In the popular NBC sitcom, Will and Grace, it shows the dynamic of the friendship between straight girl and gay guy. Will and Grace’s relationship goes beyond just basic friendship and enters a strange twlight (somewhere between casual friend and marriage.) Two quotes perfectly describes this phenomenon:
Will: It’s always “Will and Grace.” Will and Grace buy the present. Will and Grace do the speech. “We cordially invite Will and Grace.” why don’t they ever say “Will and guest”?
Grace: Well, who did you want to bring?
Will: I don’t know! One of the Gap dancers, Aquaman, anyone!
Grace: Well, who’s stopping you?
Will: You are! Because you’re so content to play Mrs. Will Truman. I want a husband. I want someone who loves me, a-and a family. I want this, not this!
Grace: I do not know where you got the idea that I am your wife, but let me tell you something, if that’s true, we’ve got big martial problems because Mrs. Truman’s getting a lot of action on the side.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Grace: This would be us three weeks into marriage. ‘Will, I’m having an affair’.
Will: ‘Me too’. Grace: ‘His name’s Donald’.
Will: ‘Me too.’.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The whole premise of the show is that this gay guy and this straight girl are best friends. In fact, they are more than “just friends” they are jokingly referred to as husband and wife, but without the sex. This type of relationship is often defined as a ‘fag hag’ and her gay or a gay and a fag hag (no offense, just using the common expression)
I myself have been called a fag hag by my wonderful gay friend, I guess you can call him the Will to my Grace.
Some people mock this sort of relationship. They say that the straight girl is overcompensating for something or using the gay guy as her boyfriend. Yeah, there are some girls like that (I know one specific example) but for me that is so not the case.
My friendship with my Will is odd and sometimes scary, even to us. But he is truly one of my best friends. Even though he drives me crazy and makes me angry many times (just ask us about the Natchez Trail,) he has my back and will smack the crazy right out of me.
It is an interesting dynamic, this relationship between straight girls and gay guys. Something a lot of people have examined. But it’s definitely a unique experience.
