages shift we’re constantly attempting to avoid meanings that cause stress.
Partner’s prevalence imo (without any study to back this up) is less about gay marriage and more about equality between heterosexual couples. There is a lot of gendered baggage in hetero terminology. Gay marriage and the transition of hetero couples from gendered terms to neutral terms are a correlated phenomenon. Basically they likely have the same underlying cause but one did not cause the other.
My guess is its the acknowledgement of equality between people in relationships and the rejection of government defined roles at the root cause of both changes.
word connotations have power in public discourse. its part of why languages shift we’re constantly attempting to avoid meanings that cause stress.
Partner’s prevalence imo (without any study to back this up) is less about gay marriage and more about equality between heterosexual couples. There is a lot of gendered baggage in hetero terminology. Gay marriage and the transition of hetero couples from gendered terms to neutral terms are a correlated phenomenon. Basically they likely have the same underlying cause but one did not cause the other.
My guess is its the acknowledgement of equality between people in relationships and the rejection of government defined roles at the root cause of both changes.
Oh, so that’s what bigots mean when they talk about the gays destroying traditional family values.
(feigned surprise)