*** Introducing Your SO In Public ***

[Felicia Dee]

Hi all!

This scenario has come up a couple of times and I wanted to put this out to you gurls (and GGs) – especially those with supportive SO's – and see what the consensus might be...

September and I have gone out together with me dressed 3 times now since May and in each instance, the the question has come up: “How do I introduce you?”

A moment will present itself when someone I know or am meeting will come up to us and I'll start to do introductions, get to September and... honestly, this is where we stumble.

How do you introduce your SO?? And then, how should she introduce me (us)?

One idea we had was to introduce ourselves as each other's wife...

We're planning on attending the CD event in New Hope in a few weeks so there will be LOTS of moments for me to screw up. HELP!

[SO1Adam12]

Most of the gay/lesbian couples I know use the term "partner" but they're also not married.

[2B Natasha]

Hi Wednesday

When myself and my wife are out. I prefer to introduce her as my wife ( insert name ). I don't pass as a women or sound like one and I don't try to sound like one either. So there really isn't much that people can get confused about. I don't worry all that much about it. She's my wife. Why wouldn't I call her that?

Cheers

[paulaprimo]

i would say whatever you are both comfortable with or simply SO.
seems when i was there, i really don't recall...the real problem was fighting the crowd to get a drink.

[devida]

Mate, spouse, other half, companion are all reasonable. We prefer partner because we don't like husband or wife and we actually are partners in our business. But we usually just introduce each other to other people by our first names. Wednesday and September sound fabulous to me. Cockney rhyming slang is Trouble and Strife (Me Loving Wife) and Pot (from Old Pot and Pan - Old Man) but I don't suppose that is much help since it is just as gendered as husband and wife.

[JayeLefaye]

Hi Wednesday,

I'm new to the forum, but 50+ years of (on&off) CDing. When my wife and I are out, and I'm dressed, I introduce her the same way as when I'm out and NOT dressed. I simply introduce her, or she me, by our first names. I mean, the question of what our relationship is, is a question, and I'm happy to answer it if asked. "Are you married?" "What's our line of work?" "Where do you live?". These are simple, polite questions, but I don't feel the need to answer any of them via introduction because they're "getting to know you" questions. Hope that makes sense.

Having said that, as a hetero-CD, sometimes my fragile masculinity wants me to blurt out "Yeah, I crossdress, but make no mistake buddy, I'm ALL man and have a wife to prove it!!!", but I try to resist that urge:-)

Hope you have a blast at your upcoming event!

Jaye

[Jenniferathome]

I say, "This is my wife" and her name. I'm not fooling anyone that I am a female.

[Di]

To people we just met I say ....hi I am Di and this is Sherlyn nice to meet you.

If anyone would ask further I would say my partner.

So far have not met anyone I know while out and about( have not lived in this country but a few yrs) but would prob do the same.

I have GG friends that intro as this is my friend or this is my sister...but I do not like that for myself,

So I would say whatever you both decide.

[Allison Chaynes]

I haven't been out, but I would probably say "this is my wife."

[Sandra]

To people who we have just met I say "I'm Sandra and this is Nigella" if they then ask what the relationship is we both just say partners.

[Felicia Dee]

Thanks everybody! This is SUPER Helpful..! Hugs!!!

-Wens

[Lorileah]

One thing I think needs to be done is for people to quit worrying over labels. I have many friends in the gay community who are now married or in civil unions. The seem to always describe their partner with traditional words. They say "This is my husband" So when I had a GF she always introduced me as her SO or DH or partner in life.

[Nadine Spirit]

We introduce each other as to how we are dressed. She is always dressed as a woman and thus I reference her as my wife. I switch around a lot, so at times I am her husband and others I am her wife. We are proud of being married and remain that way regardless of how I choose to dress.

Do you were a wedding ring while dressed as a girl? I do, and it is different than my male one, but means just as much. Actually it means a bit more to me. Besides costing far more, the sentiment behind it was super special to me. I want everyone to know we are married, because I am so proud of it!

[I Am Paula]

My wife and I just use wife and wife. I have legally transitioned, so that's what we are. A couple of funny looks have prompted me to say "That's legal now".

[Cheryl T]

Just use her name.
No reason why titles are needed.

[Tiffany Jane]

Sorry, I am not out in public with my wife. Either way, I usually refer to her as my best friend, high school sweetheart, or more importantly, soulmate. Having evolved our relationship out of the cookie cutter emotions and expectations society had told us, we realize we were meant to find eachother and would have found regardless of which bodies our souls took the form of.

[BLUE ORCHID]

Hi WED. Hi I would like you to meet my girl friend ------.

[Rachel Morley]

My wife always says "this is my spouse Rachel" and if it's me doing the introducing I say "this is my wife Marla" .. sometimes I might say "spouse" but usually I say "wife" ...and of course we always refer to each other as "she" when we're talking out each other to others.