5 things you didn't know about queer friendships

Over the years, the meaning of queer friendships has evolved for me ever since I found friends within the community! 

Friendship is a beautiful and meaningful bond between two or more people who share mutual affection, trust, and support. It has its ups and downs that teach us many things that we may have or have not experienced otherwise. Growing up as a "straight" boy, I was always friends with the "guys" but ever since I came out as pansexual, I met so many people from different genders, backgrounds, and even sexualities. I experienced a different kind of friendship, one where people accepted me for just being me. Not all queer people have only queer friends, but for me, I'll channel the all queer friends group persona because I find more comfort in queer friendships because they challenge normative expectations of how people should relate to each other. And no, I don't mean the GBF! They are based on mutual respect, care, support and a shared sense of identity and belonging. Queer friendships can also be fluid and dynamic, allowing for different kinds of intimacy and expression.

Also Read: Being queer in 2023

Here's probably what you didn't know about queer friendships!

They provide a safe space for exploring one’s queerness and discovering new possibilities of being and loving. One thing about having a queer friend is they know exactly what you've been through and it's always going to be a no judge space.

When you're going through something that only a specific type of person can understand, they offer solidarity and empathy when there's already so much oppression and discrimination and that's something heterosexuals have not experienced firsthand.

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Internalised heteronormativity might come from the way we've been brought up but queer friendships can help one unlearn that and even internalised homophobia that often limits one’s self-esteem and happiness.

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They foster creativity and imagination since queer friends can envision and create alternative ways of living and relating. Your queer friends are always going to have your back, no matter what, because as strongly as we support queer rights, we support queer wrongs too!

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They show you that there is no one right way to be human, rather there are infinite possibilities of queer  joy. Queer friendships are not only important for queer people but also for society at large. They challenge rigid and hierarchical structures that divide people based on gender, sexuality, race, class, and other categories. They celebrate diversity and difference rather than erasing or suppressing them.

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Have you made friends from the community? Let us know in the comments below!

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