Homosexuality

Homosexual characters are romantically and/or sexually attracted to the same gender. If you want to be less formal, you can call them "gay" or "lesbian" or, y'know, just use their names.

There's a severe shortage of good homosexual characters in fiction, so people who write fanfiction often write a straight character as gay. This can be done well or done badly; and while it's technically an AU, it's usually just called slash, which refers specifically to same-sex romance and is usually the reason someone would write a canonically straight character as gay or bi.

Lots of characters don't have a mentioned sexual orientation; so, just as long as they're kept IC, the writer can take his pick.

List of Gay, Lesbian, & Bi Characters in Fiction
There aren't nearly enough of 'em, but some authors have realized that they don't have to be limited to straight characters and guy/girl pairings.

Literature

 * Dumbledore - Harry Potter (gay)
 * Vanyel Ashkevron and Firesong k'Treva (gay) - Valdemar
 * Renly Baratheon, Loras Tyrell (gay), and Oberyn Martell (bisexual) - A Song of Ice and Fire
 * Daja Kisubo, Lark and Rosethorn (lesbians) - the Circle of Magic quartet
 * Okha Soyan and Nestor Haryse (gay) - the Provost's Dog trilogy
 * Lestat de Lioncourt, Armand, Nicolas de Lenfent, David Talbot, and Louis de Pointe du Lac (bisexuals) - The Vampire Chronicles
 * Nico di Angelo, Will Solace (gay), Apollo (bi, possibly pansexual), Magnus Chase (possibly bisexual) - Percy Jackson and the Olympians/ Heroes of Olympus/Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
 * Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (gay) - Dune
 * Magnus Bane (pansexual) and Alec Lightwood (gay), Helen Blackthorn and Aline Penhallow (lesbians) - The Mortal Instruments
 * Lucy Westenra (lesbian in most adaptations) - Dracula
 * Assorted dragonriders, particularly male green- and blueriders (gay or bi) - Dragonriders of Pern

Arrow/Flash Shared Universe

 * Curtis Holt and Paul (gay)
 * David Singh and Rob (gay)
 * Hartley Rathaway (gay)
 * Nyssa al Ghul (lesbian)
 * Sara Lance (bisexual)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel

 * Andrew Wells (bisexual)
 * Buffy Summers (bisexual, leaning straight)
 * Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay (lesbians)

Doctor Who/Torchwood

 * The Doctor (likely bisexual)
 * Canton Everett Delaware III (gay)
 * Jack Harkness (pansexual)
 * John Hart
 * Toshiko Sato (bisexual)

Other

 * Jack Sparrow (bisexual) - Pirates of the Caribbean
 * Number Six (bisexual) - Battlestar Galactica
 * Xena and Gabrielle (bisexual/lesbian) - Xena: Warrior Princess
 * Zed (gay) - Pulp Fiction

Western Animated Shows

 * Korra and Asami Sato (bisexual) - Legend of Korra
 * Lexington (gay) - Gargoyles
 * Marceline and Princess Bubblegum (bisexual) - Adventure Time
 * Stewie Griffin and Jasper (gay) - Family Guy
 * Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland (gay) - Gravity Falls

Sailor Moon

 * Michiru Kaioh/Sailor Neptune (lesbian)
 * Haruka Tenoh/Sailor Uranus (lesbian)
 * Kunzite/Malachite (gay)

Neon Genesis Evangelion

 * Kaworu Nagisa (gay)
 * Shinji Ikari (bisexual)

Other

 * Akise Aru (gay) and Mao Nonosaka (lesbian) - Mirai Nikki
 * Cuuko (bisexual, leaning lesbian) and Hasta (bisexual, leaning gay) - Nyarko-San
 * Draco (lesbian), Lilith (lesbian), and Suu (bisexual... maybe) - Monster Musume
 * Fate Testarossa and Nanoha Takamachi (lesbian) - Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha
 * France (pansexual), Sweden (gay), South Italy, Russia (probably bisexual) - Axis Powers Hetalia
 * Haruhi Suzumiya (bisexual) - The Melencholy of Haruhi Suzumiya
 * Homura Akemi and Madoka Kaname (lesbian) - Puella Magi Madoka Magica
 * Itsuki (gay) - Yu Yu Hakusho
 * Jakotsu (gay) - Inuyasha
 * Either Kagami Hiiragi or Konata Izumi (unclear; the manga-ka has stated that one of the two values the other as more than a friend) - Lucky Star
 * Kaori (lesbian) - Azumanga Daioh
 * Motoko Kusanagi (gay) - Ghost in the Shell
 * Reiner Braun (gay) and Ymir (lesbian) - Attack on Titan
 * Tomoko Kuroki (ambiguously bisexual; she may just be desperate) - Watamote

Video & PC Games

 * Zevran (bisexual), Leliana (bisexual), Anders (bisexual/gay, depending on the gender of the player character), Fenris (bisexual), Isabella (bisexual), Merrill (bisexual), Dorian Pavus (gay), Sera (lesbian), Iron Bull (bisexual), Josephine Montilyet (bisexual) - Dragon Age series. (The third game also introduces Cremisius "Krem" Aclassi, a trans-man.)
 * Steve Cortez (gay), Samantha Traynor (lesbian), Kaidan Alenko (bisexual), Kelly Chambers (bisexual), Diana Allers (bisexual) - Mass Effect series. (Note that Liara T'Soni doesn't technically count as being anywhere on the LGBT spectrum, given that her species is monogendered.)
 * Juhani (lesbian) - Knights of the Old Republic
 * Heather (lesbian) - Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
 * Leonardo DaVinci (not the real, historical one) (gay) - Assassin's Creed II
 * Arcade Gannon (gay) and Veronica Santangelo (lesbian) - Fallout: New Vegas
 * Sims in The Sims and any of its sequels can be played as gay, bi, or straight; in TS2 and TS3, they show a preference for the same or opposite gender depending on previous romantic interactions.
 * In the game Fable and its two sequels, the player character can be played as gay, straight, or bisexual.
 * Kanji Tatsumi (gay/questioning), Jun Kurosu (gay), Tatsuya Suo (bisexual) - Persona series

Webcomics & Graphic Novels

 * Wallace Wells (gay), Ramona Flowers (bisexual), Kim Pine (bisexual), Knives Chau (bisexual), and Roxanne Richter (lesbian) - Scott Pilgrim series
 * Kanaya Maryam (lesbian), other trolls (pansexual), Dirk Strider (gay) - Homestuck
 * Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn (bisexual) - DC Comics
 * John Constantine (bisexual) - DC Comics
 * Wiccan (gay) - Marvel Comics
 * Ellen Dunkel (bisexual), Nanase Kitsune (lesbian), Justin Tolkiberry (gay) and Lisa (lesbian) - El Goonish Shive
 * Dora Bianchi (bisexual) and Tai (lesbian) - Questionable Content
 * Dillon, Jerzy (gay), Zii, Senna, Yuki, Matt, Amber, Chanelle, and Sonya (all bisexual) - Ménage à 3 and spinoffs
 * Marena (pansexual) - Keychain of Creation
 * Haley Starshine and Sabine (bisexual) - The Order of the Stick

Miscellaneous

 * Almost everyone in Rent.
 * Glinda and Elphaba (bisexual) - Wicked
 * Merisiel Sylvari, Ileosa Arabasti, Pazuzu (bisexual), Kyra, Anevia and Irabeth Tirablade, (lesbian; Anevia is also MtF transsexual), Dagon, Lamashtu, Nocticula, Socothbenoth (pansexual), sundry others - Pathfinder Chronicles

Gay, Lesbian, & Bi Agents
PPCers often don't limit themselves to straight characters, either.


 * Adéle Bowen (lesbian)
 * Alec Troven (bisexual)
 * Arinellya (lesbian)
 * The Aviator (pansexual)
 * Cavan Shenn (at least bi)
 * Chakkik (gay)
 * Charlotte Webb (bisexual, leaning lesbian)
 * Christianne Shieh and Eledhwen Elerossiel (at least bi)
 * Cupid Carmine (bisexual, leaning straight)
 * David Stewart Wheatley (gay)
 * Dax (pansexual)
 * Decima (lesbian)
 * Doktor Trollenfisch (gay or bisexual; it's not clear which)
 * Drake (pansexual)
 * Eusabius (gay)
 * Evangeline von Lilith (bisexual)
 * Gabby (pansexual)
 * Gremlin (bisexual)
 * Hip (bisexual)
 * Hop (lesbian)
 * Ix (pansexual)
 * Jacques Bonnefoy (pansexual)
 * Jennifer Robinson (pansexual)
 * Kaitlyn Jackson (lesbian)
 * Lana and Riaa'lzhor (lesbians)
 * Lorac Seriph (gay)
 * Luxury (HQ's most famous pansexual)
 * Manx (bisexual)
 * The Notary (lesbian)
 * Paddlebrains (bisexual)
 * Randa Roan (pansexual)
 * Rayner Blitzkrieg (gay)
 * Shadow (bisexual)
 * Stormsong (gay)
 * Suicide (bisexual)
 * Venus Jones (bisexual)
 * Veridian Green (bisexual)
 * William Archer and Raphael Sabbat (gay)
 * William Grey (bisexual)
 * Zeb (gay)

Related Articles

 * Asexuality
 * Slash
 * Bad Slash