I’ve lived in Europe for 24 years and extroversion isn’t really valued here. It’s usually associated with self-centred boorish behaviour — immature and unconsidered responses, fake hyperbole, loudness, over-sharing, and a general reluctance to ‘give up the floor’ to others in the conversation before quickly reclaiming…

Indeed 1. For a similar reason why so many hetero women love their close, comfortable, say-anything, outrageously flirtatious friendships with gay men: your status means they can rely on the understanding that there's no possibility they're putting themselves in the firing line of unwanted penile attention.