Well, if the homosexuality seems tacked on and extraneous, I'll accept that as a flaw in my execution. There are lots of things I throw into AQ because they seem like good ideas to me, which is the license fan fiction writers have. A professional editor would no doubt chop a lot of my details and subplots if AQ were being published.

FWIW, though, I didn't sit down and say "AQ needs a message about homosexuality and diversity, so who shall I make gay?"