A reader writes:
First of all, I live in middle America, and I hate it when anyone refers to "middle America" as if it's a cohesive group - like an anti-gay Borg collective. We are not. Need proof? Iowa is in middle America. So stop blaming us for your cowardice.
Secondly, there are many, many reasons certain people don't go to see movies. Saying that nobody would go see movie X because star Y is gay is just small-minded. Maybe they won't see movie X because it is set in Iran. Or because star Z is a Scientologist. Or because they don't like redheads. Or because it's based off of their favorite comic book and they know the studio is going to butcher it (wait, that never happens....anyway). The only way you'll know that an openly gay actor can't carry the lead in a major film is by growing the balls to try.
And since most people I know (yes, in middle America) would pay to watch NPH read a phone book, and think John Barrowman is just about the prettiest thing on two legs, I'm thinking that you'll suddenly realize that we straight chicks can dig on gay dudes just as much as we do Brad Pitt.