Why Gay Men and Straight Women Have Such Close Relationships

One of Hollywood’s most typical scenes is contrasting men and women’s gatherings with their same-sex friends and discussing their partner’s behavior. It is easy to notice that while women tend to talk about their feelings, the same episode depicting men talk is less emotional and more logical. These stereotypes roughly reflect how gender differences works, which are actually not natural but rather nurtured. Personally, I believe that men’s fear to discuss their feelings is bewildering because ability to feel is one of key features that human nature. Yet, it is easily explained by gender stereotypes and the way men are brought up.

A total of 59 participants took part in this experiment. They were split into two independent experimental groups, one being the control group, and the other the experimental group. There were 30 participants in the control group, and 29 participants in the experimental group. The male to female ratio was fairly equal with

Many scientists have a difficult time understanding homosexuality on the evolutionary aspect. They believe a human beings’ main purpose is reproduction, which makes the sexual relationship between two males a confusing concept for most evolutionary thinkers (McKnight 1). Evolutionary thinkers believe that the less desirable genes are removed from the system when they are not breed as often, but this cannot be said for homosexual males who have been a continuing presence in most societies over numerous generations (McKnight 1). These evolutionary thinkers, like most humans, have a need to place others into

In Stephen Mays’ essay “What about Gender Roles in Same-sex Relationships?” published in They Say I Say, the author discusses how people often assign gender roles automatically, even with gay and lesbian couples. Mays stresses the concept of femininity and masculinity, and also shows the difference in their roles, supports them with vivid imagery, and gives a rare example of gay male preferences, all while using the correct diction when referring to personal experiences. Although the author reiterates gender roles and their effect on same-sex relationships, he gives clear examples that support the idea of masculine or feminine qualities.

The studies conducted used a wide array of individuals, brother-sister, brother-brother and twins. Throughout the article, majority of the focus caters to homosexual men in relation and comparison to

Some women seek lesbian relationships because they want to reject this sort of powerless state they may feel in a heterosexual situation. Relationships between men to men and women to women hold several differences, but at the same time they share several similarities. Downing concludes the article by stating that there are both gay men and lesbians that dismiss the homosexuality myth, but it is crucial that they understand that the myth does hold a cultural vision on the power of gender and human selfhood. In order to get past the myth, we must understand to accept its existence.

There are various perceptions of gay and lesbian couples that they represent a more egalitarian relationship. (Civettini 2015:1) However, when same-sex couples are observed there is still a tendency to believe that the relationship contains a masculine and feminine figure following the heterosexual model. So, it is necessary to address both how these couples deviate from society’s norms as gay individuals but might still be reproducing the same behaviors as heterosexual couples because the ideologies are so deeply rooted in social institutions. The stereotypical connotations of masculinity and femininity influence all aspects of American society and gender display relies heavily on meeting those given expectations. So, in the case of this article, the author Civettini views a connection between sex, gender, and sexual orientation when it comes to displaying

Thoughts regarding sexual orientation contrast were gotten from traditional thought, Christian belief system, and contemporary science and pharmaceutical. Men and ladies were thought to occupy bodies with various physical make-ups and to have generally unique qualities and excellencies. Men, as the more grounded sex, were thought to be clever, gallant, and decided. Ladies, then again, were more administered by their feelings, and their temperances were relied upon to be celibacy, humility, empathy, and devotion. Men were thought to be more forceful; ladies more uninvolved. These distinctions were reverberated in the issues to which each sex was thought to be inclined. Men were inclined to brutality, tenacity, and narrow-mindedness, while ladies' wrongdoings were seen as the consequence of their propensity to be administered by their bodies and their feelings, outstandingly desire, over the top energy, and

As everyone knows that men are objective, unemotional, and inarticulate. Yet men formed friendships and they usually have larger friendship groups than women, their way to ‘connect’ with each other is impersonally and unemotionally. This result in a much more realistic view of Homosociality in Men's Talk. Men does not like women that chat and exchange ideas often due to gender difference which men and women has naturally difference in biology and behavior. Men are to normatively want (and need) to do things with groups of other men exclusive of women. Man are too dominancy which means they has masculinity with dominance or authority; to be a man is to be strong, authoritative, and in control. However, when personal feelings (friend love) transforms into special feelings (homosexual love), the difference of morality between human has decided they admit to be a gay or not. Implicit in the belief that extraordinary friendship is the base foundation of homosexual

The media tends to depict these intersectional friendships generally as gay men and straight women that are the best of friends who go shopping and clubbing together. Though this gender norm was common within the study, there are still other friendships that are regularly overlooked. The

In the article, “Geneticist Says Lesbianism Is Cultural, ‘Not Inherited’: Hamer Claimed Genetic Link for Male Homosexuality,” the author, Joyce Howard Price, examines a controversial research study that was performed by a geneticist with the National Cancer Research Institute, Dean Hamer. Price revealed Hamer’s conclusions of his study which illustrated different reasonings for sexual orientation in men and women. Hamer concluded that “male sexual orientation had many of the characteristics of a genetically influenced trait” (2) but that female homosexuality was rather “a willingness to listen to one’s own heart” (4) and “an openness to new feelings and new experiences.” (4). The author has also included research from other geneticists in

In society, there is often an invisible privilege associated with heterosexuality (Adams, 2010). For an example, heterosexual couples can walk down the street with their partner without fear of being verbally or physically attacked. This is a right that most heterosexual people don’t consider because they have never been forced to question their attraction, or love for the opposite gender, since this behavior is viewed by society as “natural” or a “normal” part being part of being a women or a man. However, the opposite is true for LGB individuals, these feelings of love or attraction for members of the same sex are often questioned by family, friends, religious and government organizations and societal norms. Like all other forms of oppression, heterosexism operates on multiple levels.

Compulsory heterosexuality refers to the idea that women and men are innately attracted to each other emotionally and sexually and that heterosexuality is normal and universal (Rich, 1). I have evaluated two episodes of Friends that display this phenomenon in which the main characters assume that heterosexuality is the norm, which often leads to prejudice and stereotyping. Through these assumptions based off of compulsory heterosexuality, Friends displays evident heteronormativity. The first example of compulsory heterosexuality occurs in the pilot episode of the series.

J. Donald O’Meara (1989) defines cross-sex friendship as a personal relationship between an unrelated man and woman who share no romantic feelings towards each other. He broadens his definition by allowing that a lack of romance does not necessarily entail a lack of sexuality or passion. This understanding allows for the possibility of sexual attraction, but not romantic attraction. Other definitions prohibit all forms of sexuality, passion, and romance, while still others allow them. In cross-sex friendships where sexual and/or romantic attraction exists, what role do they play in the relationship? Do they end friendships immediately upon dissolution of the attraction? Or do they enhance the quality and longevity, bringing the dyad closer together? This paper aims to answer those questions, assuming sexual and romantic attractions are both permitted in classifying cross-sex friendships. The frequency of sexual attraction in heterosexual cross-sex friendships differs between males and females, as does that of romantic attraction. Sexual boundaries are not clearly defined in these relationships, adding to the complications and ambiguity for both members of the dyad (Bleske & Buss, 2000). Moreover, there are several different types of love, and many levels of attraction. Rawlins (1982) describes platonic love (emotional relationship without a sexual component), friendship love (emotional and sexual expressions of affection; potentially unstable), physical love (sexual

Throughout history there has been speculation about what influences sexuality in men and woman. Is sexual orientation biological or cultural in nature? There is a common misconception that sexual identity operate in parallel with gender roles( Sell, 2005 as cited in Wilkinson & Roys, 2005, p.65). Scholars have not came to an agreement regarding what actually comprise a person’s sexual orientation, however a sexual orientation has been deemed a cumulative experience and interaction of emotional and sexual feelings towards one or both genders (Wilkinson & Roys, 2005, p.65). The paper provides provides some clues as to what factors influence sexual orientation in men and woman.