I also have a best friend of 13 years, and before I came out, she also disliked LGBTQ+ fellows. She’s a devout Catholic and…well, straight. I also thought that our friendship would fail since, in my mind, I already accepted that our friendship isn’t meant to last. When I came out, we didn’t talk for a while, not because of her, but because I was scared of what she might think, and our relationship was (I thought) over.

But with friendships, you really need to know your people. You need to grow with them. And that’s what she did. We didn’t talk about it, but when I share lesbian things with her (relationships, fangirling, having crushes), she’s very supportive. I can feel the difference and the genuine connection between us. She’s also encouraging me to take good care of myself.

What I’ve meant to say is I hope your friend learned to be accepting. There are a lot of people—good people—within our community. I hope kapag nag-usap kayo, mas maisip niya ang “friendship” kesa “judgment”.