Are you more comfortable making friends with people of your own gender or of another? Why?

I tend to have far more female friends – my wife has more male friends – or lesbian friends. I suspect that it is because many friendships start with flirtation and you usually only flirt with the opposite sex.

It depends on the situation.

If there is another genderqueer person around I am certainly more intimately linked to them, yes but I have no problem making friends with anyone – mostly, however, I have made intense intellectual connections with people that identify as men or genderqueer.

Both are great, but I was raised by women so I can initially get along better with them and I can have deeper conversations with them.

I welcome potential friends of either gender. No preference whatsoever.

A good mixture of both for me.However I seem to get along with girls easier/better.Which is good, suits me fine.

I am better friends with men, not sure why, and yes it has gotten me into trouble on occasion.

I cant really say I’m any more or less comfortable around any one sex….. certainly if I want to talk about anything sensitive or emotional Id far rather discuss it with a female friend….. however, male friends do have their place, like, when I want to play Xbox360, or do something really stupid.

More comfortable to initiate conversation with the opposite gender.

I can be friends with both, but women are most likely, especially as I get older, and women have been my deepest friendships with the exception of my husband (who is my best friend), because specific female troubles I would probably not discuss in depth with a male friend, and I have unfortunately had quite a bit of those.

I think is makes sense that both men and women might find female friendships attractive because women tend to talk more, want to hear your problems more, and be more patient.

I’m probably most comfortable with men. I feel there are no expectations put upon me. Women can be so much more critical with each other. However it is easier for me to stay in a relationship with a woman because a woman would have more shared life experiences that pertain to women. (Ex. Guys will never understand menopause because they only see it from the outside)

I’m generally comfortable meeting and talking to people of either gender. Why? That’s my personality.

I have tons of female friends, of course, but when it gets right down to it, I can make friends faster with a man. I trust men more. I can talk to them easily. They don’t blab personal things like women do. Women like to compete. They get jealous. I have so many men friends that I talk to through PMs & IMing. I just have an easy way with them. I’ve never had a man betray me. Women…I’m cautious with many of them.

I tend to like making friends more with the ladies, but I find that often I can relate a lot more to my own gender…I guess the lady thing is because of the hormones.

I have almost no female friends. I’m male I get on with males much more, can’t really understand girls interests.

I am female and get on much better with males. I find females can be bitchy and competitive.
Males on the other hand are much easier to talk to, have a laugh with and I suppose we flirt with each other, in an innocent way, for my part.

As a woman, I make better and longer lasting friendships with men. I have rarely had a girl best friend for longer than a year… not that we ended in conflict – it was more of “just not around anymore”.

I connect and talk to men much better with women, I find that most times women just don’t understand… and what @partyparty said. :)

Thanks for your answers so far. I have to say that I am quite surprised. I’m glad I asked.

It is odd- in real life I have far more male friends than female ones, yet online I have more female ones than males. Might have something with the majority of males being online only for porn :P

I am mistrustful of just about everyone, so it takes awhile to befriend anyone where friendship has any meaning, and in real life I tend to gravitate towards men because I am more apt to trust them. Women just seem to me to be more catty, bitchy and backstabbing. Just my experiences and opinion though.

Are you better friends with people of your own sex, or of another sex?
Other sex. I’m male, the majority of my friends are female. My closest friends are all female. Though I greatly value all my friendships even if I don’t always express it as often as I should, male/female near/far close/distant, a friend’s a friend.

Why do you think you have this preference?
In general, I’m more at ease with them, there seems to be more of a connection, more meaning. Also, for some reason it’s easier to deal with issues in a more straightforward manner with women. With guys, I tend to get competitive and be less trusting, neither of which I particularly care for, add in the extra drama that never seems to end and, well, there you have it.

Has your preference for friends of any particular gender ever gotten you into trouble?
It’s put a strain on a couple of my personal relationships, but never anything (from my perspective) serious; and most importantly, my wife gets it.

Is there any hint of a more intimate relationship in any of your friendships?
Only with my closest friends, and only if you include open mutual acknowledgement as a “hint”.

What, if anything, do you do with that energy?
It’s part of our relationship, that energy just serves to enrich it.

I confided something to one of my RL female friends some time ago. I didn’t get very far. I could tell she wasn’t liking where it was going. I felt that she kinda let me down. She didn’t have to go along with what I said, but she didn’t even try to understand or talk it out with me. The one close male friend I have who knows my issue, on the other hand, has been very supportive & understanding. I know I can count on him. It kinda ruined some of my friendship with her, I feel.

I have had many male friends at work and school. Most friendships are transitory.
I still have one male friend from college.
In general I find many men want more from me; and I am happily married.

@squirbel Seems we are on the same wavelength LOL

@partyparty & @squirbel me, three.

@jbfletcherfan @partyparty :D

opposite sex. it has always been this way. i have a few close female friends but i just get along sooo much better with guys. we hit it off easier. i find them wayyy easier to talk to, too.

@jbfletcherfan Yes I can always rely on my male friends, not so for my female friends.

@partyparty Yes, I agree. I’ve certainly come to realize that.

I’m more comfortable making friends with other men. I have few female friends and those I do have, tend to be wives or partners of my male friends.

I tend to enjoy the company of women over men. I didn’t realize that was so common, though.

its better to just have associates ..the worst three words you can hear is…lets be friends ..it has created many enemies…talk to everyone on the same level ..treat everyone as if they were friends…just respect people in general as you want respected ..your family is your steadfast line of compainionship…friends (“associates ”)...will come and go…don`t let anyone rip you off ..don`t be a bank and loan out money…and always be forgiving…life will be simple

It is usually easier for me to be friends with girls and I have more female friends than male friends, although when I hang out with people (other than my boyfriend or really close male friends), I prefer there to be a mix. I’m most comfortable when there is a mix of genders rather than all girls or all guys, but I can function in both.

I’m guessing it has something to do with me being gay and somewhat effeminate in that I can relate to straight girls more than I can relate to straight guys. We often have more in common. But again, it’s not a huge division. I do have more girl friends than guy friends, but not by a ton. It’s relatively even.

(I’m a girl.)

I tend to get along with guys better or other girls who understand my crude jokes and strange ways… I guess it’s because I think like a man ;)

It’s never gotten me into any trouble as far as relationships because they know beforehand that if they can’t handle me having guy friends, they can get lost! :D

@doctiresquire its better to just have associates ..the worst three words you can hear is…lets be friends

What a miserable attitude.

DarkScribe…ah ..lets be friends

@doctiresquire DarkScribe…ah ..lets be friends

Is this a case of “Misery wants company”? ;)

I definitely get along with guys better (I’m a girl).
I’m too loud to always be in the company of other girls. They get annoyed by me. XD
And my sense of humor is understood better by guys, I suppose.

I make better friends with females, but only because they notice I’m the quiet one in the corner not garnering attention. I think I’ve only had one or two male friends. Bad experiences. I think I might shy away from having male friends. ^^;

No difference unless I’m attracted to the guy. It’s hard for me to remember that a man I become attracted to is just a human being, like the other men I know. I don’t have such a problem with women.

I seem to get along with both equaly

I usually have more in common with men than women. Although at this stage in my life I have a good group of female friends. The interesting thing about us is, though, we all get along better with men than women.

I have found women to often to be very catty. I don’t have time for that. I’d rather be talking about something interesting or to someone interesting.

I’m a woman who loves my male friends. I didnt have a father figure growing up and that closeness and security is something I crave.

I think women are catty as well. and some are rather shallow.