I think that there are no gay characters ON SCREEN is simply because we are seeing so very little of their lives.
If you take TNG, for example: 4 Characters are paired off (Riker/Troy,Picard/Crusher) 1 Character is neuter (Data) Worf's character is straight, and there is plot revolving around his romance with Klingon/Human hybrid & their son - which gives a reason for him to be straight. The sexuality of the remaining characters (LaForge, Wesley Crusher) is not dealt with in canon at all. IIRC - LaForge's sole "romance" is with a holographic recreation of a female engineer (who is superior in skill to him, which is why he recreated her). Wesley is an adolescent, but we see no romance with others at all. Nor does his mother ever say "Why don't you go out with girls".
Both Geordi and Wesley may be non-straight, but no story says aye or nay.
IMO, Romance/Sex/Sexuality is not a central part of the story ST has to tell, which is why you don't see it.
*All of this is recollection, of course - no research has been done*
no subject
If you take TNG, for example:
4 Characters are paired off (Riker/Troy,Picard/Crusher)
1 Character is neuter (Data)
Worf's character is straight, and there is plot revolving around his romance with Klingon/Human hybrid & their son - which gives a reason for him to be straight.
The sexuality of the remaining characters (LaForge, Wesley Crusher) is not dealt with in canon at all.
IIRC - LaForge's sole "romance" is with a holographic recreation of a female engineer (who is superior in skill to him, which is why he recreated her).
Wesley is an adolescent, but we see no romance with others at all. Nor does his mother ever say "Why don't you go out with girls".
Both Geordi and Wesley may be non-straight, but no story says aye or nay.
IMO, Romance/Sex/Sexuality is not a central part of the story ST has to tell, which is why you don't see it.
*All of this is recollection, of course - no research has been done*