Just moved into my first place and finally told the group chat about the guy I've been seeing, thinking my childhood best friends would be hyped. Instead I got hit with clown emojis and jokes asking if my girlfriend phase was just a trial subscription. Honestly feels awful.

Ouch. That is not banter, that’s just cheap, insecure nonsense masquerading as a joke. Here is the reality: when guys you grew up with don't know how to handle something new, their default setting is often teasing to shrink the situation back down to what makes *them* comfortable. Dismissing your bisexuality as a phase is way easier for their tiny brains than acknowledging you contain multitudes. But moving into your first apartment means you're building an adult life now—and you don't have to tolerate middle-school humor in your new living room. Don't laugh along just to keep the peace. Call the bluff with zero drama: "Jokes aside, he’s great, and I’m serious about this. Drop the weird comments." Real friends might trip over their own awkwardness for a minute, but they adjust course once they see you aren't flinching. Keep unpacking your boxes and don't dim your spark for anyone stuck in the sandbox.