because i do think it is largely framed in the context of its perceived as being gay

i dont know about the puritans- im pretty sure they were sexually repressed (i mean, protestant ethic and all)
but i do think they were more comfortable with touch than the average american male is today
and i think it has become part of the american culture to disassociate with each other (i first heard about 'personal space' here"

from the article,
(i love that they have black folk in this, i was afraid it would not be the case.
but maybe these people just didnt have enough chairs, lol)

http://www.filmsforaction.org/news/bosom_buddies_a_photo_history_of_male_affection/

"And if you think men have always been hands-off with each other, have a look at an amazing collection of historic photos compiled by Brett and Kate McKay for an article they titled: Bosom Buddies: A Photo History of Male Affection. It’s a remarkable look at male camaraderie as expressed though physical touch in photos dating back to the earliest days of photography."

The McKays note in their article the following observation:

But at the turn of the 20th century, … Thinking of men as either “homosexual” or “heterosexual” became common. And this new category of identity was at the same time pathologized — decried by psychiatrists as a mental illness, by ministers as a perversion, and by politicians as something to be legislated against. As this new conception of homosexuality as a stigmatized and onerous identifier took root in American culture, men began to be much more careful to not send messages to other men, and to women, that they were gay. And this is the reason why, it is theorized, men have become less comfortable with showing affection towards each other over the last century.