'homophobia' is a put-on trait

Contrary to what the western society propagates, trains and expects its men to do, under normal circumstances men do not repel at the thought of another man making a pass at them...... nor do they turn hostile to him. On the contrary the position of a man goes several notches up if he is thought to be open about male-male sexual bonds and he becomes a highly sought after person by other men hoping to hit it out with him.

However, in a partly heterosexualised society like India --- due to its British history, men are expected at the formal level to at least show some kind of repulsion if a man makes a pass at them. However, men do not pay heed to this 'sexual role' unless and until they risk being exposed or 'blamed' for it too. This is why men do a lot of same-sex things but they don't talk about it. And as long as it is not talked about men don't show repulsion --- rather they welcome it.