Parent didnt say or even suggest that.

> when being gay was literally a criminal offense straight guys didn’t have to worry about holding hands

He's making an observation. Have you been to Turkey at around the same and have a different experience?

Holding hands between people of the same gender is now seen as a sign of a gay relationship (aka: couples holding friends). Therefore holding hands is no longer the sign of just friendship.

This is especially true in countries like Turkey where being gay is not really accepted.

Is that really so shocking to you? You can observe this in any Arab Muslim country today.