Can men and women be close friends?

[Anonymous]

My question is for a straight man and a straight woman

And it is not a childhood thing
They first meet each other in their late 20s

[DishLady]

I've always thought so. I have a lot of guy friends... more so than female friends. Hmm. Some ARE childhood acquaintances but we lost touch and didn't become friends till after college... some guys from college, work, church, PTA, blah, blah, blah... No problems. I'm even still friends with one of my exes and his family.

Some guys I know insist that men and women can't be friends... or grumpily insist that they choose not to be friends with women for whatever reason of theirs (which I find to be total hogwash). I guess it's just up to the people involved.

[Nikki1989]

For the millionth time, yes. Most of my closest friends are male, as well as everyone I work with. The men that say no are the kind of men anyone would struggle to be friends with anyway.

[Asker]

How do you know that there isn’t one of them who is not secretly attracted to you? Or wants to be your partner?

[meepmeeperton]

I'd say kind of but not really. You can be friends but how close you are has it's limits before you have to feel kind of weird about it, like you're getting too close. And chances are one or the other will develop feelings, usually the guy even if he hides it.

[RebelinSteel]

Yes they can, I’m friends with girls from University, I have close friends that are girls that I have known, 5-10 years.

[Anonymous]

Nope