Gay Men Have Always Loved a “Difficult” Woman

Gay Men Have Always Loved a “Difficult” Woman

From back from the borderline by mollie adler

June 16, 2026 · 51 min

About this episode

Mollie Adler explores the deep connections between certain women and gay men, reflecting on friendship, identity, and societal norms.

For much of my life, many of my closest friendships have been with gay men. Not because they were fun little accessories or stereotypical sidekicks, either. We didn’t even always have that much in common on paper. Yep, these friendships were built the old-fashioned way through grief, bad decisions, long as hell voice notes, laughter at completely inappropriate moments, and enough years of showing up for each other that eventually they became part of the fabric of my life. In this episode, you'll join me on a journey where I explore why certain women and certain gay men seem to find each other so consistently throughout time. We'll get into Jung (of course), chosen family, female villains, the AIDS crisis, and the deep bond that tends to form when two people have spent their entire lives paying close attention to the rules everybody else seems to take for granted. This is a love letter to the gay men who have shaped my life, challenged me, protected me, made me laugh until I cried, and helped me become more fully myself. Reflection Prompts for MOODS (or your journal): • Who are the people who have seen me most clearly throughout my life? • What parts of myself have other people…

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Host: Mollie Adler

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