The experiments, published in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, demonstrated that straight women and gay men perceived one another to be trustworthy sources of relationship and dating advice. I also recruited gay male participants, and had them complete the same task (with the gay men viewing Facebook profiles depicting a straight female, gay male or lesbian female). The female participants were then asked how likely they would be to trust the individual's dating advice. In these experiments, straight female participants were shown fictitious Facebook profiles depicting either a straight woman, straight man or gay man.
In other words, because gay men are attracted to their own gender, they're a "safe bet" for women-at least, from a sociobiological standpoint.Ībout three years ago, I initially tested this theory in a series of experiments that have served as the foundation of my research program on gay-straight relationships. 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.) Specifically, I believe evolutionary psychology and human mating can help explain why relationships between straight women and gay men tend to flourish.Īt first glance, this explanation may seem quite counterintuitive. Books, television shows and feature-length films have all highlighted this unique relationship, noted for its closeness and depth.īut with society's attitudes toward gays and lesbians changing, it's become all the more important to build a holistic understanding of the relationships between gay and straight people.Īs a researcher in social psychology, I've often wondered: Why do straight female-gay male relationships work so well? Why are straight women so drawn to having gay men as friends? And when do these relationships typically form?ĭuring the course of my research, I've discovered that the most interesting, compelling-and, arguably, most theoretically coherent-explanation is through the lens of evolution. įor years, friendships between straight women and gay men have been a subject of pop culture fascination.
This article first appeared on The Conversation.