buggie:

I disagree. It was "social convention" for black people to be relegated to the back of the bus. I don't believe that people should EVER take social convention for granted just by virtue of the fact that it is social convention.

There is a big difference between social conventions that keep a group of people from being treated properly and social conventions that have no deeper impact. The dinner parties versus other types of parties thing is sort of like debating about why a person shouldn't wear white socks with dress shoes. If you don't want to deal with your friend's SOs, don't have a dinner party.

buggie:

You are admitting that there is no other reason for it right here.

Well, there is one other reason and that is generally people who are in a couple like to include their SO to events where it is proper to bring that SO.

buggie:

I realize it's social convention, and I think it's wrong. And I disagree and think that it HAS to change, because as someone mentioned, we don't live in the world of Ozzie and Harriet anymore.

What does that have to do with anything? Sure, people don't marry at 20 and stay married to the same person their whole lives. But people generally do pair up, even if it is temporarily, and like to include their SO.

buggie:

These rules don't apply anymore, and only serve to maintain a higher status of one group of people over another.

As long as people have sex drives, they'll find romantic partners. As long as that happens, they'll want to bring their partners around. You are essentially trying to swim upstream with respect to this issue. (And it has absolutely nothing to do with status.)