Random Question About Lesbians

[petersone]

I apologize for my ignorance, but a woman that was just hired in our department is a lesbian. Now, she has a "partner" and calls her a partner. Not a girlfriend. She also wears a ring on her left ring finger...but it looks nothing like a wedding band. She's from Canada where gay marriage is legal...is she married?

[Gigabitch]

Probably more married than you're ever likely to be. Marriage is easy for straight folks- they just fall into it. Not for lesbians.

[vashti]

Isn't gay marriage legal in Canada? She might be married, but the only way you will know is if you ask. The whole calling each other "partners" is done to add an element of respect that "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" are lacking. It sounds king of silly for a man in his 40s, for example, to be called a "boyfriend". Boyfriends are for 18 year old girls, or at least that is the perception.

[eyedin]

Isn't gay marriage legal in Canada? She might be married, but the only way you will know is if you ask. The whole calling each other "partners" is done to add an element of respect that "boyfriend" or "girlfriend" are lacking. It sounds king of silly for a man in his 40s, for example, to be called a "boyfriend". Boyfriends are for 18 year old girls, or at least that is the perception.

i think the reason why straight folks dont use the word partner is the association of the word with having a partner of the same sex, otherwise i would use it, i just dont like the the word girlfriend.

[lovesjoyajm]

A guy I sort-of dated had an older sister (35) who had been with the same guy for 7 years, but he lived in Oregon and she lived in PA, and the guy always referred to his sister's "partner". Sometimes he would say "her...boyfriend...no, what-do-you-say, partner?" (He's German.) I agree vashti, once you get a little older and are in a serious, long-term relationship, boyfriend/girlfriend starts to sound a little "young".

So to answer your question, petersone, I have no idea if they're married.