Recently, I've seen a lot of articles being posted about boyfriends who have female friends. It appears that there is a constant battle between the female best-friend, and the girlfriend. So, here's my take on it.
I have a boyfriend and honestly, I couldn't care less who my boyfriend is friends with- male or female. I personally wouldn't care if my boyfriend wanted to hang out with his female friends, even if he were to hang out with them alone. The reason why? I trust him. I have enough respect for him and his friends to know that any relationships he has would be entirely platonic. I know well enough that he would never let anyone disrespect our relationship, and that he wouldn't tolerate it if someone crossed a line, or if someone of the opposite sex were to do something that made me feel uncomfortable.
If my boyfriend had a female friend that was his best friend and was around for much longer than I was, I would completely understand that they would continue to be close during our relationship. However, I would take it as an opportunity to form a friendship with her. I would hope that one day his female best friend could potentially become one of my own bridesmaids in the long run. Often times, you always hear how girlfriends want to become friendly with her boyfriends guy friends, but never with her boyfriends female friends. That shouldn't be the case. Whoever is in your significant others life is obviously important to them, and it should be important to you to form a bond with them as well- regardless if they are male or female.
I feel that the problem of the girlfriend vs female friend battle starts when jealousy erupts from both parties. The female best friend used to be the main woman in the boyfriends life, until a girlfriend comes along and takes that spot. Obviously things might start to change. But, the friendship shouldn't have to change. One person shouldn't be taking the place of another, and both parties should understand boundaries. If a girlfriend isn't okay with something that a female best friend is doing, she has every right to bring that concern up. If a female best friend feels that the girlfriend isn't allowing her to be friends with her significant other, she also has a right to bring that concern up. There shouldn't be a constant battle over who is more important, because both the girlfriend and the best-friend are equally as important.
So, to all the girlfriends and the female best friends out there: this one is for you. Learn to befriend one another rather than become intimidated by one another. Understand the relationship you both have with the amazing guy that's caught in the middle, and communicate with one another potential concerns and reasonable boundaries. No guy should ever have to give up his female friends because of a girlfriend, and no girlfriend should ever force a guy to give up his friends.
