Could gay guys be the ultimate wg men for their straight, male iends?
Contents:
- CAN GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN REALLY BE FRIENDS?
- CAN GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN REALLY BE FRIENDS?
- GAY MEN AND STRAIGHT MEN AS FRIENDS
- GAY MEN AND STRAIGHT MEN AS FRIENDS
- WHAT THE WORLD CAN LEARN FROM GAY-STRAIGHT FRIENDSHIPS
CAN GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN REALLY BE FRIENDS?
New rearch explor the benefs of iendship between gay and straight men. * gay and straight male friendships *
McKellan is a gay man who me out 1988, and although 33 years have passed sce he me out, n still be shockg to the world to see such a close same-sex iendship that cross sexual inti. Along wh his supervisor, Robb Travers, he lnched a study that surveyed 350 straight men and 275 gay or bisexual men om across North Ameri.
Siar to qutns that loom about whether straight men and women n ever tly be platonic iends, the same qutn lgers over the iendships between gay and straight men. A bromosexual iendship is a nonsexual iendship between two men, where typilly one iend is gay (or bisexual), and the other is straight.
In days past, this may have seemed as unlikely as a iendship between a ln and a moe, given the tradnally high levels of homophobia among straight men. McKie’s rearch reported that straight participants felt that a gay iend ma for the ultimate wgman bee the gay iend uld help to attract prospective partners for the straight iend. Other rearch has shown that women prefer iendships wh gay vers straight men, partly bee the threat or loomg qutn of sexual attractn is renred moot.
CAN GAY AND STRAIGHT MEN REALLY BE FRIENDS?
* gay and straight male friendships *
However, straight men bromosexual iendships have perhaps learned how to harns this ease of iendship between straight women and gay men for their own advantage. McKie noted that the straight men felt their gay iend was able to make succsful troductns to straight women bee the women tsted their gay male iends to troduce them to a good person. Gay men also reported unique advantag to havg a straight wgman when pursug their own datg goals.
Gay men McKie’s rearch reported that their straight male iends often play the role of ‘matchmaker’ and troduce them to another of their gay iends. The lack of petn for the same prospective partners allows the iendship to flourish a way that may be hred to some gree for gay or straight men iendships wh men who share the same sexual orientatn. For gay men, iendship qualy wh a straight male iend was particularly high when the iendship pre-dated the gay man g out.
GAY MEN AND STRAIGHT MEN AS FRIENDS
New rearch explor the benefs of iendship between gay and straight men. * gay and straight male friendships *
Havg a gay iend n open straight men up to thkg differently about LGBTQ people general. Straight men also reported havg more emotnally vulnerable nversatns wh their gay iends bee they felt safer to do so, relative to attemptg to discs siar topics wh other straight men. McKie’s rearch found that straight men livg the more central parts of Canada and the Uned Stat were ls likely to report a willgns or tert havg a gay man as a iend.
But tim are changg quickly, and McKie’s rearch unrsr the special bond that n velop between gay and straight iends to the benef of both. For a long time, iendships between gay men and straight men – what some now ll “bromosexual” iendships – were unmon.
GAY MEN AND STRAIGHT MEN AS FRIENDS
Heterosexual and gay men n heal and grow as a rult of their iendships. * gay and straight male friendships *
Homophobia was likely one reason; another was that straight men probably assumed they didn’t have much mon wh gay men.
Specifilly, we’re terted lookg at the reasons gay men and straight men bee iends (or rema iends after the gay iend out). We currently have a survey vtigatn unrway that explor some of the posive out of “bromosexual” iendships, cludg our theory that gay men and straight men n be optimal wg men for one another. Friendships between gay and straight men have always existed.
WHAT THE WORLD CAN LEARN FROM GAY-STRAIGHT FRIENDSHIPS
For a long time, iendships between gay men and straight men – what some now ll “bromosexual” iendships – were unmon. But, that's changg. * gay and straight male friendships *
Many straight men hated to beiend gay men, fearg harassment, rejectn om their straight iends or beg lled gay. The growg acceptance of homosexualy, however, has allayed some of the fears.
Gay men – particularly those nservative and ral environments – rema wary about tryg to beiend straight men, fearg prejudice-fueled rejectn. At the same time, many straight men still doubt that they’ll be able to relate to gay men any meangful way and, for this reason, may not try to iate a iendship. Of urse, the tradnal notn that gay men and straight men nnot be close iends is herently homophobic and unte.