in fact i see them limit their desire to reach out and touch me b/c they recognize my reticence.

i also have non-black friends who are touchy-feely and some that aren't.

i do think culture plays a big role in this. i suspect Americans started limiting platonic touch as part of an effort to separate themselves from newly arrived immigrants. and the American-no-touch thing likely has some roots w/the Puritans who may have thought they were being pious and more God-like by avoiding platonic touch. b/c, hell, they also largely avoided romantic or sexual touch, i think.

so, yeah. i agree that the touch isolation bit doesn't have to be about homophobia. which i've said in here more than once. lol