With heterosexual men (who, by definition, are sexually attracted to women), the process is longer – and potentially more fraught – because men may be grappling with their own sexual impulses. Because gay men don’t mate with women – or compete with them for mates – women feel a certain level of comfort with gay men, and the process of forming a close friendship can occur relatively quickly. However, this is precisely the reasoning behind my approach. (After all, straight women and gay men don’t mate with one another.) A safe betĪt first glance, this explanation may seem quite counterintuitive. Specifically, I believe evolutionary psychology and human mating can help explain why relationships between straight women and gay men tend to flourish.
