I'm no longer close with my first gay friend, James, because we're very different people now. One's first LGBTQ friendship is often super-intense in fact, that person can become just as important as a first romantic partner. So when a gay man first bonds with someone else who identifies as gay or queer, it's inevitably a total lightning bolt moment. At times, many gay men feel as though they're the only ones experiencing certain thoughts and feelings, ones that society still often deems abnormal. It's no secret that growing up gay can be a lonely experience.
