Just a girl??

Hi everyone.. I am a boy ,I wanted to know your views on something that really troubles me.. even though i have a handful of female friends.. most of em were like sisters to me.. but most people would treat it like "I M FRIENDS WITH A GIRL" while if i m frnds with alex they are like i m friends with alex but if i am frnds with alexa i m frnds with a girl..

To narrate one of many incidents, previously when lockdowns were imposed one day a certain friend called me and asked me if wud play online ludo.. he would ask me to bring Jacob , Jake and any 1 girl.. i said what u mean by one girl.. he says bring ur female bestfriend.. the game wud be incomplete without at least 1 girl.. what i wish to draw your attention towards is.. acc. to him and many others including my parents if i am friends with alexa they take it bluntly as i m frnds with a girl but for jacob or jason, i m friends with jacob or jason?

Please forgive me if i m being over sensitive on this, (courtesy having always been an introvert and away from actual society) but is it not wrong on everyone's part to be so skeptical about my friendships with opposite gender..

More than that i want to understand isn't it wrong on their part to forget she is a human first a woman next.. why does everyone stil forget that she's alexa before she is a girl.. I tried explaining to many people this fact but to no effect..

I wish to know if you all ever encountered a situation where people believe a girl is a girl first.. a person later how would you counter them? not only to prove em wrong but also to make them understand? Do let me know. Your thoughts are valuable.