The Gay Character = bad, The Character That Is Also Gay = good. Sure, it can define them, but if it is all that defines them, the writer has understood little of both writing and homosexuality.
Eh? A writer is entitled to write about any issue he or she wants.
That seems to be a contradiction. But anyhow, what I meant was, that I think it's kind of irrelevant if writing adheres to normative ideas of quality if it serves a purpose that is not only entertainment. It doesn't matter how bad or how sledgehammer things are, as long as it gets people talking. And , apparently, it gets people talking.
You're talking about a very specific idea, which is tackling homessexuality. Which, to the best of my knowledge, neither BioWare or anyone really has ever done.
Of course, when writers wish to raise awareness about an issue then he might write directly about that issue. And when your story's themes are about the trials and tribulations of being gay then it is only natural that this aspect in particular stands out for, say, the protagonist or his friends. As it turns out, however, that's never really the case. RPG developers only merely write heroic fantasies where some characters turn out to be gay. They might just create stories about some kind of opression but they aren't very likely to tackle the very specific theme of discrimination against homossexuals.
Just look at Dragon Age, people hate all kinds of stuff. They hate dwarves; elves; tauren; goldfish; mages but I don't really think the theme of sexual discrimination is ever tackled. The game flat out tells you there's no distinction between the sexes. There's no gender normativity to deconstruct or what have you. I think that's the difference between tackling homossexuality and displaying gay sex. The first is for people who can stomach it, the second is for the fangirls.
Nonetheless, one wonders why people still discuss this. Not to make one-key note characters is a bit basic; not to mention that even in BioWare games you'll have to make an effort to look for 'The Gay Character who has no other purpose than being Gay'. In this post-Dragon Age 2 world, sexuality isn't even a character trait anymore. Its the very last thing that matters. Though I suppose that's is still an issue, it is an entirely different issue.
EDIT: Mind you, there's one last concern that I'd like to bring up. I don't know you but I've never seen anyone moved by something they already expected. I've never seen someone moved by art that neither shocked nor surprised anyone.
Meaning that even if developers tackled homossexuality directly, it is still far from desirable that their work fall into a monotone. A monotheme so to speak. The issue must be tackled 'subtly', meaning that they can't be all there is to the story. And being gay can't be all there is to the characters. Their experiences and their lives can't be resumed by their sexuality.
