I’ve got told that ‘queerplatonic partner’ is just a fancy alternative phrase for ‘best friend’. What do you think about this? Are there any significant differences between them? (I’m so sorry if it has been asked before).

thehumorousace:

sableaire:

thehumorousace:

I mean, they kind of are similar but that doesn’t mean it’s any less meaningful for the people in QPs? It sounds like whoever told you that is just being hateful, I’d ignore them. QPs can be amazing and far more loving than the average friendship. It’s a shame allos feel the need to shit all over it…

-kai

I personally would argue that the term ‘best friend’ is used so liberally that it sometimes loses all meaning. Even with that aside, a people often define a QPR as a platonic relationship with commitment and emotional intimacy equivalent to that of a (healthy) long-term romantic relationship. That isn’t necessarily the case for the ‘best friend’ of a lot of people.

The meaning of ‘best friend’ differs for a lot of people, and some people have several best friends. To some people, a ‘best friend’ is someone they always have fun hanging out with or go on an adventure with. To some people, a ‘best friend’ is just someone who they might not speak to all the time, but are reliable and can be counted on when it matters.

From my experience, people tend to relate quasiplatonic partners to more of a sense of stability or a source of emotional ease. This is not the case for everyone. Additionally, although the term seems free for everyone to use, a QPR takes on a different significance to aromantic folk who do not invest in a romantic relationship. In a society where a romance is often said to be people who are “more than friends,” the term QPR is one used to say, “Hey, give this relationship the same amount of respect and weight.”

The nuance of QPRs is so felt that it’s hard to explain. However, I know that it is different because in my life, when I described the kind of friends that I want in my life, I have had several people – including my father – tell me, “That just sounds like a romantic relationship,” when to me, it very much was not (and the suggestion disturbed me greatly for a very long time;; )

The word QPR seemed to explain, then, what I wanted out of a close friendship. In my experience, in modern society, too many people confuse it for romance for it to just be a best friendship.

You perfectly summed it up! Thank you!

-kai