Many still buy into the idea that men and women can’t be friends and married people can never have a close and authentic relationship with a member of the opposite sex.
Sexualization, fear, shame and power issues often stop men and women from loving each other as friends; and the divide is frequently perpetuated in the Christian community by keeping men in men’s groups and women in women’s groups.
However, there is a growing consensus that cross gender friendships are not only possible, but important, valuable and beneficial in helping us to overcome sexism in our communities, eliminate harmful stereotypes and promote understanding between men and women that can lead to greater justice and equality.
This month we invite you to blog about cross gender friendships.
Here are some questions to get your creative juices flowing:
Can cross-gender friendships diffuse power in gender relations? Must all friendships fit into heterosexual scripts with a romantic trajectory? Can men and women partner together in friendship to overcome patriarchy and sexism? Can deep friendships between men and women overcome objectification and inequality found in many heterosexual romantic relationships?
As always, post your link here by Tuesday, February 12. The link list will get posted on Wednesday, February 13. After the link list is posted we ask that everyone add the list of links to the end of their post as this allows readers to move from one post to the next easily and it increases traffic for everyone’s blog.
We ask that all participants please add this short paragraph to the beginning of your synchroblog post:
This post is part of the February Synchroblog “Cross Gender Friendships”. I will list the links to all the contributions at the end of this post as soon as they are available.
synchroblog 
I’ve just posted my contribution to the February Synchroblog – It’s called ‘Best of both’ and is at http://jesus.scilla.org.uk/2013/02/best-of-both.html
thanks Chris. I’ll put up a post on Wednesday with the links to all the contributions.
My post will go up Tuesday. Here is the link:
Are Cross-Gender Friendships Possible?
Have just put mine up : “Little Boxes”
http://blestpickle.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/little-boxes.html
http://www.danjbrennan.com/2013/02/cross-gender-friendship-jesus-and-the-post-romantic-age.html
Hey Liz, here it mine: http://www.danjbrennan.com/2013/02/cross-gender-friendship-jesus-and-the-post-romantic-age.html
Here’s mine, crazy title and all.
http://www.glennhager.com/2013/02/sluts-and-horndogs/
LOL! Thanks, Glenn.
Here’s mine: http://keepingsouthern.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-different-kind-of-valentine.html
Liz,here is Lynne Tait’s :http://blestpickle.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/little-boxes.html
Isn’t that the same one that is in the comment above from Lynne Tait?
Totally blind I am!! I didn’t see it. Great.
Here’s my link! http://alise-write.com/what-i-get-from-my-cross-gender-friend/
Hello! Here is my contribution to this month’s synchroblog: http://thepaulsims.posterous.com/navigating-the-murky-water-of-cross-gender-fr
Here’s my title and link: “Why I Don’t Give out Sex like Gold Star Stickers” http://soulation.org/jonalynblog/?p=3337 My post will go up tonight at 7pm.
Mine! Insane title, on purpose: Friendship: The most powerful force against patriarchy, sexism, and other misunderstandings about people who happen to not be us, in this case, between men & women
http://amydmartin.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/friendship-the-most-powerful-force-against-patriarchy-sexism-and-other-misunderstandings-between-people-who-happen-to-not-be-us-in-this-case-between-men-women/
Liz, Fun title. Wanted to get your full name so I can list you as the author properly. 🙂
Just figured it out, Amy Martin!
Here’s mine, entitled “Myth and Reality: Cross-Gender Friendships”:
http://www.myrealjourney.com/2013/02/myth-and-reality-cross-gender.html
I hope I’m not too late with this first contribution to the synchroblog after a long time: ‘nothing more natural than cross-gender friendships? ‘ on Brambonius in English: http://bramboniusinenglish.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/nothing-more-natural-than-cross-gender-friendships/
No – not too late at all. I will put up a list of all the submissions either late this evening or early tomorrow morning. Keep em coming!
Here’s my link: http://gracerules.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/cross-gender-friendships-and-the-church/
As I am in a totally different time zone, I have no idea when ‘this evening or early tomorrow morning’ would be…
Liz, it still says that my comment is awaiting moderation. Can you let me know you see it and I’m in? (And delete this comment then?)
Sorry about that. I approved it now.
Thanks!
Here’s mine! http://www.hugoschwyzer.net/2013/02/12/feelings-arent-facts-living-out-friendship-between-men-and-women/
Here’s my reply: http://www.fidesquaerens.org/blog/?p=1151
hey there, running out the door and gone tonight until kind of late but when i get home will get the final draft published.
here’s the link, though: http://kathyescobar.com/2013/02/11/the-road-to-equality-is-paved-with-friendship
kathy escobar – the road to equality is paved with friendship
thanks, liz!
Hey everyone – you can find the link list here: https://synchroblog.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/link-list-february-2013-synchroblog-cross-gender-friendships/
The list is up but if more links come in I will add them to the list.
Cool, I’m on a different time zone. Just added my link.
hey liz, i have posted on my blog, but i am not sure how to do the pingback or link
karlwheeler.wordpress.com
I went to your blog and got the link and will add it to the list. You can copy the list and paste it into the end of your post. Check out my post here for an example: http://gracerules.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/cross-gender-friendships-and-the-church/
Heres mine http://jimhendersonpresents.com/jesus-had-a-thing-for-women-and-so-do-i/
Here is Jim Henderson’s link: http://jimhendersonpresents.com/jesus-had-a-thing-for-women-and-so-do-i/
My post is up: http://elizabethchapin.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/50-shades-of-friendship/
I asked Liz via FB message to correct my name last night, but now you all are posting the list and it hasn’t been fixed. If my name “Maria Kettleson Anderson” is too long for you, make it “MK Anderson” or “Maria Kettleson” if you like, but that name on her links list isn’t me, K? Please please fix it?
I made a mistake when I first created the list of links. I should have used the name “Maria Kettleson Anderson” rather than “Maria K Anderson” I have now corrected the list on this page and on my blog. Please check your list and make the correction if needed. Thanks so much! I apologize for the inconvenience.
I just learned about this! I didn’t even know where it was! Here’s mine: http://gzmproductions.com/dlwebster/index.php?page=post&post=2816