[Long Explanation] How do I make other male friends, instead of just acquaintances?

Using my novelty account because this is rather sad and embarrassing. I know it's a lot to read but please bear with me.

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See, I've never really had a male best friend. Never had that sort of dynamic or bond with anyone in my 22 years on this blue/green space rock. I've had a handful of guy friends in my life, but those friendships never lasted long nor were they all that strong. Especially these days, I can't claim to have anything more than male acquaintances.
The odds have definitely been stacked against me. Throughout grade school and high school I moved cities a lot, so the friendships I did make often didn't have the time to grow. My overprotective parents wouldn't allow me to sleep over with friends, nor would they allow me to invite friends over to our place. So, my interactions were mostly confined to school, and if I ever got invited over I would have to leave before nighttime. These rules unfortunately applied until I turned 18, when I was given a minimal increase in freedom. Naturally, because I was unable to invite people over or really stay over, I was invited to less things, I could see a pattern developing where I routinely became the 3rd wheel of pairs of best friends.
These issues with making male best friends were made so much worse by the fact I was closeted through middle school and high school. For the curious, some side effects of being closeted may include:

• Depression
• Paranoia
• Social anxiety
• Reclusiveness
• Habitual or compulsive lying
• Fear or anxiety regarding members of the same sex.

Another noteworthy side effect is that making friends with women is incredibly easy. So much so, that I just kinda coasted on that to feel less lonely. By comparison, trying to make friends with other guys was a social minefield, especially while trying to maintain a huge secret. Obviously, if you're friends with mostly women, then that starts to raise suspicions, so I've done numerous regrettable things to maintain the secret. I've led many girls on, I've bullied other gays, I threw away multiple chances at romance, I even nearly outed one guy. None of this did any good for my psyche or my social life.
I partially came out at 18 as I was starting university. I told my friends and my mother, but not my father. Since then I've become a much more well adjusted person. I'm more genuine, more social, more adventurous. But I made a fatal mistake in first year: I didn't try hard enough to make new friends. And just like before, the friends I did make were mostly women because of the sheer ease. I paid the price for that decision in the three following years. Friendships had already been formed by the time I started to take the issue more seriously in second and third year, and it was clear to me that nobody was going to go out of their way to befriend me, so I had to take all the initiative. Of course, I was still at a disadvantage. I still lived at home rather than on campus. Still couldn’t invite people over, although that mattered less. Ultimately, I made a lot of guy friends through projects and classes who instantly became acquaintances once those projects and classes ended.
And now, with a four-year degree under my belt, we arrive at the present. I still have plenty of girl friends, but I'm gradually coming to the realization that a lot of them treat me more as an accessory than a best friend. I find myself wanting more than ever a close platonic friendship where my orientation is incidental, not a defining factor. It just seems so difficult to achieve after a life of failed attempts.
Just to squash any preconceptions, while I am partially out, I'm not exactly screaming it from the rooftops. My appearance, mannerisms, and interests are neutral. I don't mention the whole gay thing or anything related to it unless it comes up organically in passing conversation, and my interests are very diverse. So, I’m pretty confident that I'm not “intimidatingly gayâ€. Several of my male friends from various summer jobs who've gotten to know me a little, have told me I’m "down to earth" and "approachable".
Despite my “approachability†though, I really struggle to move from being acquaintances to friends, and I’m a long way away from best friends. The good news is, this winter I’ll be staring a college program related to my degree. The college is in a different city, I’ll be living on campus, with a roommate, so I basically have a chance to start fresh, with nothing hindering me but myself.

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So, if you’ve stuck with me through all that, I’d appreciate some advice so I don’t **** up this opportunity too.


Source.