Social prejudice is also a problem. They might face discrimination in public places or at work. For example, they could be treated differently by colleagues or strangers.
Family acceptance can be a big issue. Some families may be traditional and not understand or accept their relationship.
There can be problems with outside opinions. Your friends and family might have a hard time adjusting to the new relationship. They might have always seen you two as just friends and might be skeptical or even negative about the change. Also, within the relationship, you might struggle with setting new boundaries. Since you were so comfortable as friends, it can be difficult to figure out what's okay and what's not in a romantic context.
A big challenge is when the best friend has different beliefs or values regarding homosexuality. For instance, if the straight best friend comes from a very conservative family, they might struggle with fully accepting their gay friend at first. There could be internal conflicts. And in some cases, the gay friend might feel that his best friend is not as supportive as he should be, leading to misunderstandings and potential rifts in their friendship.
A major challenge can be adjusting to the new role. You've been best friends for so long, and suddenly being lovers means different behaviors, like more physical intimacy and different ways of communicating emotions. It can be awkward at first. And if you have different love languages, it can cause misunderstandings. Say, if one person shows love through acts of service and the other through words of affirmation, it might take time to understand and adapt to each other's needs in a romantic relationship when you were so used to the simplicity of friendship.
Trust can be an issue. Since you were friends first, you might have shared a lot with other friends too. Now, in a relationship, you need to figure out how much privacy to have. Also, people around you might have a hard time seeing you two as a couple at first, which can put pressure on the relationship.
Another challenge is understanding their own feelings. It can be confusing to suddenly realize that the love for a best friend is romantic. They may struggle with questions like 'Is this real love?' or 'Am I just misinterpreting our closeness?' It takes time and self - reflection to figure it out.
One challenge is that if it doesn't work out, you might lose the friendship. It's scary to risk such a precious relationship.
Another challenge is dealing with the opinions of mutual friends. They might be shocked or not support the relationship at first. They could be used to seeing you two as just friends and might find it hard to adjust to the new dynamic. Also, if things go wrong in the relationship, it can have a ripple effect on the whole friend group.
There can be a challenge in adjusting to the new dynamic. As best friends, they were used to a certain level of equality and informality. But in a romantic relationship, there might be power dynamics, jealousy issues, and different levels of emotional intimacy. It takes time to figure out how to balance these new aspects while still maintaining the core of their friendship.
A major challenge is the fear of losing the brother's friendship. The best friend might be afraid that his relationship with the girl will cause a rift between him and the brother. And for the girl, she may be worried that her brother will be angry or disappointed. There's also the aspect of secrecy. In the beginning, they might feel the need to keep their relationship a secret, which can be really hard. They have to be careful not to let the brother find out accidentally. And if the relationship progresses, they have to figure out how to break the news to the brother in a way that won't cause too much drama.
One challenge can be misunderstandings from others. People might assume there's a romantic aspect when there isn't. For example, if they're seen being affectionate in a friendly way, others may misinterpret. Another is different social circles. The gay person may have a more LGBTQ+ - centric social circle, while the girl may have a different one, which can sometimes lead to a bit of a divide in activities or understanding.