Bashing by Appearance

I feel like Vasquez discloses the sexual orientation of Mickey and Brian, after she explains what happened to them, for effect. When I was first reading their stories I was thinking "oh well they must have gotten beaten up by gaybashers because they were gay". No way am I saying that that was right for those people to do that, but I thought the bashers thought Mickey and Brian were gay because they saw stereotypical "gay" characteristics in the two men. But when Vasquez said that both men were attacked were straight I thought, "whoa, wait a minute". It just showed me that people stereotype things as gay or lesbian characteristics, and if people deviate from any of the "normal" perceived characteristics that a man or woman should have, then they are placed under a label. Anyone, no matter of sexual orientation, can be hurt by these false perceptions.