How does your local newspaper write obituaries for LGB people whose significant other was the same gender?

Question

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Do they report about a "long-time companion" or "partner"? Or is this person never mentioned? How else is sexual orientation described?

- {♂♂} - {♂♀} - {♀♀} -

Answer 1

Usually "partner." "so-and-so is survived by their partner of 25 years..."

Answer 2

There are very few obituaries written by newspaper staffers, unless they are for prominent people in the community. For the most part, obits are written by family and run in the classified section of the paper.
Most common reference seems to be to a long-time companion or partner, but they never specify whether that person is same-sex, or opposite sex but the couple is unmarried.
And I wonder if an obit is really the place to spell out someone's sexual preferences?

Answer 3

The only obituaries that I am familiar with are paid-for. So they print it however it is submitted with respect to the deceased. Obituaries are usually in the local section of the newspaper and online.

I've seen significant others called life partner, companion, husband, wife, lover. Various names are used for GLBT obituaries. I don't necessarily see that much difference from the heterosexual world. Death doesn't care what sexuality anyone is ...

Answer 4

The obituary usually states that they are survived by their partner, with the partner's name then given, followed by other family members and their names.

Answer 5

The obituaries are generally written by the funeral home or one of the surviving family members so it depends on who wrote it.

Answer 6

Here in small town right wing Kansas, they pretend that gays don't exist in the local paper. Pretty sad.

Answer 7

Honestly, I have never paid any attention to this issue before.