I’ve always had a lot of gay friends. Originally, as a dancer, the creative arts being a profession that encourages freedom of expression and a safe, welcoming environment for the LGBTQ+ community, I met a lot. My first closest gay friend I met whilst working on cruise ships. I was the only English girl and he was Canadian (which I always think is an excellent combination – American positivity coupled with an English sense of irony,) and we bonded. We both had various boyfriends on that contract, but we hung out together all the time. We were ‘newbies’ to ship life, not yet jaded, and we wanted to experience everything we could in all the places we travelled to. Ship life is like dog years as everything is so intense, so you get to know people very well. He lives in New York now with his husband, and though I don’t seem him as often as I would like, he still has a very special place in my life.

I met my gay other best friend working in a restaurant in London, he was training to be a lawyer while I was dancing and waitressing to make ends meet. We hit it off straight away and have been friends for over 20 years. In that time, I’ve become friends with a lot of his friends, so much so, that we’re now a merry group of 11, with one other, fabulous girl who has also been taken under their wing.


Gay friends for a girl are so often a cliché. However, there is always some truth in clichés. My gay friends are like my second family, a fantastic assortment of brilliant people from different and diverse walks of life who’ve all found each other and have accepted me into their nest and let me be part of them.



Guy Fawkes night, our annual Christmas Dinner, New Year’s Eve, Eurovision (which I am now actually a convert to!) and many holidays, the pertinent times that if you’re single and over a certain age, can be difficult if a lot of your friends are married or coupled up. Being with the boys makes me feel like I’m part of something. I also ‘single date’ with some of them, sometimes for an event they’ve been a willing plus one, but also because I like the quality one on one time. Clubbing with the guys is still fun, (I stopped going to straight clubs a long time ago,) as it reminds me how much I love to dance, but in a very safe and free environment.

I am lucky enough to have such great men in my life who fully accept me for who I am and never judge me. I can be open and honest about any issue and their advice often offers a different perspective I might not have considered. My Dad once said, ‘I’m glad you’ve got so many gay friends’, and Dad, I agree with you there.

Thank you, guys, for letting me share such great bits of life with you and for letting me tag along for the ride.

Hannah x