Capitol News

Friendship plays a crucial role in well-being, offering joy, acceptance, and support. For queer individuals, connections with others who share their identity can foster solidarity and validation. A study by Michigan State University and the University of Kentucky explores the complexities of friendships among queer people.

Published in the journal LGBTQ+ Family, the study reveals that those with at least one friend of the same sexual identity experience greater life satisfaction and reduced loneliness. Conversely, friendships with similar but not identical identities can increase life satisfaction but also heighten feelings of loneliness. The data comes from the American Friendship Project, a comprehensive study on friendship in America.

Brooke Wolfe, a co-author of the study and an incoming assistant professor at MSU's College of Communication Arts and Sciences, states: “Queer people’s well-being can profit from friendships with other queer people.” However, she notes that similarities in friendships may lead to negative outcomes as well.

Wolfe suggests geographic separation might contribute to mixed feelings of loneliness and well-being since many adults live far from their friends. She explains: “While having queer friends as a queer person can improve well-being, it can also serve as a reminder of distance and missed opportunities for in-person interaction.”

The broader experience of marginalization may also play a role. While such friendships enhance life satisfaction, they might also highlight societal isolation where heterosexuality is often seen as the norm. Wolfe adds: “Being uniquely understood by friends is a gift, yet this benefit prompts queer people to notice areas of their life in which they are not authentically embraced and supported.”

Despite legal protections against discrimination based on sexual identity in the U.S., systemic exclusion persists. Wolfe comments: “While shared identity friendships can be beneficial, the broader political context of marginalization could prompt queer people to feel disconnected from a much larger community that varies in acceptance of their existence.”

The study underscores both benefits and disadvantages of queer friendships for well-being. Participants with friends sharing or resembling their identity reported stronger connections than those without such friends. Wolfe concludes: “The notion of building community with similar others remains key for queer people and their sense of belonging.”