"I have an inquiry from a woman who is getting married in June here in Orlando. She said in my info form this: My partner and I are having a small wedding etc.... So, should I 'assume' that when she said 'partner' that she means a gay relationship?"
It's a great question. Here in Massachusetts, there are lots of progressive women who refer to their male boyfriends as their partners. But I think that the use of the term "partner" in that context is generally limited to very liberal regions - and to Europeans. In general, I think it's probably safe to assume that in a more conservative area (like Orlando), if someone inquires about a wedding to her partner, that partner is probably female.
But my advice is never to assume! Here was my response:
You should respond in kind, that is, use the term partner right back to her. You can even say, 'what's your partner's name?' and keep the dialogue nice and open-ended without making any assumptions. If she responds and her partner is a female, then I'd send her a link to the photos of that same-sex wedding you shot, but not in a way that tokenizes them ie, 'oh, I went to college with someone who was gay' but in a way that shows support, ie, 'I actually shot a really cool same-sex wedding earlier this year if you want to take a look.' And if you really want to be proactive, then add those photos to your website or blog!
What's your experience with the term partner?
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