Do they really all want to sleep with me?

[Greenbleak]

I don't believe it for a minute but;

I have a friendship group, all men. We're all now 50s and knew each other initially through our sport, where I competed at a good level, so often trained with men.

Now we still train in a much more recreational way, but also enjoy going to watch the professionals play our sport. Lately, as family responsibilities have become less and we have more spare time and money, this has included some foreign trips.

They seem to enjoy having me along (which has always surprised me) and it's true I do quite a bit of the admin of these trips for them because I'm a control freak

Anyway a female "friend" has just told me "you know they only include you because they all want to sleep with you?"

I'd be very surprised, I'm a very plain middle aged woman, I've always assumed they barely notice I'm female.

They're just my mates....?

Are you single? A surprising number of women who would have sworn their old friend was just that, find the chaps will try it on given the opportunity.

As a PP says, it doesn’t mean they aren’t friends. But it doesn’t mean they’ll never try it on. Some of us are really bothered by that and don’t want friendships where they’ll make a pass. Others can shrug it off.

Jealousy? I would be insulted if a friend of mine said such a thing to me. It's not a goal of mine to be friends with men who want to sleep with me.

She's not a great friend of she thinks your only assets to the group is sex!

I'm sure they want you around because you bring something to the group. Not even your admin skills would be enough to want to invite you!

It's a very old fashioned thought process seeing men and woman as just opposite sexual objects

I read your friend’s comment slightly differently:
That they are men and therefore the only reason why they have a friendship with you is because you’re a woman.
So not saying anything about you or being jealous. But more about men being unable to keep themselves in check and be friendly with the opposite sex.

An idea you find on MN quite regularly - alongside ‘I wouldn’t accept my dh to have such close friendship with a woman! It’s not acceptable. Men and women can’t be friends.’

Its interesting that, probably because you are slightly older than the posters talking and their dh friendship, it suddenly seems normal for men and women to have developed a friendship

Not saying your friend is right btw!!

I think the group friendship is more "ok" than one close personal friendship with lots of 121 time.