"Partners"

So when you tell someone that you have a "partner," what does that mean to them? When I hear it, I think a serious relationship and usually gay or queer. Really, I usually think of it as a queer substitute for husband or wife. I'd like to start applying the term more liberally, but I know that I have straight friends who would be weirded out if I started asking how their partners were. "BOYfriends" and "GIRLfriends" are strange to have if you're over 20. Very odd if you're over 40, but English lacks a more mature word for this relationship. I'm not a boy, and I'm not interested in dating girls. Rather date women who have at least some of their shit together....