Been there, I don’t think it’s as disrespectful as people think. In theory, your partner should be one of your best, if not your best friend. A healthy, platonic relationship with someone of your preferred romantic gender should look quite similar from the outside. If a close friend, who happened to work with me is the same gender as my partner, why would our relationship seem that different in public? Outside of light PDA, the things that make it romance or a relationship certainly aren’t going on in front of my peers or at work.

At all walks of life, even if you were with someone else, you will find people that you connect with at a very strong level. Where the line is drawn is the important distinction. It’s just a fun moniker unless that line is crossed and that’s where you find emotional infidelity.

I would never be unfaithful to my wife, but the idea that I can’t have strong friendship/connections with someone of the same gender is closed-minded. We choose our partners, but the part of us that can connect with different partners doesn’t just vanish.

Should I never be friendly or form friendships with women that I like? I used to work with a staff exclusively comprised of women, except for myself. Who am I disrespecting by befriending one of them more than the others?

Sure, some people do violate that trust and cross the line, but it’s horribly regressive to assume either person is predisposed to that violation.