Sugar wrote, "Either way, any man that tells you his friends are more important is telling you his friends are more important."
It's really that simple. At least he's being honest. It's up to you to decide whether you can live with that or not.
"his friendship with this female is more important to him than our relationship" Oops time to exit gracefully. That's a pretty insulting put down. It looks like you aren't now and never will be happy with this as the staus quo. No need to live your life being unhappy in something so fundamental as a romantic relationship. If he can't take steps to ameliorate your discomfort then it's a dead end.
If it's important to you that you be number one in his life, and he refuses to put you in that position then there's no way the two of you will stay happy together over a long period of time.
If your feeling don't matter enough to him to reconsider options or a compromise the two of you can agree on, then you're wasting your time hoping that some day he will change. He won't.
I'm guessing that he means more to you, then you do to him where the heart is concerned. You can't do anything to make him feel more then he does for you.
Of course it isn't easy for you to consider ending a relationship with someone you care so much about, but it may be the best choice for you in the long run. You just understand that right now.
Maybe once you are gone, he will realize what he lost and have a change of heart, only time will tell.
Hang in there, and keep yourself busy with work and or friends and family.
**** this guy seriously and all men like him
Watch your language there, this is not one of those sites!!!