As a child I was a tomboy - with three older brothers and parents who never raised me with any gender expectations, I really didn't think there was much of any difference between boys and girls, and it certainly never occurred to me that "gender roles/expectations" were anything other than some outdated 1940's idea. I had an even distribution of male and female friends and it was never an issue.
In fifth grade, I had a real rude awakening when it came to "learning how the real world works" when I almost got suspended for calling a new student at my school I'd become friends with on the phone.
When I called, his parents had picked up the phone, and upon introducing myself like any polite kid would, they merely said, "Never call here again." and hung up on me. I figured there'd been some mistake and I'd talk to my friend about it the next day at school. Nope. Granted, this was a religious school, and I knew some parents were a bit more rigid and strict with their activities and what not than mine were, but I'd never heard of boys not being allowed to talk to girls before, so when they called me into the office and explained to me that my conduct was "grossly inappropriate" and that "boys and girls can't be friends" so "obviously I was calling for some other reason", I was heartbroken.
My friend avoided eye contact with me all that day, and I was too embarrassed to try to talk to him about it. I felt humiliated and confused and betrayed.
I went home that day in tears, and when I explained the situation to my parents (who I was so sure would be understanding, given how they raised me), they too were FURIOUS with me. They said I had deeply upset this boy by calling (WHAT?) and that his parents called them and chewed them out about how disgusting it was for a girl to call a boy, and that they should explain to me "how the world really works".
Well, FUCK EVERYONE INVOLVED in that situation. It wasn't wrong to want to be his (or any boys) friend then, and it isn't wrong now. Fuck anyone who tries to tell girls to be passive and lonely and demure. Fuck anyone who tries to make it seem like intentions are always impure if it's between a boy and a girl, ESPECIALLY at such a young age.