Domestic Partner Vs Girlfriend

A couple of days ago over dinner, some friends and I started discussing the term "domestic partner." I've noticed in the past year that many people assume that my girlfriend and I are domestic partners just because we're living together. I appreciate their recognition of our relationship, don't get me wrong. I disagree, however, with how they automatically apply "domestic partnership" to our relationship. I introduce Meredith, my girlfriend, as" my girlfriend." Meredith once noted that she was introduced by one of her good friends as, "This is Meredith. Her partner's name is Stacy." The term "domestic partnership," to me, implies marriage (without all the rights in some states, and no, this is not going to be a discussion of gay marriage). And although Meredith and I have been living together for over three years, we're not ready to take the next step to partnership bliss. Nor are we casually dating. It seems as if same-sex couples have been forced to choose between casual dating and domestic partnership. We have nothing against domestic partnerships or marriage, for that matter, but it's just not for us at the moment. Why can't she be my girlfriend who lives with me?

On a side note, if any of you are wondering about the origin of the term "domestic partnership," check out Wikipedia's entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_partnership