It seems to me like you are pre-disqualifying yourself from connecting with people. That sounds to me like a consequence of social anxiety. There is no reason y

It seems to me like you are pre-disqualifying yourself from connecting with people. That sounds to me like a consequence of social anxiety. There is no reason you can’t be friends with women- both straight and lesbian, and it’s not creepy to be friendly. Even if you are romantically interested in them, that isn’t inherently creepy either. I’m an athlete and many of the women in my community are happily dating men they met at the gym that were just friendly and welcoming at first. I would recommend pushing yourself to connect with people, but take it slowly- tell yourself it is okay even if it feels awkward and do one small thing at a time, like smiling and saying hi. The best fix for social anxiety is positive social experiences. The natural way people connect with new people is through a trusted intermediate- someone who can introduce you, and whose mere presence vouches for you. “Cold approaches” feel a lot more scary and awkward, although they also build a lot of confidence.