NO HOMO!

Ever since stepping of the plane, one of the most curious, and, for me, refreshing, things here in Kathmandu is the constant presence of male physical intimacy with other men who are simply friends. Two men, more even!, will simply be walking down the street, arm-in-arm, holding hands, draping arms across shoulders. There is no shame, no fear. It simply is the way it is. Albeit this culture remains one that is incredibly touchy, but the presence of actual male-male expression of love, platonic or otherwise. With some elements of the SJU community being different, this is so very different from what we experience in the West, where two men hug, give each other the three "I'm Not Gay," pats, and then conclude this delightful experience with the ever-comforting pronunciation of "No homo bro!"

Of course, all of this started my cognitive analysis. When we are infants, we constantly need physical touch for our continued development. Without being held and holding someone, we human beings do not develop properly; we remain shells. But why does this stop? Why has touch become so criminalized (excluding, of course, unwanted touch which is and should be)? If we think that human beings are constantly developing and never arrive as finished products, then wouldn't it make sense to say that we have a constant need to be held, to be touched, and to hold and touch back.