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.
This page also discusses bisexuals/pansexuals, meaning people who are attracted to two or more genders, including their own. In fiction, "pansexual" or "omnisexual" may be used for characters who are attracted to sapient beings of various species, too. In the Real World, there is some debate over the exact line (if any) between "bi" and "pan," so we default to respecting the individual's choice.
If you're interested in finding some media that contains homosexual and other LGBT+ characters, check out Wikipedia's massive list of lists on the subject.
Gay, Lesbian, & Bi Characters in Fanfiction[]
There's a severe shortage of good homosexual characters in fiction; even characters with no defined sexual orientation are usually presumed to be straight. Since there are more people who want to read about same-sex romance than mainstream media would have you believe, people who write fanfiction often write a (presumed) straight character as gay or bi to make up the lack. Fanfics that feature a same-sex romance are usually called slash, which refers to the convention of describing a pairing as "Character A/Character B."
Slash, just like heterosexual romance, can be written well or badly. When it comes to changing the known sexual orientation of a character, it's usually fine as long as they're kept in character, either in an AU where they were always that orientation or with some explanation for how they came to discover or accept that they're not straight. In the latter case, it also helps if the people around them react in plausible ways, without being reduced to either a Designated Homophobic Bastard or an Unrealistically Tolerant Pillock—especially the Love Interest.
It's a red flag if a character suddenly "turns gay" for the sake of gettin' it on. First of all, that's not how it works. Second of all, no matter how many authors forget about it, bisexuality exists—and just because you may be attracted someone of any gender doesn't mean you will necessarily be attracted to people of all genders in equal numbers. Sexual orientation is more or less a bell curve, with very few people actually existing as purely straight or purely gay. Lots of people are a bit bi. People living in intolerant cultures may just find it more convenient to ignore any same-sex attraction than to admit it. Therefore, it's much easier and more realistic to plausibly write about a character coming to accept being bisexual than to flip them like a light switch.
Gay, Lesbian, & Bi Characters in the PPC[]
PPCers often don't limit themselves to straight characters.
- Adéle Bowen (lesbian)
- Alec Troven (bisexual)
- Arinellya (lesbian)
- The Aviator (pansexual)
- Blank (lesbian)
- Cavan Shenn (at least bi)
- Chakkik (gay)
- Charlotte Webb (bisexual, leaning lesbian)
- Christianne Shieh (bisexual)
- 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)
- Urato Tomiyama (gay)
- Venus Jones (bisexual)
- Veridian Green (bisexual)
- William Archer and Raphael Sabbat (gay)
- William Grey (bisexual)
- Zeb (gay)