August 1 is National Girlfriends Day–a day that comes around once a year, and platonic, female friends from all over celebrate one another. Yet, this year is different. Queer women have taken up the hashtag #NationalGirlfriendsDay to ask heterosexual women to stop using the word “girlfriend” when referencing their friends.
One Twitter user suggested they use “human friends” or “true friends” instead.
“I do wish hetero women would stop referring to platonic friends as ‘girlfriends’ because every time you do that I’m like ‘oooh, hello fellow non-monogamous lesbian’ and it makes things awkward,” she wrote.
https://twitter.com/stavvers/status/1156862314735448064
Fuck we got the wrong idea about #NationalGirlfriendsDay pic.twitter.com/feMwUH1NRb
— Max🦇 (@MaxWTweets) August 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/stavvers/status/1156862948360560640
https://twitter.com/MagsVisaggs/status/1156931560161128448
Even though National Girlfriends Day is meant to celebrate heterosexual female friendships, some users misinterpreted it to be about romantic partners anyway, with lots of queer women celebrating their significant other.
https://twitter.com/kylam_official/status/1156952808517558273
Happy #NationalGirlfriendsDay pic.twitter.com/rGBW6waEiL
— K Ē V O 🎒 (@kevinkpraylow) August 1, 2019
Could be us but you playing ;( #NationalGirlfriendsDay pic.twitter.com/iiLkZhYeGq
— Daz (@the_life_of_daz) August 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/briannaleec/status/1156929355181887488
A best friend and lover all into one 👫🥰 #NationalGirlfriendsDay pic.twitter.com/J80EjQsHKH
— Gabby 🌈🇵🇭 (@gabs820) August 1, 2019
https://twitter.com/motherjuniper/status/1156907220262670337
Petition to redefine the day, please!
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