The Other Half / Partner

It’s a well-known joke that lesbians rush into relationships like a sports car on an open motorway. We bring the cat, personal belongings and emotional baggage on the second date. By the third date, it’s hardly worth going out seeing as we act like a straight married couple on their golden wedding anniversary.

The reason for this phenomenon is less clear. Some think we just fall easily, and that’s partly true – I know I’m guilty as any of that. But that isn’t, in my opinion, the sole reason for our over hasty progression of relationships.

It’s because we’re all really too shy to call our lovers our ‘girlfriends’. That, for a start, immediately identifies us as lesbians to all and sundry. Perhaps we’re also just too bashful to admit that we have a ‘fancy woman’ or ‘sweetheart’ (just cringe worthy terms).

By rushing into a serious relationship, we can avail of the gender-neutral terms – ‘partner’ and ‘other half’. We can safely talk about our relationship amongst people we don’t know, saving the embarrassment of being forced to come out to them. Like a secret code, only like-minded lesbos will pick up on our subtle word use.
We’re just terribly clever really.