Feelings about Romantic Orientation Representation in Literature

AKA I went out to the library today, and managed to catch that feeling of I-Haven't-Been-Out-In-A-While-and-Forgot-How-Many-Things-I-Hate-About-Society.  And now I need to rant.




I have a couple friends who were afraid of this guy cuz he thought he was bi. (He later took it back, deciding that he's actually just straight and confused.)  One told me that it was because it felt as if the guy was flirting all the time, and that it's icky for someone outside your orientation to be flirting with you.  I'm okay with this sentiment, as it is admittedly icky for someone outside of your interests to be flirting with you, no matter the orientation.

However, others have told me it's because they're afraid they'd catch the gay or something from him????  That.... is a bit much.  And it's kind of amusing how a lot of straight people require reassurance about their heterosexuality.  ...At least, I say that, but it's less amusement and more annoyance at the moment.

I was looking through the library because I wanted a book that's not about a guy and a girl.  And I'm not sure if people realize just how difficult a task it really is.  Trust me.  It's really really difficult.  I spent an hour in there and found one worth reading.

And when I say worth reading, I mean that they are completely okay with the fact that they are straight and half of the book will not be spent thinking "This is wrong, she's a girl and I'm a girl." or "We shouldn't be doing this! We're both guys!" because honestly.  Why can't writers just take their "We can't have /too/ many queers. After all, that's ~*~unrealistic~*~" and make the rest of it ~*~realistic~*~?  I honestly just want a book where there's a guy worrying about how to ask this other guy to prom.  Or maybe a girl that fights dragons and then tames a dragon and rides off into the sunset with another girl?

Because it's ridiculous.  I have so far found one book that I was interested enough in to finish, in which the main character decides she doesn't need to date because she's cool and so she goes to prom with her best friend and helps him find a boyfriend.  And that's one book about queers more than I expected to find and like.