celticpyro:

celticpyro:

A lot of people seem to attribute America’s touch-starved culture to Puritan standards of conduct but I think it was the opposite. I think ever since we became so sex-crazed suddenly you can’t even put an arm around someone’s shoulder without that being seen as “putting the moves on” meanwhile Puritan children could openly call their fathers “daddy” and no one batted an eye so like…who’s the real culprit in “no one’s allowed to touch because touch is sexual” here?

I’m not kidding when I say this. People will claim Americans see kissing and hugging as taboo for anyone who’s not dating or married and chock it up to “being prudes” but back in Ye Olden Days men would be super touchy-feely with each other and this was back when being gay was considered a mental illness.

So logically, if a more old-fashioned culture allowed these gestures to take place they naturally didn’t associate them with same-sex couples. That was just normal Guys Being Bros friendly gestures. They also allowed breastfeeding in public spaces because boobs weren’t for sexual, they were for FEEDING YOUR INFANT CHILD (apparently there are people who think breastfeeding is ‘obscene’ which…the heck? that’s literally what they’re for?).

Obviously there are other reasons too much physical contact is inappropriate (i.e. just generally getting in peoples’ personal space, groping people etc) but when you’re like “Oh no, guys and girls can’t hug each other” or “Two guys can’t hug/hold hands/cuddle that’s gay” you’re not a prude you’re a pervert because you see those things as inherently tied to sex.