Clutch magazine's Britni Danielle explains why "I don't have any female friends" is a giant red flag.
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Here's the thing: I used to be one of those girls. When I was growing up I was a bit of a tomboy and hung out with boys. While I always had a small circle of female friends, I seemed to be more at home with the fellas.
Why? I felt like I could be myself with them. I could talk about sports, music, and kung fu flicks, and I didn't have to worry about being shunned because my LA Gears didn't match my uniform or my hair wasn't styled just so.
I just didn't trust women. I didn't trust that they'd have my back and wouldn't gossip about me fiercely once I left the room.
Despite being raised in the company of strong and supportive women, I still looked at them suspiciously — after all, every show, film, and hit record taught me that women were ruthless, conniving, and quick to kick you out the circle if you dared to be different.
These fears were unfounded, though.
From the moment I switched schools in the 5th grade until today, women have been some of my closest allies.
Read Britni Danielle's entire piece at Clutch magazine.
The Root aims to foster and advance conversations about issues to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.
Britni Danielle is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and novelist. She has covered pop culture, politics and race for outlets such as Essence, Jet and Clutch. Follow her on Twitter.
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