cos

To me, it comes across as juvenile. I may have had or used the term "girlfriends" in Elemnentary School, back when I also regularly scheduled "dates", which meant any time I scheduled a get-together with a friend. Usually a date meant trying to arrange to get together later that day after school. Once people starting having romantic dating and relationships where the terms might be confusing, the usage of "girlfriend" and "date" in that sense stopped being used. Although it may have also been linked to more cultural awareness of same-sex relationships; I'm not sure. But anyhow, when I hear it, it makes me think the person is 7.