Basically just something people say that indicates a position indirectly, like how seperatists from a given region might always say they're from [region] and not [country] or how trump supporters call AI "SI" now.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 16 points 2 weeks ago* (1 child)

Online, at least, I've probably heard more hetero people than gay people use "partner." In some cases they were in fact perfectly conventionally full-blown married, they just weren't interested in sharing any more details than they had to to tell whatever story they were telling, because that detail wasn't important for the story.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • [–] 2 points 2 weeks ago*

    That checks out. You'd use the term to be deliberately vague. Online, you'd be giving away your gender and marital status to the scraperbots. In person, a vague response lands differently. Particularly when speaking one-on-one.

  • source
  • parent