Sexual identity is interesting as long as some sexual identities remain socially unacceptable and taboo. The character with the sexual identity is almost always getting the conflict from un-acceptance within the story and outside it in the real world. Once any form of sexual identity is widely accepted the characters will no longer be interesting because of it. The only way to keep it interesting is to keep it's social perception firmly planted in something unnatural.

Sexual identity also plays a very key role in the classic gender-switching comedies like Tootsie or Some Like It Hot. Some great scenes come out of the straight male lead dressed as a woman becoming increasingly uncomfortable as they have straight men make advances at them.

Hey Scott, Isn't it just a total (and forgive me, but lazy) cliche to associate hairdressing with male homosexuality? Best Z

I would think so, too, except this is a story based on a news item in which that was one of the details.

I should have clicked on the link and discovered that for myself! So it is. Sorry for my snippy remark. I am now more amused about life than ever before.