It’s a real thing because people with the same oppression/trauma are often the only people who get it that it’s a real oppression, you’re not exaggerating, you’re not weak to be in pain and not just you being lazy or stupid. You are staggering under this enormous load of oppression and people who are not under the same oppression generally think you are exaggerating about oppression everyone else is just torturing you saying “It’s not that bad, you’re just lazy/stupid to have it hurt or be that hard.” If your burden isn’t hard enough to carry they make it harder. Someone else who is under the same will probably not do the same, they have to know that the oppression is real to keep from going nuts themselves and torturing themselves to death an increasing their burden even more so they have to be in touch with reality more for their own health and functioning. There is no advantage to them to deny their and your oppression. They can’t believe those lies or else they would be totally torturing themselves to incapacity. So they will be a refuge and safe place for you in that respect and won’t torture you that your oppression is not real. That can feel like an enormous bond or relief or closeness to have this person who unlike most people is supporting you in that sense and not torturing you. That is a real need to have someone who will not further beat you up that way. So yes that person will be deeply attractive to be friends with. Also what they are giving you in that sense is genuine respect which other people who deny your oppression or don’t get it aren’t giving you. However they can be hierarchical or be a selfish person in other ways, they can be oppressive too in other ways or do anything nasty a human can do. They can be a dominating person in other ways and hold onto power and not give it up when they have the power and that can make them a bad friend. I had a friend who I really cherished because of this in spite of people telling me “Why would you listen to her and respect her and take advice from her she doesn’t have her life together and has a lot of problems?” The thing was I saw that a lot of her problems were not of her own creation and it wasn’t her self harming, it was her being oppressed. So to me she was still worth respecting and even taking advice from. She was in a mess but she was not a mess. You know there are two types of people who are in a mess, some people because they are oppressed and other people because they are actually creating their own mess. Not everyone who is in a bad situation is unwise or stupid. Kind people who are in a bad situation but who are wise are still worth listening to and being friends with. Anyway then she cruelly attacked me and not once but twice. So at that point she was self harming and I had to let go of things. But I get what you are saying that you can feel a real bond with those under the same oppression because often they are some of the only people who don’t further oppress you and aren’t oppressive. And you do get real benefits from being around them because unlike other people they won’t torture you constantly believing and making you feel that your misery is self created. So you can actually have a higher level of functioning around them.