"I'm 23yrs old now and I've never fit into any gay clique. I've always felt like the odd gay. When did you find your place in the gay community? How did you find your tribe?" -- Anonymous

"Don’t try to fit in with gay cliques. This is a mistake.

Do what you love and you will attract meaningful relationships with those who share your interests. Find your own community and thrive.

My advice is only as good as my results…so lets see how I’ve done:

I’ve spent years doing the things I love and have been fortunate enough to make a handful of friends that I consider very close who share my interests.

Friendship is not what I thought it would be.

Even my close friends live thousands of miles away. Given this distance, I do my best to stay relevant in their lives by messaging them often or sending tokens of my platonic love. (Eg, flowers to cheer them up, food when they’re sick, silly photos when they’re bored, etc…)

I wish the friends I’ve made would do the same for me.

My loneliness tests my friendships. I’ll stop poking, messaging, liking, etc, just to see if they care enough to do the same. I’ll go a week without receiving anyinteraction before I break down and message them. If I don’t initiate conversation, I’ll never hear from them. It makes me feel worthless.

My friends are more important to me than I am to them.

Are these people really friends?" -- Noodles and Beef