That's a really interesting point, Gwen. I think what we're seeing there is this assumption that "close" means romantic. I know in Lord of the Rings fandom lots of people think Frodo and Sam were lovers simply because they were so close. It's almost impossible to imagine someone having that kind of relationship without their being a romantic element. But I find that kind of sad myself. In any event, it's probably not just a problem for cross-gender friendships.