Not so long ago, Reddit users were talking about their least favorite things about being gay—and microaggressions, homophobic violence, and limited dating options made the list. So let’s change gears and cover the best parts about being a card-carrying homosexual, right?

"Being gay is a gift as long as you live in the right place."
"Being gay is a gift as long as you live in the right place."© Provided by Queerty

“What’s your favorite thing about being gay?” A Reddit user asked the r/askgaybros collective. “Sexual or nonsexual.”

Here’s a cross-section of the comments from that thread, edited for readability:

“I always feel like our bars and clubs have a better atmosphere than straight ones.”

“No kids! No risk of kids!”

“Men. Everything about men fascinates and excites me.”

“People don’t have high expectations from you, like having kids and a wife and how manly you behave. You’re pretty much free if you think about it.”

“I love that when doing ‘masculine’ stuff, people get mindf*cked, like, ‘What?! Do gays know how to use heavy machinery, carry heavy objects, fight, etc.?’”

“I love the dynamic of two men in a relationship. It’s just everything to me. We have fun together and never get tired of one another.”

“The sheer power of male sexuality astounds me!”

“I just reach down and the thing I am most attracted to is right there for me to say hi to at any moment. I often think about how being gay is fun because we already have what we want whenever we want to.”

“My connection with women. They are truly incredible, and I love that the sexual barrier is down so we can have amazing conversations.”

“Non-sexually? I have much more freedom to express myself than a straight man. There are clubs, camps, sports leagues, and spaces designed for men like me to have a place away from the general public. Some ladies think I’m fabulous, and I’m totally cool with that. Sexually? I love men! Cis men, trans men, masc men, fem men, non-binary (it’s complicated), bi men, pan men, Black, white, Hispanic, Asian, etc. All kinds!”

Related: Gay men reveal the dating advice they’d give their younger selves

One user, meanwhile, posted a 300-plus-word comment, covering topics like societal pressure, hoe phases, friendships with women, and “doink”:

Men! 

Plus, the lack of societal pressure to conform to a standard lifestyle means I can live my life the way I want to. So many straight people are forced to follow a certain timeline and are met with resistance when they don’t, but for us, we can plan our lives however we want. Want to move across the world at 35? Go for it! Want to have a hoe phase at 40? Great! Start a new career at 50? Nice!

I also love that I’m free to express the full range of masculine potential, without being limited by the fear of looking too gay or too fem. I can freely adore the beauty of the male form without having to say “no homo.” I can dress how I want all of the time without some guy saying, “That looks gay, bro.” I can decorate my home without worrying if it looks too feminine. I can love men on such a deep and intimate level, and even in my male friendships, I’m able to bond in a way that a lot of straight guys seem to crave but are encouraged to reject.

I can be close with women in a way that many men aren’t. I have a great relationship with my mom, and I know that I will always be there to support my family if they need me because I won’t have to pour all of my resources into children of my own.

Oh, and the money! Us gay men can take doink to the next level! I love knowing that I can have a sailboat at the marina in the city, my partner can have the home in the suburbs, and we can both save for the villa in Salerno for our retirement.

Being gay is a gift as long as you live in the right place.

Related: Redditors name what the straights will never understand about the gay experience

And on the other end of the spectrum is this pithy comment: “Being able to properly wipe my ass because I don’t think touching it will magically turn me gay.”