Yeah, you gotta remember it's 60 years later and we're only just starting to see LGBTQ+ representation in kids media, and even now it comes with significant pushback.

My dad was alive at the time and rolled with the freak crowd (LGBT, hippies, what would one day be called punks, etc )when he heard about that story he immediately said it made sense because "there were all lot of people who already wanted to string him up for his skin color, let alone being gay" with this really serious look on his face

He grew up in California, too, so yeah

God that shit is dire. It was literally the best of two options and it was still bad. Coming out would have pit both of them in danger and got the show canceled. Fuck the 60s.