It has always been like that. Women have shown to be a lot more open and "touchy" when it comes to the people around them, especially their female friends. Why do you think young teenage girls go to slumber parties and sleepovers with their female friends where it is not seen as suspect or gay? It's because it has been accepted in society that women can hold hands, giggle, play and laugh together and still be looked at as normal or cute, where as men doing the exact same thing is seen as gay or awkward, which in fact, it is gay to hold another dudes hands, but some people might not see it that way.
Another thing to add, straight men don't want to be doing those things anyway, so of course it is not going to be seen as normal.