To me it seems like we have this paradoxical situation where the media want to simultaneously present inclusivity and diversity, but don't dare present any of the real diversity for fear of stereotyping. The end result is some token LGBTQ+ characters who are heteronormative, which is disingenuous.
If it is a choice between no gay character and some gay character who is essentially 'straight acting', I'd choose the former every time.
I often see (edit: readers) mention that a story has gay/straight characters, even when (to me) there is no opening in the plot for characters to express their romantic inclinations. What exactly are you looking at when you perceive a character as $orientation?
"E.T.: The Extraterrestrial" is a classic coming-of-age story of a gay man in the modern world.
Dracula by Bram Stoker is the quintessential gay liberation epic.
I don't know a single actual person who saw the film in that light. I can find references to the hypothesis online, but it seems like an incredible reach to me. More like an excellent demonstration of the human brain's ability to see patterns everywhere, even when they don't actually exist. E.g. conspiracy theories.
> "Bewitched" is a classic tale of same-sex marriage
Same sex? You mean interracial? Fascinating take.
Activist cast and crew. Especially Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick Sargent. No mistaking it.
Agnes Moorehead and Paul Lynde are gay icons from before anyone could be gay.
That may be true, though neither one ever claimed to be gay, and both are long dead. Yes, it was perhaps a bad time to be gay. But it is still just speculation, and seems really unfair. If they died in the closet, then they earned the right to stay there forever.