How to Bridge Democrat-Republican Friendships Across Values, Politics

I’m a Democratic feminist from a small town in New York. I dislike guns and believe in social causes. My best friend TC is a Republican from Milwaukee who owns weapons, believes in conspiracy theories, and is about 10 years younger than I am. He jokes, “I’m not racist or sexist. I dislike everyone equally.” Yes, our friendship is unlikely, but I’ve learned a lot from our connection.I met him…