None of that is because your bond was sanctioned by the state or church... you might as well call yourselves "joined" or "committed" or "unioned". Marriage is

None of that is because your bond was sanctioned by the state or church... you might as well call yourselves "joined" or "committed" or "unioned". Marriage is the term that only validates relationships deemed OK by the state or church. It is a mechanism of social control and if anything undermines the gravity of two people's commitment to each other.