A guide to same-sex intimacy and affection for the timid and confused
By our nature and social upbringing, girls are trained to be 'friendly' and caring, especially towards other girls - the girl-power and sticking together themes combine with the special bond between mothers and daughters to produce a creature specifically designed to be social and likeable. Sure, girls fight it: Teenagers 'hate' their mothers, girls get in cat-fights nearly weekly; and sure, guys can be caring and 'girly' too; but overall, it has to be admitted that girls are inherently more 'chummy' than guys.
Girls tend to travel in packs - groups, tightly knit and mostly inseparable - and tend to be completely physical comfortable with their "girlfriends." (Note that the term here is acceptable but the use of "boyfriends" would normally be loaded). After as little as a month or two of acquaintance, girls have no issues with watching movies in the same bed, holding hands at parties, hugging hello after a prolonged absence, helping to adjust the straps on an unruly shirt. These are nonchalant physical actions that would 'mean something' if they were between a guy and a girl, but are just an inherent part of girl-girl friendship.
Guys, when not traveling alone with the intent of bringing some kind of 'game', can also be seen in groups - but the only real physical contact typically results from the completion of some sort of manly feat: Speeding cars successfully dodged, attractive blonde's number snagged, freshman threatened and his cat summarily kicked off the sidewalk - things to which the typical guy reaction is a pat on the back, high five or some other mildly physical congratulation. Rarely will you see these guys holding hands and skipping down streets in broad daylight, but it isn't too far a stretch to suppose a similar group of girls might do so after watching The Wizard of Oz on DC++.
Despite vehement objections to the contrary, everyone is a little bit homosexual - especially girls, because society dictates that they be more affectionate in all areas while simultaneously saying that this affection towards other girls is completely acceptable. There is, as is well illustrated by the proliferation of the phrase "no homo," a much stronger repression instinct in contemporary males. We'll leave the debate about repression for another column, and relate this all back to sex.
Girls tend to travel in packs - groups, tightly knit and mostly inseparable - and tend to be completely physical comfortable with their "girlfriends." (Note that the term here is acceptable but the use of "boyfriends" would normally be loaded). After as little as a month or two of acquaintance, girls have no issues with watching movies in the same bed, holding hands at parties, hugging hello after a prolonged absence, helping to adjust the straps on an unruly shirt. These are nonchalant physical actions that would 'mean something' if they were between a guy and a girl, but are just an inherent part of girl-girl friendship.
Guys, when not traveling alone with the intent of bringing some kind of 'game', can also be seen in groups - but the only real physical contact typically results from the completion of some sort of manly feat: Speeding cars successfully dodged, attractive blonde's number snagged, freshman threatened and his cat summarily kicked off the sidewalk - things to which the typical guy reaction is a pat on the back, high five or some other mildly physical congratulation. Rarely will you see these guys holding hands and skipping down streets in broad daylight, but it isn't too far a stretch to suppose a similar group of girls might do so after watching The Wizard of Oz on DC++.
Despite vehement objections to the contrary, everyone is a little bit homosexual - especially girls, because society dictates that they be more affectionate in all areas while simultaneously saying that this affection towards other girls is completely acceptable. There is, as is well illustrated by the proliferation of the phrase "no homo," a much stronger repression instinct in contemporary males. We'll leave the debate about repression for another column, and relate this all back to sex.
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dsdaad
posted 1/22/08 @ 9:41 AM EST
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