we need more inconspicuous gender neutral terms like "partner" or "friend".

if you call your wife your partner or spouse because her gender is irrelevant to the conversation, people might assume you're gay, but they won't be shocked or anything if you later clarify you're straight. but if you have a nephew that you describe as your nibling because his gender is irrelevant, people will 1000% assume he's nonbinary, and most will think it's weird if you later clarify. "ok, but if he's a boy, why did you use the nonbinary word?"

this is, of course, assuming they even know the word "nibling". my phone's autocorrect doesn't.

if you say "i have two partners", it means "i am in a relationship with two people and their genders are irrelevant". if you say "i have two joyfriends", it comes across as "i am in a relationship with two enbies".

gender 😮‍💨