Lee Arden’s book “The Politics of Lonely” delves into the structural causes of our loneliness

My family showed love through action, but my friends helped me learn to say it out loud

REVIEW: Will Ferrell and Harper Steele’s road trip doc demonstrates what standing by loved ones actually looks like

Aging as a queer person brings surprising shifts in friendship

A reader questions whether she has to change her personality in order to respect her “tender” friends’ boundaries

Kai answers a reader whose conflict with a friend is further complicated by race, mental health and privilege

Plus more of what’s up and on starting Aug. 18

“The mark of a healthy relationship is one that can withstand conflict and challenge, and simultaneously, one where everybody’s boundaries are respected.”

Kai advises a reader who wants to honour her friend’s boundaries—without sacrificing her own

The charismatic bandleader’s formula for success is simple: throw a party on stage

“What if clear and honest expressions of desire, messy as they are, were seen as opportunities for growth, change and deepened intimacy?”

Friendship

How do we sustain friendships in a world on fire?

My queer friends taught me to say ‘I love you.’ Now I say it as often as I can

‘Will & Harper’ is an aspirational portrait of the work our allies should do

Fruiting bodies and friendship in queer middle age

I love banter, but my friends say my teasing is ‘toxic’

When is it okay to ask someone with less privilege than you to cut you some slack?

Pulpy romance novels, figurative painting and other culture picks from queer friends

Am I a bad person for not wanting to talk about my friend’s dysphoria all the time?

Sammy Rae wants you to be their friend. Seriously