Partner - is that so gay?

When you meet someone new and they reference their partner, what do you assume? Do you assume anything? A few years ago, the word partner had a definite connotation - it meant gay partner - life partner if you will. It was an easy way for people to lightly alert people to their sexuality and for other people to be brought up to speed - all without overtly saying "my gay lova." I've noticed over the past few years that the hetero world has co-opted the term. Or perhaps its as I age and people are less apt to call someone their boyfriend of girlfriend - which I can certainly understand. Sort of brings up images of necking in the back of a car. A couple years ago, I heard someone at work refer to their partner and I assumed they meant they were gay. Given this persons persona, it wasn't a stretch. Anyhow, apparently they weren't. At the time, I was put off. This word was the word I used to be able to tell people about RC without having to drop the big L. They'd taken my civilized and subtle and comfortable language away. Another gay around me thought it was cool that this word was losing meaning. Increasingly over time, I began to think the same way. You didn't need a way to give people the heads up anymore. People didn't care anymore. There wasn't a typical looking or acting gay anymore. People weren't worried about other people thinking they have a "partner.". There is still a group of people however, who do associate this word with gay. However, they're also the sort that say fag, make girl on girl jokes and say retard. Or those who try to brag that they have a gay friend - you know, because it ups their culture factor. Basically, the people that I try to avoid. So how do I feel about the straights using partner? I think they can afford to - they don't have to worry about outcomes. BUT I also think it does help with normalization. It does tell those f-word using and f-hags that same-same isn't a societal divide, that really, ones partner is just that, a partner in life, regardless of inny or outty. So ya straighties!! Call your buddies your partner!
But sigh, really, I wish I still had my easy way to drop the lesbo bomb without making people (including myself) feel awkward.