Homosocial

In practice, however, the line between heterosocial and heterosexual relationships is rarely seen as rigid and impenetrable. Instead, male-female friendships are often seen — by others if not by the participants — as having sexual and romantic potential. In contrast, much social effort goes into maintaining the line between homosocial and homosexual relationships […]

Even at its most intense, though, such ‘homosocial’ friendship, both in fiction and in reality, was meant to be distinguished from homosexual acts and tendencies.