Nobody’s Squawking About Nearly Naked Men Embracing in Paris
At the Olympics, male athletes freely demonstrate uninhibited affection and support for each other
“Man hug,” proposes my friend Jeff, smiling and opening his arms for a welcoming embrace.
With this, Jeff is saying that he’s happy to see me — for the first time in decades. But, in the same breath, he’s also making sure I’m aware there is nothing of a sexual nature in this reunion greeting.
I’m queer. And he’s cool with that. Jeff, however, is reminding me that he’s straight. And, by tagging our impending embrace with the “man-hug” label, he’s making sure there’s no confusion about where we both stand.
The hug itself is brief, noticeably stiff and awkward, with Jeff making sure our chests don’t press too tightly or that physical contact between us doesn’t linger for an inappropriate or uncomfortable amount of time.
A moment later, he seems both pleased for having initiated this embrace and relieved to have the obligatory exercise over with. Meanwhile, while I appreciate his willingness to engage physically with a queer friend, I’m left wondering why we even bothered to go through the motions.
