Chinese girls

[thrity]

here in China, the girls, especially the high school or college girls are used to hang out together with each other, normally, two girls go everywhere together, they would study or play together, hold hand in hand on the streets, looks very intimate. but people would never consider them as lesbian lovers, it seems it's very natual for the girls.
normally, they have no sexual contact, i guess.

but for boys, they are not used to hold hand in hand on the streets, otherwise, they would feel very stranger.

i'm studying in a trainning school at my spare time, there are two girls in my class, they are college classmates. i found when they look into each other, i can feel the love... but nobody except i think they are lesbians.

so, how about the situation in your countries or cultures? there are difference between boys and girls?

 

[Mr.G]

central Canada

I think girls are naturally more open and physically intimate (not necessarily sexual) with each other when they're good friends. Europeans probably even more so than North American women. It is nothing - means nothing - to see two women window shopping and being arm in arm while they walk.

Guys on the other hand tend to act real macho and would NEVER EVER think of holding hands with another guy in public - unless they are gay of course. In some cities and some areas of those cities THAT would still be a dangerous thing to do in public.

 

[Weird Harold]

so, how about the situation in your countries or cultures? there are difference between boys and girls?

Aside from the obvious biological differences, I think there are gender based distinctions in behavior in all societies.

Hee in the Southwestern US -- Las Vegas, Nevada -- there isn't as much public touching and displys of affection between same gender couples as there is between mixed gender couples, but women do travel in pairs and touch more than men.

In part, the behavior patterns here are influenced by the tourist population -- the tourist don't behave here as they would at home in many cases and tourists tend to hang together closer to avoid being separated in an unfamiliar place.

I think the degree of familiar touching you describe for Chinese women is more than you'd find almost anywhere in the US, but the basic pattern is about the same. I think Mr. G summed it up fairly well women are more touch oriented than males and males are more concerned about being perceived as "unmanly" by duplicating behavior society permits women without comment.