Why do you think gay men and straight women tend to be good friends?

There's absolutely no pressure to always look your best. You can go out with your gay best friend and not have to worry if you're hair or makeup isn't perfect. You can also lounge around with him in your flannel jammies knowing that you aren't going to be judged for it.

A straight female and gay male can talk about "guy issues" and maybe give each other dating advice. They could go shopping and the gay best friend will NEVER lie and say something looks good when it really doesn't.

There's just a comfort zone with a gay male best friend. Women are notorious back-stabbers; a gay male best friend wouldn't stab you in the back and won't try to steal the man you want to date!

Gay men are, for the most part, fun and easy going, but love a good gossip session every now and then!!! Best of both worlds.

From the man's side, women usually do not judge or fear gay men the way straight men often do. And they can talk about cute guys together! :p Plus, some gay men are feminine in that they sometimes enjoy platonic physical affection like hugs and cuddling. Most women are a lot more open to hugging or cuddling a gay guy than a straight man would be.

Who knows It a pretty sweeping statement and though they might get on I am not sure of the validity of that statistics or the mythology used. I mean is it really a 'natural' friendship type of thing or has this been culturally produced or increased? I don't know not being a gay man or a women but personally I do have a gay older brother with a very good and close female friend who I have always assumed is straight.

She is a very shy reserved person but I also get the feeling of of her that's she's very 'political'

This would suggest but I am not claiming this that women and gay men are both very politicized groups and new laws have been brought into effect very recently have made both groups 'protected' groups much like but obviously not the same as children are political. protected group.

I assume they have this in common and many other things in common that are considered feminine.

I don't think you get the same effect the other way around as the sexes whether straight or gay don't have in general the same responses to sexual stimulie. Ie gay men don't feel any sexual attraction to women and women don't get that stimulus that she would get from a straight male to interested her in him in a sexual way. When it comes to straight men and lesbians there is much more of a conflict of interest that as she is not interested in sex with him but he most certainly is interested in sex with her and this response in a fair number of men may even be increased because he finds lesbian sex highly arousing though it could also disgust him and have the opposite affect maybe both reactions at the same time. There is also the issue of competing for women as men are compete and naturally possessive of his women ( despite what feminism tries to promote ) and so do lesbians if we look at the incidents of domestic violence in both groups that would suggest sexual jealousy in both groups.

That is purely theory though.

So in summery it is actually not that a lot of gay men and straight women are these amazing friends as that is just not true but they just seem on the surface at least to have less to hinder a friendship forming but I even think these real friendships that the study is suggesting and that my bother does indeed have with a straight women is few and far between but is at a fairly higher rate than men friendships with lesbians which are negligible

A straight woman and a gay man would approach avenues of life the same whether it was love, work or child rearing. As your link suggests, women find gay men to be non-competitors for mates (for the most part) and can weigh their advice on the merit of experience without adding the prejudice of ulterior motives on the part of the adviser.

This is mostly stereotypical opinion/view of the gay guy straight woman relationship. In the study they use words like perceived, possibility and speculate just to name a few. Reality, a lot of straight women look for a gay guy relationship for all those "stereotypical" idealism's that in actuality offend most gay men. Not all gay men are into fashion or interior decorating. Not all gay men are great with relationships conversation. Women think because they share one thing in common "men" that their so compatible, so far from reality. This is a dynamic that just does not happen in reality as much as those would like to think. WIll and Grace, a good show, but its in the writers words, not reality. I love the dynamic between Penny and Sheldon, find that in the real world...

I would imagine that both groups speak the same "language" on a deeper level. A straight woman and a gay man would approach avenues of life the same whether it was love, work or child rearing. As your link suggests, women find gay men to be non-competitors for mates (for the most part) and can weigh their advice on the merit of experience without adding the prejudice of ulterior motives on the part of the adviser.

This is mostly stereotypical opinion/view of the gay guy straight woman relationship. In the study they use words like perceived, possibility and speculate just to name a few. Reality, a lot of straight women look for a gay guy relationship for all those "stereotypical" idealism's that in actuality offend most gay men. Not all gay men are into fashion or interior decorating. Not all gay men are great with relationships conversation. Women think because they share one thing in common "men" that their so compatible, so far from reality. This is a dynamic that just does not happen in reality as much as those would like to think. WIll and Grace, a good show, but its in the writers words, not reality. I love the dynamic between Penny and Sheldon, find that in the real world...

I had a best friend who is a gay man and he and I had ton of fun. We would go out on dates. get dressed up and did everything together. We just worked as friends and loved one another for who we were. Sometimes it's the best friendship because we always had each other whether or not we were in a relationship with someone or not. I also think the same ideals hold true for straight men and lesbians/bisexual women. The gay community tends to embody and embrace feminine ideals and gives the woman someone they can trust and confide in without any sort of attraction between the two.

You both can get things from the opposite sex perspective without sex being in the way. I had a best friend who is a gay man and he and I had ton of fun. We would go out on dates. get dressed up and did everything together. We just worked as friends and loved one another for who we were. Sometimes it's the best friendship because we always had each other whether or not we were in a relationship with someone or not. I also think the same ideals hold true for straight men and lesbians/bisexual women. The gay community tends to embody and embrace feminine ideals and gives the woman someone they can trust and confide in without any sort of attraction between the two.

A straight female and gay male can talk about "guy issues" and maybe give each other dating advice. They could go shopping and the gay best friend will NEVER lie and say something looks good when it really doesn't.

There's just a comfort zone with a gay male best friend. Women are notorious back-stabbers; a gay male best friend wouldn't stab you in the back and won't try to steal the man you want to date!

Gay men are, for the most part, fun and easy going, but love a good gossip session every now and then!!! Best of both worlds.

Asker's rating & comment

I'll share with you my opinions, I wont bother trying to find resources and links with pointless studies.

It's my opinion that when you remove the need for sexual intimacy a friendship just becomes significantly easier. When two males bond, there isn't ever that sexual tension because neither party is ever turned on by the other [Unless one is homosexual/bi or both etc. etc.]

Beyond that, most gay men are more in tune with what people call their feminine side. Of course, there are exceptions, and some homosexual men are more manly than straight men. Regardless, the situation you describe this detail stays true.

Both parties have something in common, the appreciation of the male form. Gay men obviously like men, as do straight women. This suddenly introduces a new topic for them both to discuss. Who is cute, who isn't who has the best hair etc.

At the end of the day, it's simply because the gender walls are broken. They aren't a man and a woman being friends, they're just friends. There is no will they, wont they? because they never will since one is homosexual.

As a female myself, many girls crave a best friendship with a gay man!

I guess it's just the no-judgement aspect that seems most appealing -- the girls can just be themselves without worrying about 'beautifying' themselves as they normally would around straight men. They don't need to worry about any attraction or anything sexual -- just a pure friendship.

I think girls really value this as straight men (and gay men too, perhaps, except not around women) are often portrayed as being sexually driven and usually have some form of goal in mind. Almost every friendship between a straight woman and man end up with one of them feeling romantically attached and it just becomes a bit of a tangle.

Because women tend to have more sensitive souls in general (not all do, but I'd say most), and I envy them for that because I don't. Also, with straight and bi females, they can understand the attraction to men. To compare; straight men and lesbians. Some straight men feel threatened in some way around gay guys. The need to reject that to further prove their masculinity is apparent in many cases. Of course, not all straight men are like this. I'd say a minority are. Its quite probable that most of the straight men who even commented on this only commented on it because it bothered them. Most people probably just go "meh" and let it go.