The Male Mistress

Last year, when New Jersey's governor was going through his "I am a gay American" disclosure, there was a lot of discussion in my office regarding how the press should identify the Israeli citizen with whom the governor had been having an affair.

Was the young man the governor's "lover"? His "paramour"? There were lots of fancy words tossed about, but ultimately our favorite came from our admininstrative assistant, a young girl from the Bed-Stuy area of Brooklyn, who'd been quietly listening from her position in the lobby.

"If the governor had cheated with a girl, she'd be his "mistress", right?" Melinda asked us.

We all nodded.

"Well, since he cheated with a man, I think they should call him the governor's "histress!"

By immediate acclaim, histress became the word. And with the increasing availablity of legalized gay marriage, it's a word that I fear we shall hear again.


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