It's totally normal to see friendships between girls and women as emotional and intimate. It's pretty normal to see the same portrayals with men on the LGBT spectrum. For whatever reason, friendships with straight men are seen as emotionless, distant and superficial. It's almost like all straight men are allowed to do with one another is drink, chase after women, do something sporty or talk about cars or something.
That doesn't sound very fun or emotionally fulfilling. Spoiler Alert: friendships, believe it or not, are supposed to be emotionally fulfilling.
One Reddit user asked:
Straight guys of Reddit, what's the most intimate moment you had with another guy?
And yeah, we're here for all of this. Some of it is incredibly sad and moving, some of it made us literally laugh aloud. All of it was beautifully honest. You ready for all this awesome? #BringOnTheBromance
Tears With A Brother
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My fraternity brother/ roommate was having a bad day, we were all drinking but he clearly had the most and texted an ex, so I brought him back to our room to keep an eye on him. He got real sad and started crying, except he was insecure about his masculinity so he would cry for a few minutes about how he felt around other guys, then deny that he felt like that and this cycle would repeat every five minutes. Finally I broke through to him that feeling like this was completely fine and actually good (better acknowledging than hiding it). I held him in my arms while he wept for about half an hour. He kept trying to push back because his every instinct was telling him that this wasn't ok, but I just shushed him and rubbed his back as I held him. He eventually calmed down and went to bed. That happened two weeks ago and we haven't talked about it yet, but I'm glad he trusted me, and hope he seeks me out if he's feeling that ways again.
- svd1399
Bromance On A Rainy Night
It was my dads birthday. Went to the city for dinner. He sent me and my neighbor (who came to dinner with us) to get the car from the parking garage. It was raining so we were running. As were running through the streets of manhattan in the dark, lightning struck and thunder boomed. We simultaneously say "I love that" look at each other and keep running in the rain.
That night, a bromance was formed.
Saltines In The Bath Tub
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A few years ago my plastered-drunk friend was too sauced to function and he threw up all over himself. Being his friend and roommate I helped him get cleaned up. Only problem was he kept refusing to take a shower. He was only interested in taking a bath (in hindsight it was safer and easier). So this f*cker gets completely nude and hops in the tub filling with cold water.
Almost immediately he's screaming for my help, shivering by the time I'm in the bathroom. I fix the water and he starts crying saying he is "soooooo hu-hu-hungry." So I go grab some saltine crackers and began to feed my naked friend in the bathtub.
So, there's that.
- New_L
Just Drove
My mom attempted suicide years ago. She was hospitalized for a month. I thought I could handle it but a week or two after it happened, I got into a fight with my girlfriend at a party and started crying. I couldn't stop. I totally unraveled in a friends kitchen. My best friend put me in his car and we drove around while I sobbed uncontrollably. I've never been more emotionally unstable.
He didn't talk, he just drove around. Then he dropped me off at home. I felt so much better. He never even brings it up to this day.
Missing Her Friendship
I broke up with my first serious girlfriend after 4 years and an engagement. She had been cheating and it was a messy end.
18 months later, we had managed to stay apart but I was having dreams about her. I was having lunch with my best friend and he asked me about it. I told him I had been having dreams where I was pleading with her to acknowledge me, that I meant something, that she loved me. I would wake up weeping, and in telling this, started crying lightly at the table. He asks what I miss most, I mention the jokes, the places we went.
He takes a breath and says:
"It sounds like as much as you miss her as your girlfriend, you miss the friend she was, too."
Never dreamed or thought of her much again. Made some new friends.
We Won't Let You Fall
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I was on a trip with a buddy. He's an avid climber. The mountain we climbed together with the guide was waaaay over my skill level but we couldn't tell till half way up. It was sheer ice. My buddy had paid a lot to be on this trip and I after doing some glacier climbing was invited along by the guide for free.
Twice I froze in terror. Clinging to the side of the mountain with just axes and my crampons and tethered to my best friend and then the guide and then the ice anchor. I couldn't move. It was a combination of exhaustion and fear. I wept my buddy never once grew frustrated even though I was definitely fucking up his trip. He stayed calm and just said:
"Buddy you aren't going to fall because we won't let you fall. Even if you do you are attached to me and I sure as shit will never let you fall. After that I'm attached the the guide. He's attached to the mountain. You are safer now than you are in your car everyday. Now breathe and swing that f*cking axe as hard as you can above you and start moving."
I did it. After 10 hours we reached the summit for the most earned view of my life. I hugged my childhood friend. We repelled down the other face in the dark with head lamps. I had no fear. I felt alive. He'll forever be my brother.
The French Salon
I was at my buddy's house hanging out. He had just taken a shower, dressed, and come out to the living room where I was watching tv. His hair looked odd so I grabbed his brush and started brushing it. For whatever reason I started channeling a French salon owner. I brushed it into different styles and we were both having a laugh.
His dad walked in the room and we immediately acted as if we were doing something terribly wrong. We hurriedly departed and never spoke of it again.
Free Of The Burden
My best friend had muscular dystrophy. I'd been both his main bud for over ten years (all of which were past his life expectancy) and had to help him go to the bathroom, set up breathing machines, feed him, etc. All out of necessity and love at the same time.
When it became evident that his end was near, we refused to talk about it. I moved in with his family for a while just to be there with him, but we never discussed in words what was was going to happen...just kept hanging out as we always did.
One night, after about a week of getting up the courage to broach the subject, I asked him if he was afraid of dying. He said not at all, and that he was glad that I would finally be free of the burden of having to take care of him. This broke both of us.
This obviously was waaaay too much for either of us to handle and I laid in bed with him and we cried for what seemed like hours. We went over everything we needed to cover our feelings and our fears (and some logistics concerning certain things he wanted me to keep hidden from his mom).
He passed about a month after that, and after ten years since, I still wish I could go back and and lay down with him and hold him and cry and tell him how much I love him and miss him.
Best bro spoon session I'll ever have.
Bubble Bath
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My friend got really super drunk and decided to take a bath with his clothes on. I, being the less drunk one, stayed in the bathroom to make sure he didn't like drown or something. He ended up inviting me to join him.
Two bros, fully clothed, drunk, in a bubble bath at 2am.
The Last Time He Knew Who I Was
My best friend passed from a brain tumor when we were both 19.
About 1 week prior to his passing, he was not remembering very much and he was continually eating without (due to the steroids and pain meds, I believe) going to the bathroom very often. He consumed way to much food over the course of a morning, around lunch he started vomiting in the most absurd projectile vomit stream you could ever imagine. 20 seconds of a stream the size of a fire hose going all over him, the couch, some on me and very little in the bowl I ran to grab him. The worst part was when it was done, and we were covered in vomit. He didn't know who threw up or where it came from.
I picked him up, covered in vomit and carried him to the shower. He was embarrassed for his mom or any girls seeing him naked for some reason with vomit on him. I undressed him, and bathed him myself. Helped him soap, shampoo, dry and dress. It was the last time I felt he even knew who I was.
I miss you Ben.
No words...
Me and my friend used to masturbate next to each other when we were about 12yo, we did it several times and never spoke of it ever again. We just sat there chatting about random stuff while masturbating furiously. Weird.
Strangers in the dark...
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Not ONE clue why, but when me and my best friend were like 8ish, we were at one of my dad's late men's league hockey games. We never watch the games and just kind of explored and messed around looking for stuff to do. Well we found out some of the empty locker rooms were open and lights off. Perfect to explore as a kid right? Well we explored more than i remember why. We casually bumped into each other in the middle of the dark room and our curiosity's must have sparked. We started to just......rub up against each other and like dry hump each other. That went on for about 15 seconds when we both kind of snapped out of it at the same time. Still don't know what triggered that kind of sexual eruption, but i have been trying to figure it out since.
- Noromac
Hmmmm... ok.
After a close friend died /u/quadmedic21 held me while I cried into his shoulder which felt like forever.
Also basically anytime I'm with him it feels romantic. Once on New Year's I ordered pizza for us and woke him up with it. His adorable naked butt rolled over and spooned with me just for bringing him pizza.
Our wives are okay with our relationship. We also take better pictures together than either of us took at our own weddings.
Sorry u/eszerbest
Sweet talker...
Had a friend say to me while I was feeling pretty down about myself and my looks that he would f**k me if I was a woman.
- Davin998
Oh if one of us was a lady, and I was your man, if I was your man.
Boring...
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Driving with a buddy and his friend who I just met who was gay. Going through an intersection and asked which way to go. My buddy says go straight, and I reply out of habit, "forward, never straight" (it's a military thing). The gay friend perks up and says, "that's right, never straight." We looked at each other and laughed. That's the closest I came to being gay.
- jcpmojo
Try the full buffet.
Had sex with a guy once, wanted to try it and see how I liked it. Turns out I'm straight lol...
Jump in the water is fine..
A couple of years ago I went up to visit my friend in Minneapolis. His apartment was located right across the street from a music festival, so we hung out on his lawn drinking all day and enjoying free live music.
Later on that night we went out for a cigarette and started walking around his neighborhood. What started as a short cigarette walk ended up being a longer excursion as we made our way past the house into some forest area near some train tracks. It was really cool for me being able to see more stars than I was used to seeing back in Chicago and actually being able to walk from the city into nature.
We kept hiking and ended up next to a lake. He asked if I wanted to go swimming and I was like yeah, so we ended up skinny dipping in the lake. I hadn't been swimming in a long time so it was especially fun for me and it was so awesome to swim at night with a cool view of the city across the lake.
It was such a beautiful view and night that we didn't realize we were ruining the intimate moment of another couple too. While we were just two naked drunk dudes swimming in the lake by the moonlight, there was a couple on the shore that was trying to have a romantic picnic, complete with wine and a blanket. We thought we were alone until I saw them, but it's funny to think how it was to see that from the couple's viewpoint. One minute it's a really romantic night, then out of nowhere two naked guys run screaming at the water.
- -eDgAR-
Cavity search...
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I used to play inappropriate touch Tuesday with a group of my friends in high school. Basically whoever can make the other more uncomfortable wins for that Tuesday.
On this Tuesday I had just gotten to school and all of my other friends were already there. I walked up to the group and said hello to everyone. Without skipping a beat, one of the boys walked right up and cupped a handful of my junk. He stared triumphantly into my eyes while I stood there shocked for a moment.
Talking another guy out of suicide. He just needed someone to listen. We hugged for a solid 30 seconds and he sobbed into my chest. Awkward looking back, but in the moment he needed it.
I would hate the thought of a typical 'dudebro' not giving a suicidal friend the support they need because "no homo bro." Thank you for being able to see beyond that bull when it mattered.
- THCW
I see you...
My roommate and I ( best friends then an still) used to have sex with our girlfriends at the same time in our room. Either of us could turn our heads to the side and see each others buns or junk. Surprised the girls were into this. College was an interesting time.
- H/T: Reddit
- Women Divulge Which Non-Sexual Things A Guy Has Done That Totally Turned Them On - George Takei ›
- Men Break Down The Most Ridiculous Reason Someone's Questioned Their Masculinity - George Takei ›
- Straight People Share What They've Always Wanted To Ask An LGBTQ+ Person - George Takei ›
- Men Share The Non-Sexual Things That Instantly Make A Woman Attractive - George Takei ›
- Men Share The Non-Sexual Things That Instantly Make A Woman Attractive - George Takei ›
- Straight Men Share The Strangest Things They've Been Told Not To Do Because They're Considered 'Gay' - George Takei ›
- Obvious Hints Women Have Dropped That Men Completely Missed - George Takei ›
The old wives' tales.
They are the stories of legend.
I think we all need a big DEEP Google dive though.
Where did they originate?
WHO ARE THE OLD WIVES!
You don't hear about them as much anymore.
It's like science and logic are suddenly a thing.
But they sure are a good way to keep your kids and their behavior in line.
Redditor the_spring_goddess wanted to discuss the tall tales we've all been fed through life, so they asked:
"What is an old wives tale that people still believe?"
"Wait an hour to swim after eating."
What a crock!
So many summer hours wasted.
I want revenge for that one.
Say Nothing
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"An undercover cop has to tell you he's a cop if you ask him."
LonelyMail5115
"Pretty much most advice when it comes to cops are old wives tales. I’m not even a cop but most of the advice you hear is pretty off."
I_AM_AN_A**HOLE_AMA
Say Something
"That you have to wait 24 hours to report someone missing."
Severe_Airport1426
"I really think this one is important and should be the top regardless. As it’s a piece of advice that needs to be relearned and the only way to do that is through awareness."
crappycurtains
"This used to be true. I think they changed it after some guy named Brandon went missing back in the '80s or '70s. You used to have to wait 24 hours if the missing person was an adult because they had 'a right to be missing' and then everyone realized that was stupid and stopped doing it."
AlbinoShavedGorilla
Body Temps
"That drinking ice cold water after eating oily foods will solidify the oil and permanently remain in your body. I informed my coworker that if your body temperature ever reached that point, you’d have bigger problems than weight gain."
chriseo22
"Oh, I have a cousin who 100% believed this. One of those guys who believed every early 2000s internet rumor and old wives tale. One night I chugged a big glass of ice water after dinner and he started freaking out and saying my guts were gonna harden."
"I sarcastically told him to drive me to the hospital if that happened. Obviously, nothing happened and the next morning I said something like 'Thanks for being on standby in case my guts filled with hardened oil.' He just walked off muttering under his breath."
apocalypticradish
Arms Down
"When I was pregnant, I was told by young and old alike that I should NOT raise my arms above my head or exert myself in such a manner because it could cause cord strangulation to my unborn sons and daughters."
Fatmouse84
10 Years Actually
Unimpressed Uh Huh GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine
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"Chewing gum stays in your stomach for 7 years."
"I remember accidentally swallowing a piece of gum when I was a kid in like 1995 and just accepting my fate like welp, gonna have this in my stomach til high school I guess."
Gecko-911
I was so afraid to sallow my gum when I was young.
This tale is haunting.
High/Low
Hungry Debra Messing GIF by Will & Grace
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"You can tell the sex of the baby by how you carry."
LeastFormal9366
"Pregnancy certainly wins awards for the most old wives tales. So much absolute BS was repeated to us by everyone we talked to."
IllIIIlIllIlIIlIllI
The Cursed
"If you’re a woman and you wear opal jewelry but opal is not your birthstone (October), you’ll never be able to have children, or will be widowed, or just generally have bad luck or something. You can counteract this by having a diamond in the same piece of jewelry as the opal, though."
"I have a nice opal ring that my parents gave me years ago, and I’ve had other women give me this 'advice' unprompted more than once when I’ve worn it. I have absolutely no idea where it started, but I’m pretty sure this little chunk of silicate rock has no concept of what month I was born in, let alone of how my reproductive organs work."
SmoreOfBabylon
Stay In
"Going outside with wet hair will make you get pneumonia. Or an earache. Or maybe arthritis. Depends on which old wife you listen to."
"Jokes on them - I haven't blow-dried my hair in decades and usually leave the house with wet hair in the morning. On winter mornings, the tips of my hair get frozen. No ear infections or pneumonia or arthritis yet."
worldbound0514
Dreams and Facts
"You never make anyone up in your dreams you've seen everyone in your dreams somewhere else before and never make anyone up entirely."
"How would you possibly prove that to be true? My partner adamantly believes this and tells me this 'fact' whenever I have a dream about someone I've never met before."
mattshonestreddit
"My late wife used to tell me that before she met me she would have dreams of standing at an alter on her wedding day but could never see the guy's face, no matter how hard she tried. After meeting me the face was filled in with mine. Don't know if it's true but one of those things I like thinking of every now and then when I miss her."
Darthdemented
Cracked
Getting Ready Episode 2 GIF by The Office
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"Some people still believe cracking knuckles causes arthritis."
Choice-Grapefruit-44
"There's a doctor (Donald Unger) that cracked his knuckles a couple of times a day for 60 years, but only on one hand, just to prove it. Both hands remained exactly the same."
MacyTmcterry
I love my knuckles.
Do you have any tall tales to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
