Why, in our case: legal advantages. We wanted to be able to cover each other with health insurance. Otherwise we'd never have bothered. We didn't blah blah blah piece of paper blah blah blah government sanction etc.
That's partaking of privilege, if you like. I'm prepared to cop to that. I deplore the inequity that says "marriage must be X and none other" that excludes people, and that would be close to a litmus test for me if there were a candidate I could vote for who's in favor of broadening the conventional definition.
Is partaking of privilege detrimental to those who can't, in this case? Does refusing to do so help those who can't? (Asked in sincerity.)
I think Eddie has a good take on "why husband/wife" below, and I'd agree with it. People usually need or want some context for a new introduction: is this family, friend, some guy you just met in the bathroom? I don't find "wife" more troublesome a classification than "parent" or "cousin" or "co-worker".
Yes, people make assumptions about what "marriage" means when I introduce Anne as my wife. Many such assumptions are probably right (we live together, love one another and share expenses), many are wrong (we are straight, traditionally monogamous and plan to have kids). People make assumptions, and people classify one another based on insufficient and inaccurate information. This usually isn't significant enough to bother me.
Re: Questions, questions... lotsa blah blah blah...
That's partaking of privilege, if you like. I'm prepared to cop to that. I deplore the inequity that says "marriage must be X and none other" that excludes people, and that would be close to a litmus test for me if there were a candidate I could vote for who's in favor of broadening the conventional definition.
Is partaking of privilege detrimental to those who can't, in this case? Does refusing to do so help those who can't? (Asked in sincerity.)
I think Eddie has a good take on "why husband/wife" below, and I'd agree with it. People usually need or want some context for a new introduction: is this family, friend, some guy you just met in the bathroom? I don't find "wife" more troublesome a classification than "parent" or "cousin" or "co-worker".
Yes, people make assumptions about what "marriage" means when I introduce Anne as my wife. Many such assumptions are probably right (we live together, love one another and share expenses), many are wrong (we are straight, traditionally monogamous and plan to have kids). People make assumptions, and people classify one another based on insufficient and inaccurate information. This usually isn't significant enough to bother me.