" ...if I refer to my wife everyone knows that I am referring to my female wife. I would be annoyed and embarrassed if they assumed that I was gay and had a male partner."
I'm with you KP, when I refer to my other half, or my wife, I sure as hell don't want the other party to be unsure of whether I am married to another bloke or a woman!
I recall a reality show a couple of years ago where a lesbian always referred to it's partner as her wife...how ridiculous. yet that is plainly what this same sex marriage brigade want, to refer to their same sex partner as their husband or wife.
So not only will they steal the marriage word, but then confuse the gender issue further by using known gender terms in an unspecific way. When some dude says..."Can I bring my wife?" Do we then have to ask so that we can cater correctly...oh, is your wife a he or a she? Moronic and damned stupid this whole idea...blokes marrying blokes and sheilas marrying sheilas...what next!