I have male and female friends. Some are so close they are more like family and others are casual friends. The bottom line is the attributes that make a good and loyal friend. That definition is all about the individuals character versus their sex. Good friends do not divulge confidences, know when to tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear, take a stand with you without thinking of themselves, and will eat a half a gallon of ice cream with you while you mope even though it is not on their Atkins Diet. :D

~I know nothing!~
Sergeant Schults from Hogan's Heros