History Main / FanYay

[[quoteright:260:[[Literature/TheBible http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/David_and_Jonathan.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:260:Even TheMiddleAges were gay for David and Jonathan.]]

Sometimes a work resonates really strongly with the LGBT community, to the point of developing a definitive LGBT demographic.

The reason for this is not always known. Maybe it's intentional {{Fanservice}}, maybe it's merely unintentional FetishFuel, or maybe just relatable CharacterDevelopment of an AudienceSurrogate (whether intentional or not). Not all FanYay is unintentional; quite a bit revolves around canon gay or bi characters or relationships. It could be "acceptable" HomoeroticSubtext by creators who are otherwise straight, as with ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''. It could even have started unintentionally but later have been made official to please the acknowledged fans, as famously happened with ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''.

Whatever the case, this trope is for when a work appeals to the gay community as well as the mainstream world.

Fan Yay tends to manifest itself not just in FanArt and FanFiction (not to mention the ubiquitous RuleThirtyFour), but occasionally also in BrokenBase, UnpleasableFanbase or InternetBackdraft. HoYay can be considered a subtrope of Fan Yay when the fans are gay, but YaoiFangirls and {{Yuri Fan}}s do that too. Whichever way you put it, the fans are here, and the fans are queer.

When editing examples, keep in mind that '''Fan Yay doesn't have to be unintentional'''. Also, HoYay by gay fans should go in that article, unless there's more that the gay fanbase especially likes besides just the Ho Yay.
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!!The following works have developed a definite Fan Yay:

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Advertising]]
* Tony the Tiger, the mascot of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. The size of his gay male fanbase is [[{{Catchphrase}} grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat]]!
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'': Sajin Komamura. A big anthro wolf. Don't let his appearance terrify you, he's actually [[GentleGiant one of the nicest guys in Soul Society]]. Most erotic art of him seems to be M/M. Since he's pretty shy, he works well as a bottom.
* ''Manga/DaiNoDaiBouken'': Crocodine, baby!
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': Especially [[SacrificialLion Leomon]], [[BigBadassWolf WereGarurumon]] or [[OurDragonsAreDifferent WarGreymon]]. [[ManlyGay Yum]]. Oh, and let's not forgot [[OursDragonAreDifferent Exveemon]].
* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' is also prone to bara FanYay, being an anime about giant muscle-bound men and filled with bromance. It's just oozing testosterone. Nappa is the most common candidate, being giant dumb beefcake. Since Goku is naive as a brick, many fantasize that they could lure him to bed with promise of candy.
** The FurryFandom FanYay seems fond of Giran.
** On a similar note, many [[FurryFandom Furries]] are also a fan of [[BigBad Frieza]], mostly for his tail and [[FootFocus prehensile feet.]]
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Darius and Heinkel ([[HoYay together]] or [[MrFanservice individually]]) have an immense gay following. Much of the cast consists of [[AuthorAppeal muscular men]] and shirtless scenes abound for the main character.
** Heymans Breda is often beefed up in fanart, as well.
* Asuma Sarutobi from ''{{Naruto}}'' is a popular icon amongst bara fans, with hundreds of FanArt and doujinshi dedicated to him.
* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' with [[EnsembleDarkHorse Kaworu]].
* ''PrettyCure'' Providing Fan Yay Since 2004!
* ''WildKnightsGulkeeva''. Every male knight, practically without exception. They are very {{Stripperiffic}}.
* ''ZettaiMutekiRaijinOh'': Asuka's got both fangirls and fanboys (who are otherwise straight) in the fandom.
* ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'' makes for great bara material. The series already has plenty of muscular men, lots of tackling, and more ass shots then you can count.
* ''{{Hellsing}}'': There's a huge amount of fanart depicting [[BigBad the Major]] and [[CatBoy Schrodinger.]]
** Father Anderson has an impressive bara following.
* ''GurrenLagann''. If [[WalkingShirtlessScene K]][[EvenTheGuysWantHim a]][[MrFanservice m]][[{{Badass}} i]][[RatedMForManly n]][[CrazyAwesome a]] doesn't sell any gay viewer on it, post-TimeSkip [[EstrogenBrigadeBait Si]][[WalkingShirtlessScene mo]][[OfCorsetsSexy n]] will, and then there's also the massive amounts of HomoeroticSubtext between them.
* ''NabariNoOu'', [[HoYay/NabariNoOu unsurprisingly]], has disproportionate percentage of LGBT fans.
* CodeGeass: For its many AmbiguouslyGay characters, Camp, and HoYay has been the subject of much queer analysis and appreciation. The creators often tease it in some of the Fanservice material. Lelouch, regardless of how you read his sexual preferences, is a [[AgentPeacock]] fabulous, fierce badass.
* In ''Manga/AxisPowersHetalia'', [[NationsAsPeople Turkey and Grandpa Rome]] have humongous amounts of gay/bi male fans. Turkey's is so impressive that on Pixiv, there's more [[{{Bara}} erotic art of him]] than [[HandsomeLech France]]. Australia and [[BigFun Cuba]], while mostly ignored by the majority of the fandom, have also made an impression on gay/bi fanboys.
** Germany himself is a poster man for Hetalia Bara Fandom.
* JojosBizarreAdventure is like a Fan Yay assortment for different audiences:
** Parts 1-3 of the story mainly feature musclebound, stylish men with heaps of HoYay involved.
** Parts 4-5 keep the style and bromance aspects intact but adds younger, feminine men to the mix.
** Part 6 genderflips the situation and features mainly strong, masculine women in a prison setting attracting a lot of LesYay from the fans. Doesn't help that the character in love with the main protagonist was originally intended to be female.
* ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has a lot of lesbian and bi/pansexual female fans. Not surprising, as it was ranked [[http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2011/05/08/top-10-yuri-anime/ the best yuri anime]] by Biglobe ('''NSFW'''), despite not actually being {{yuri}}.
* RevolutionaryGirlUtena is popular for Anthy/Utena, and for its deconstruction of gender roles, [[EveryoneIsBi queer subtext all around,]] and coming-of-age (coming out?) story.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''Comicbook/AssociatedStudentBodies''. Back in the 1990s, this was the first significantly successful gay FurryComic. So much so, that later Furry Comics are a significant improvement if they can [[AvertedTrope avert]] predictable comparisons to being "''ASB'' [[RecycledInSpace with X]]". Though groundbreaking at the time, it [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny has not aged well]] compared to newer even more successful gay Furry Comics, and new fanart seldom appears anymore. Nevertheless, considering how influential it has been, reading ''ASB'' is still something of a gay furry comics reading rite of passage.
* ''{{Asterix}}'' has plenty of [[HomoeroticSubtext scenes where Asterix and Obelix embrace]], while several of the male characters such as Fulliautomatix are bare-chested and heavily muscular. The athletes in ''Asterix at the Olympic Games'' are practically Spartan Adonises in their depiction.
* ''{{Blacksad}}''. [[StupidSexyFlanders Holy shit]].
* ''{{Circles}}''.
* ''HeathenCity Maranatha''.
* ''{{ISO}}''.
* ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', to the point where the characters Northstar and Colossus were written as gay, and the character Beast [[SorryImGay faked being gay.]]
** Northstar was conceived as being gay from the start, it just took them forever to openly proclaim it (don't forget, it was illegal to do so for most of that time). Colossus' same-sex leanings are unique to the ''{{Ultimate X-Men}}'' continuity.
** Most male ComicBook/{{X-Men}} are sufficiently buff to have at least some BaraGenre-style fanart of them. While {{Wolverine}} is far and away the most popular subject of this, as mentioned below,[[NinetiesAntiHero Cable]], [[GentleGiant Colossus]], [[GeniusBruiser Beast]] and [[StandardizedLeader Cyclops]] get quite a bit as well, and even the more lithely-built ones like [[LauncherOfAThousandShips Gambit]] and [[AnIcePerson Iceman]] get their share of bara-styled fanworks.
* Westerners like to make gay fan works of {{Wolverine}}, since he's a tough, stocky, muscular, hairy anti-hero with an indestructible body.
* ''YoungAvengers'', thanks to canon couple Billy and Teddy.
** Though they aren't the only ones. After all, who could resist Tommy in that skin tight suit of his? Or Patriot.
* {{Deadpool}} is starting to gain one of these.
** Probably due to his pretty much canon homosexual relationship with Cable, or his Omnisexuality.
* SpiderMan has a large gay fandom, especially when paired with Venom.
* JusticeLeagueInternational put Booster Gold and Blue Beetle in this category. They squabbled a lot, as one might imagine in a series PlayedForLaughs.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/ThreeHundred''. Blatant FanYay bait.
** If watching ''300'' doesn't make you long for [[BaraGenre mansex]], you're [[MisaimedFandom missing the point entirely]].
** The film reviewer from ''The Advocate'' called it "the most homoerotic '''''and''''' the most homophobic movie of the year."
* ''Film/AllAboutEve''
* ''Literature/MommieDearest''
* ''Franchise/SherlockHolmes''. Holmes and Watson. Most prevalent in the 2009 film where the homoerotic angle was purposefully pushed.
-->'''Jude Law [Watson]:''' I knew enough about Sherlock Holmes to know that there was a lot of unchartered material. I knew [Downey's casting] was going to be something exciting, and therefore the project was going to be something exciting. And as soon as I met him, we got on very well - which is a good sign - and we both agreed that we wanted to really make this a piece about the relationship between Watson and Holmes.
-->'''Robert Downey, Jr. [Holmes]:''' I think the word bromance is so passe. We are two men who happen to be roommates who wrestle a lot and share a bed.
* ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''
* ''TheWomen''
* ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''
* ''Film/WhateverHappenedToBabyJane''
* ''Film/{{Xanadu}}''.
* ''Calamity Jane'', which has some [[HoYay Les Yay]] between the main female characters. The song "Secret Love" has been interpreted by modern viewers as [[{{Tsundere}} Jane]] realizing her love for [[HeterosexualLifePartners Katie]] rather than Bill.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature and Mythology]]
* The VampireChronicles by AnneRice. Gender doesn't matter much to vampires.
* Most of Classical mythology - especially Hellenic mythology - falls under this. Homosexual relations were widely accepted and practiced in Ancient Greece, and tolerated in Rome. As a result, vast swathes of Ancient Greek mythological figures have serious HoYay going on, and on top of that, many have explicit romantic relationships with the same-sex. Not to mention most of the Gods being BiTheWay. Things were toned down in Roman times (the original Narcissus myth had him spurning a male suitor) but a lot still lingered on. Greek mythology has subsequently inspired a lot of homoerotic art, such as this [[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/The_Death_of_Hyacinthos.gif painting]] of Apollo cradling Hyacinth.
* ''Literature/TheBible'', namely the story of [[HerHeartWillGoOn David and Jonathan]]. Though David had no fewer than ''eight'' wives, he was said to have loved [[ClosetKey Jonathan]] with a passion above all other people. The HoYay of this relationship has been [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_and_David#Homoeroticism acknowledged and celebrated in art]] at least since the Middle Ages (and likely earlier as well).
** [[LovelyAngels Ruth and Naomi]] have some significance in the lesbian community as well.
* OlderThanDirt: ''Literature/TheEpicOfGilgamesh'' and its lasting appeal. Gilgamesh and Enkidu and all their abundant naked HoYay. It seems naked gay guys have been falling in love and "wrestling" for many millions of years, regardless of their species. And for as long as beings have been socially acknowledging, there have been those that have found it heartwarming and emotionally uplifting.
* Nearly any {{mytholog|y}}ical hero or WorthyOpponent in a world of [[AmbiguouslyGay ambiguous]] or [[HoYay blatantly homoerotic]] sexuality. Heracles, the Minotaur, [[YaoiGuys Zephyrus and Hyacinth]], Cú Chulainn, Literature/{{Beowulf}}...
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. Particularly revolving around Willow and Tara's canon relationship, but the fans also leap upon the (occasionally intentional) HoYay between other characters.
* ''Series/DegrassiTheNextGeneration''. Marco's storyline is blatant FanYay bait.
** There's also the relationship between Alex and Paige (who is either bisexual or [[IfItsYouItsOkay considers Alex an exception.]]) The later seasons have [[ArmouredClosetGay Ril]][[StraightGay ey]] coming to terms with his homosexuality.
* ''Series/DoctorWho''. In the EighthDoctorAdventures novels, ''ScreamOfTheShalka'' and the new TV series and its SpinOff ''Series/{{Torchwood}}'', it's ''entirely'' deliberate. As of 2012, the Doctor is snogging guys just for fun (an element that got introduced in the novels in the late 90's).
** ''Series/DoctorWho'' had attracted a large LGBT fanbase during the original series as well, as ShowRunner RussellTDavies had repeatedly referenced on his previous show ''QueerAsFolk'' ("Oh my God, you've got ''Genesis of the Daleks''!").
* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. All the way. It was one of the first major slash fandoms and from the late Nineties onwards, new fans have mostly trickled in ''because'' of the slash. The main fan-run ''Series/BlakesSeven'' convention, Redemption, regularly features slash panels. This makes the somewhat homophobic, anti-slash copyright owners rather uneasy.
* ''{{Glee}}'', with its gay creator, several gay actors, and handling of gay story lines, has quite the gay fanbase.
** Brittany and Santana's relationship went from background [[HoYay LesYay]] to throwaway joke to full story arc due in no small part to the FanYay [[PortmanteauCoupleName Brittana]] attracted.
* ''Series/{{House}}'' does this with House and Wilson, and sometimes to a lesser degree with House and his male team members. This probably started off accidental, but by the fourth season it was obvious the writers were running with it.
** In the 6th season they raised the tease to high art, complete with an episode where Wilson "proposes" to House as part of a ploy to keep him from sleeping with their new neighbor.
* The DanSchneider stable of shows include, ''ICarly'', ''{{Victorious}}'' and ''DrakeAndJosh'' all managed to pick up an ongoing LGBT fanbase.
** ''ICarly'' because of Sam's ambiguously lesbian, probably bisexual, tendencies, the LesYay between Carly and Sam, and that pretty much any plot involving Carly, Sam and a third female, turns into a LoveTriangle, or at least looks like {{UST}}, such as the Missy/Sam FoeYay example, and the Carly/Shelby one.
*** Not to mention the guest star who kissed another girl on the lips.
** ''{{Victorious}}'', again, the LesYay is piled on from the start, with the FoeYay style {{UST}} relationship between Jade and Tori, and [[EnsembleDarkHorse Cat]]'s crush apparent on Jade.
** ''DrakeAndJosh'' picked up the slash fans, with the damn near canon relationship between the titular step-brothers.
* Back when [[HelloAttorney Alex Cabot]] was still on the show (pick a season, any season. She's the ADA for five out of eleven of them, even after she [[NotQuiteDead died]].), ''LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit'' had a reputation for having a large lesbian fanbase, due to the ''blatant'' LesYay between Alex and Olivia, which Executive Producer Neal Baer not only acknowledged, but deliberately strung along.
** Stephanie March (Alex) has recently said that she thinks Alex/Olivia is entirely possible - they may even have been together, a la [[Series/{{CSI}} the Grissoms]], for a long while. Which is ''spectacular''.
* ''{{Neighbours}}'', specifically with regard to [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Libby and Steph]], who have a substantial lesbian following.
* ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'', specifically Doggie Cruger, who became an instant BaraGenre icon.
** His counterpart from SPD's source material, Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger, is submissive (and VERY muscular) in almost every erotic pic of him (even if it's straight!)
* ''QueerAsFolk''.
* ''RizzoliAndIsles'' has this in spades. Which is unsurprising, considering it's a pair of HeterosexualLifePartners played by [[Series/LawAndOrder Abbie Carmichael]] and [[Series/{{NCIS}} Kate Todd]].
* ''{{Skins}}'' positively exploded with this during Naomi and Emily's relationship.
** As of the third generation, there's also Franky and Mini's relationship.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'', believe it or not. Probably more to do with [[WideEyedIdealist Gene]] [[KnightTemplar Roddenberry]] and the blatant fanservice than SlashFic, honestly.
** Although ''Franchise/StarTrek'' is notable for HoYay to the point of inspiring the first SlashFic, the fact that there are no canonically gay or bi characters in the series has led to complaints.
** Jadzia Dax in ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' could be construed as averting this. However, the nature of the [[TheSymbiote Trill]] as a joined species leaves this open to interpretation. In the episode "Rejoined" Jadzia experiences a "bisexual" attraction to another female Trill whose symbiont had [[spoiler:formerly resided in the wife of one of the Dax symbiont's previous male hosts]]. Because of the context, this could be taken as an instance of ItsOkayIfItsYou. Jadzia was really part of an OfficialCouple with [[spoiler:Worf.]]
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''. This even happens ''in-series'' when a prophet turns his visions of the Winchesters' lives into a series of books. Our heroes are horrified to discover people are writing SlashFic of them, and a later episode involves them going to an actual Supernatural convention and meeting a gay couple who cosplay as them. This is despite the fact that they are brothers, and each sleeps with quite a few women.
* ''TrueBlood''. The creator is gay, so there is plenty of homoerotic fanservice.
* ''XenaWarriorPrincess''. Xena and Gabrielle weren't lovers at first, but were made lovers by the end of the series.
** Not just lovers, but ''soulmates'', [[ReincarnationRomance destined to hook up in every single lifetime, and every incarnation, forever.]] In fact, their future selves were married. And even clones made from the DNA of their Ancient Greek incarnations hooked up the very day that they became sentient. Even their own mysteriously similar-looking ancestors hook up. And for some reason, Joxer is always with them.
* ''Series/{{Merlin}}'', with its central relationship being that of Arthur and Merlin (both played by young men in this version), and the fact that the actors ColinMorgan and Creator/BradleyJames are HeterosexualLifePartners. However, there has been some CreatorBacklash to this, with one of the head writers claiming that: "we don't pander to that lot."
** And yet, in the very first episode they have the Dragon say "A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole." Which is about as unsubtle as you can get on the subject of their relationship.
** Not to mention, co-stars KatieMcGrath and AngelCoulby both appear to ship both Arthur/Merlin and Morgana/Gwen, at least going by the DVD commentary.
* ''PrettyLittleLiars'', a show aimed at teenagers, is ridiculously popular among adult lesbian and bisexual women thanks to lesbian main character Emily Fields.
* TheSecretCircle has a decent lesbian following. Though none of the girls are known to be gay, the close friendships between Cassie and Diana, and Faye and Melissa definitely fuel things. Plus there's also the FoeYay between Faye with both Cassie and Diana. ''LesYay'' ''ship teasing'' is not only played up in the show ("I would do anything for my best friend"), but also by the cast & creator on Twitter ("Fayana was here").
* The [[{{LOGO}} After Elton]] website, has a section dedicated to live-action dramas (especially {{Soap Opera}}s) like this called "Gays Of Our Lives".
** Anthony D. Langford also started uploading parts of soaps on YouTube that focused on male relationships. For example, uploading the Luke and Reid parts of ''AsTheWorldTurns''.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'' seems to be a recent example. The large amount of LesYay (possibly inevitable in a show with as many major female characters as this one has) probably contributes a lot.
* ''TheCatherineTateShow'' has an InUniverse example of a female pop star who had many gay fans.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]
* Female pop musicians (tragic personal lives optional) with gay followings has nearly become a cliche, though it's only recently that said musicians actually comment on it or come out themselves. Examples include Music/LadyGaga, (the most famous case, and a bisexual herself), Music/KylieMinogue, {{Robyn}} and Music/MarinaAndTheDiamonds. Also JudyGarland and Music/BarbraStreisand.
* Music/{{ACDC}}, due to [[HaveAGayOldTime what the term means in the gay community]], had a large gay following, which the band embraced.
* TheWhiteStripes cover of "Jolene". Jack White didn't change the gender of the song (originally sung by DollyParton, a woman), so the song becomes about a relationship between a gay man and his bisexual lover in which the latter is going to leave him for a woman. Unsurprisingly this song earned them a huge amount of controversy, but won them a great deal of gay fans in the process.
** Curiously, that was not the first time "Jolene" were presented in a male voice, with the lyrics performed intact. In early 80's, the band TheSistersOfMercy used to present "Jolene" in the shows, sung in the deep baritone voice of Andrew Eldritch. From this time, also, is another Sisters of Mercy cover, also in the same Eldritch's voice: Abba's "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" (sporting the verse "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A man after midnight!" also without any kind of gender change).
* Brazilian singer Marina Lima cover of the song "Mesmo que Seja Eu", originally composed and sung by a man, Erasmo Carlos. The verses ''"Você precisa de um homem pra chamar de seu/Mesmo que esse homem seja eu"'' (in english: ''"You need a man to cal yours/Even if this man just be me"'') sung on a female voice immediatly drawed attention of the Brazilian lesbian community. Is recognized nowdays as a sort of hymn of the brazilian lesbians living in prisional environments (due to the context of the lyrics as a whole: about loneliness, shattered dreams and bad companies).
* Swedish wartime diva Zarah Leander was embraced by gay men in Germany, thanks to songs like “Kann die Liebe sünde sein,” with definite subtext [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything coded in the lyrics]] from her gay male songwriters.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney''. This behavior is encouraged by the absolutely massive [[http://community.livejournal.com/anon_press/ kink meme]]. As for Apollo Justice series? Go for BL.
** One of the characters in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' is Dick Gumshoe, a buff, scruffy, battered puppy of a man who is in desperate need of some love. The fans deliver, though they [[ButtMonkey aren't particularly kind to him]].
** Phoenix Wright is probably 3/4th way in this fandom.
** Miles Edgeworth does tend to get the brunt of it, though, between [[RealMenWearPink his frilly attire]], [[ChasteHero lack of interest]] in his [[ChickMagnet masses of female admirers]] and constant HoYay with Phoenix Wright.
** Godot/[[spoiler:Diego Armando]]'s fandom is also not scarce. If you don't see him paired up with [[spoiler:Mia]], there are abundant fanarts and fictions that paired him with Phoenix.
* ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}''. This now-obscure 1990s video game franchise used a PaperThinDisguise ExcusePlot about [[SaveThePrincess saving a girl]] to unleash one of the single most [[HoYay homo]][[FetishFuel erotic]] video games in existence. For some reason, in particular, Big Blag the LightningBruiser LeatherMan has a Fan Yay quotient as potent as [[{{Mario}} Bowser]], except not nearly as well known. All this from the same game that gave us [[MsFanservice The Dark Queen]].
* The ''BreathOfFire'' series, which almost seemed to be a foregone conclusion considering it was already very popular in the FurryFandom. The greatest FanYay seems to go to Garr and Rei from ''BreathOfFireIII'' and to Cray from ''BreathOfFireIV''.
* ''{{FEDA}}''. Ain [=MacDougal=] and Arby Hcszeool have both become {{Stripperiffic}} BaraGenre icons.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''. Golbez has been showing up more often in bara, thanks to the sequel TheAfterYears revealing that [[spoiler:Golbez is a tall, dark, and handsome muscle-bound hunk with flowing white hair like his brother underneath the armor.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''. [[RatedMForManly Sabin René Figaro]] occasionally shows up in BaraGenre. [[GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave Cyan Garamonde]] would also seem like a good candidate, but FanYay of him is surprisingly [[AvertedTrope scarce]](which may related to him being married man).
* Cid Highwind, the gruff, constantly swearing airship pilot from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', is often depicted as full-fledged beefcake in BaraGenre fanworks these days. This may be due to his appearance in AdventChildren being rather brawnier than in the game.
** The much beefier Barret has begun to [[RuleThirtyFour get some]]. Here's a StupidSexyFlanders [[http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1192468/ fully-clothed tame example]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', mostly [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Kimahri]], Wakka, Auron, and [[WalkingShirtlessScene Jecht]].
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI''. The muscled-out {{Stripperiffic}} Galka are a OneGenderRace, confirmed all male by WordOfGod. Figure out the implications yourself. Needless to say, there is a '''lot''' of gay-appealing fanart of these guys.
*** The Galkas lived on an island by themselves for hundreds, if not thousands of years before they migrated to the mainland of Vana'diel. Think about that for a moment, you are either going to have nightmares or pleasant dreams from that one.
** Also the Mithra for the yuri crowd.
** Similarly, the {{Stripperiffic}} FemmeFatale Viera in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' and related continuity. If they aren't a full-on OneGenderRace, they seem to be at least a one gender ''society'', as there are no male Viera anywhere in evidence in their village, or referred to even in passing. As their culture is also very different from the local human societies, it creates a lot of speculation.
*** WordOfGod does state that Viera are a completely sex segregated society - females live in one village, males in another, and they only communicate with each other when required.
*** In a similar vein, the Bangaa race from the same game and the ''FinalFantasyTactics'' spin offs. The Bangaa are mostly displayed as muscled lizardmen that are either jerks, brutes, or have a lot of muscle to throw around in a fight, but many people in the fandom tend to view them as hunky beefcakes, especially in Final Fantasy XII where the majority of the Bangaa are modeled with a vest and no shirt or just plain shirtless. The Bangaa are quite popular in the FurryFandom.
*** Basch, and occasionally Gabranth as well, get beefed up in bara-style art of them. Balthier, too, every once in a while, but he's more of a {{Bishonen}}.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' seems to have quite the yuri-inclined fandom...Probably due to all the blatant LesYay between Fang and Vanille. At one point, Fang actually looks up Vanille's skirt [[spoiler:to check her L'Cie mark, though,]] and also says she would tear down the sky for her. Oh, and the skirt-lifting happened immediately after a rather close hug, during which Vanille's hand ''is on Fang's breast''.
** If the developers had gone with their original plan for Fang to be a male character, and nothing else about the final product were different, no one would be arguing that Fang and Vanille were anything ''BUT'' a couple.
** Snow himself is getting this treatment from the BaraGenre crowd. He even gets paired with honorable King of Bara, [[Franchise/ResidentEvil Chris Redfield]]!
*** Gadot is fairly popular, as well, thanks to his muscular physique and his chest-baring er, "outfit" (if you can call it that).
* The [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Behemoth Behemoths]] of the ''FinalFantasy'' series have become fairly popular to [[PettingZooPeople anthropo]][[FunnyAnimal morphize]] as [[StupidSexyFlanders muscled]] [[ManlyGay male]] [[PerverseSexualLust studs]]. Most examples are RuleThirtyFour, and very decidedly NotSafeForWork. The fact that they have become increasingly anthropomorphized in appearance in later ''Final Fantasy'' games has only accelerated this. [[http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3951242/ Here's a (relatively) worksafe example]].
** Special mention must go to the [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Narasimha_(Final_Fantasy_XIII-2) Narasimha]] from ''FinalFantasyXIII2''. Built like a brick house, wears a pair of woefully inadequate shorts and nothing else, and you can ''recruit'' one!
* ''GearsOfWar''. All the main leads are so very, very buff and manly that it pretty much invites FanYay.
** Wait, the game wasn't designed by TomOfFinland?
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda''. There's something about Ganondorf that makes him quite the Fan Yay bait.
** However, it's the hero, Link, who was voted hottest video game character by the LGBT magazine "Out." (He's also been known to inspire StupidSexyFlanders moments in straight male fans.)
* ''{{Mario}}''. Mario himself to a degree, but far outshadowered by '''Bowser'''. A big hairy strong guy wearing [[LeatherMan spikes and leather]] and [[{{Stripperiffic}} nothing else]]? Bowser oozes testosterone, and attracts tons of testosterone-y fans. Though both Mario and Bowser are portrayed as straight in a [[LoveTriangle struggle]] over [[SaveThePrincess Peach]], FoeYay inevitably ensues.
* Tali'Zorah, resident WrenchWench and BadassNormal of ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has a substantial lesbian fanbase for her personality, close relationship with Shepard, and LesYay in the second game. It's been hinted that Tali was intended to be a romance option for a female Shepard, but her voice actor found the idea uncomfortable.
** Tali's male counterpart in this field is [[GoodLookingPrivates Kaidan Alenko]], which really skyrocketted when datamining revealed that a romance between him and a male [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]] was seriously considered as an option at one point. The combination of the [[DummiedOut scrapped content]], {{Woobie}} points, BadAss points, [[MrFanservice being very attractive in general]], and a boatload of HoYay with [=MaleShep=] made Kaidan so popular with the gay male fanbase that ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' made a [[RomanceSidequest romantic relationship]] between him and [=MaleShep=] [[AscendedFanon a legitimate option for the player]].
** [[ActionGirl Ashley Williams]] and [[HitmanWithAHeart Thane Krios]], the other two love interests who could have potentially been an option for both genders, also enjoy some Fan Yay, but not nearly as much as Tali or Kaidan.
** The release of ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' also triggered a spike in Fan Yay directed at [[MrFanservice James Vega]].
* ''Franchise/MetalGear''. Damn. Though [[EvenTheGuysWantHim all the guys want]] Big Boss, there's a significant gay fandom for Solid Snake.
** It's the source of a fair amount of FanYay, which is perhaps not surprising, since Solid Snake and Big Boss are both handsome, muscular military men who get involved in a lot of HoYay. It's basically what {{Wolverine}} is to Westerners.
* ''{{Morenatsu}}''. A DatingSim always intended for a gay audience, but has spawned viral MemeticMutation of fanart by countless different artists. People in the FurryFandom are more likely to see lots of its fanart before ever finding out that it is actually a game.
* ''VideoGame/RedEarth''. Leo, duh.
* Chris Redfield of ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' has become a pretty huge presence in BaraGenre fanart due to his RatedMForManly makeover in VideoGame/ResidentEvil5.
* ''ShiningWind''. Rouen sees a lot of {{Kemono}} BaraGenre fanart.
* [[ByTheBookCop Norman Jayden]] and [[RabidCop Carter Blake]] from ''HeavyRain'' are paired together in the fandom more than Ethan and Madison, [[spoiler:who at least have an optional sex scene.]]
* SonicTheHedgehog and Shadow get this treatment a lot thanks to the fact that: a. [[FurryFandom they have fur]] b. in the furry circles, [[YaoiGenre they're both considered attractive]], and c. they have a massive amount of FoeYay between them.
** Sonadow is definitely a Furry Fangirl favorite, even if little between them in the games is romantic in any way.
** Meanwhile, the Sonic / Tails pairing has had a strong following pretty much since the beginning. Though Tails tends to be paired with just about anyone.
* ''VideoGame/StarFox''. In Japan, the [[FanPreferredCouple most common fan-pairing]] is Fox with Falco, in both [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther tame romance]] and in RuleThirtyFour. (Even Fox and Krystal are [[HetIsEw not paired as often]] overall.) Other popular Fan Yay pairings include Fox with Wolf, James with Peppy, Wolf with Leon, or [[TriangRelations Wolf with Leon and Panther]]. In the West, all the above also are paired to some degree, but have long been utterly eclipsed in popularity by non-Fan Yay pairing of Fox with [[MsFanservice Krystal]]. Krystal [[AmericansHateTingle hasn't had quite the popularity]] in Japan she's had in the West, and even the writers have been [[TheArtifact increasingly unkind to her]].
** To be honest, thanks to RuleThirtyFour and her being MsFanservice Krystal gets paired up with anything...[[AnythingThatMoves one way or another]].
** Don't forget that not only the Japanese can't stand her -- [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks most of the Star Fox players before Adventures don't]]. Their substitute? [[ComicBook/StarFox Fara Phoenix]]. She's likable enough even when she's ''not'' being paired with anyone.
** ''VGCats'' [[http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=221 illustrates the Star Fox Fan Yay angle effectively]].
** ''Star Fox Assault'' has so much Wolf/Fox stuff in it that it was really begging for it.
** There's the famous Leon commentary scene in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''.
* ''StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime''. Adray Lasbard is a WalkingShirtlessScene BadassGrandpa with sex appeal. There is BaraGenre, [[RuleThirtyFour yes there is]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}''. With a predominately female cast (there have been exactly six male characters out of over a hundred in the entire series--of those six, only three are even remotely human--of those three, only one is alive), the Touhou fanbase is a breeding ground for happy yuri fans. ZUN seems to be aware of this and has actually admitted that he likes the idea of his characters paired together, although he hasn't said which pairings he likes (although Marisa and Alice are hinted at in canon). Most of the Touhou fans are male by the way.
* ''VideoGame/WildArms2'' had tall, dark and hunky GentleGiant / MightyGlacier Brad Evans, who was sweetly devoted to his war buddy Billy Pilder. While debate continues over whether they were actually intended to be gay, their TearJerker HoYay has made Brad a video game StraightGay icon. Brad and Billy might have been HeterosexualLifePartners, if not for there being zero demonstration of their heterosexuality and [[HoYay all evidence to the contrary]].
* ''WorldOfWarcraft''. Asric and Jadaar, Koltira and Thassarian, and Quae and Kinelory are the most obvious ones that come to mind.
** Not to mention the large amounts of gay fanart of WoW Tauren, Orcs, Dwarves, and even the occasional Draenei. From all the fanart alone, one would believe that [[EverybodyHasLotsOfSex everybody has lots of]] [[EveryoneIsGay man orgies]].
* ''VideoGame/StreetFighter'' gets a lot of love from BaraGenre fans. HeterosexualLifePartners Ken and Ryu get the most fan works, but there's also plenty [[RuleThirtyFour rule #34]] of Zangief. You can expect to find bara-style art of almost any male character, given that most of them are muscular and often shirtless.
** Blanka gets quite a lot, too.
** Not surprising with Urien, given that he already looks an oiled-up bodybuilder in a white bikini in the games.
** Abel and El Fuerte when ''Street Fighter IV'' was released. One of Akuma's alternate costumes had him wear nothing except a fundoshi, a rope belt, and some torn cloth.
* ''MortalKombat'', at least the early installments, is a giant WalkingShirtlessScene source for several male fighters. And thanks to the movie, Johnny Cage and [[HalfHumanHybrid Goro]] have a nicely developed FoeYay potential that wouldn't have existed otherwise.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' anyone? The [[BandOfBrothers all-male cast]] has lead to a variety of shipping opportunities, a surprising chunk of which involve the [[GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave 40 or 50-something]] Medic and the [[StoutStrength bu]][[{{Kevlard}} lky]] [[BoisterousBruiser Heavy]].
* ''VideoGame/SoulSeries'' gives us [[WalkingShirtlessScene Rock]] who is much beloved in the [[BaraGenre Bara]] community.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has plenty of bara style art, of both human characters and Pokémon. Machop's evolutionary line is by far the most popular choice. Popular human characters include Lt. Surge, Bruno, Giovanni, Koga, Chuck, Brawly, Byron, Drayden, Marshal, and Alder.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* ''CarpeDiem''.
* ''LastRes0rt''.
* ''Webcomic/PennyAndAggie''.
* ''{{Profiles}}''.
* ''[[Webcomic/{{Roommates2009}} Roommates]]''
* ''Webcomic/VinciAndArty''.
* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' features an entire race of EveryoneIsBi trolls. Because of this (as well as a lot of HoYay, at least one canonically queer human character, and thoughtful treatment of queerness altogether) it has become rather popular among LGBT people. [[LipstickLesbian Kanaya]] is especially popular.
** Two, possibly three queer humans now -- Dirk is gay, Jake is bisexual or pansexual, and Rose is in a relationship with the aforementioned Kanaya. The only one confirmed to not be gay is John, and there's some evidence towards him being asexual.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/BikerMiceFromMars''. Shirtless, muscular anthropomorphic mice who ride motorcycles and are fond of wrestling one another? Yes.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}''. Goliath, Brooklyn and Broadway are all FanYay favorites, and to a lesser extent even Hudson is featured. But Lexington, the only actual WordOfGay character, is too much of TheTwink for the BaraGenre crowd.
* ''WesternAnimation/GoofTroop''. Oh Pete, you [[StupidSexyFlanders sexy beast]]. RuleThirtyFour of him (sometimes even [[IncestIsRelative paired with PJ]]) occasionally [[IncrediblyLamePun pops]] up.
* ''JemAndTheHolograms'' has a large gay male fanbase. So much so that Out Magazine did an [[http://www.out.com/detail.asp?page=1&id=26105 interview with Jem's voice actress]] about it.
* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. MostFanFicWritersAreGirls, almost all Kim Possible FanFic is about a [[LesYay lesbian relationship]] between [[FoeYay Kim and Shego]], so [[YuriFan some girls]] must be working out some issues for one of the two.
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' is already known for its large [[PeripheryDemographic adult male fanbase]] ({{Fan Nickname}}d "bronies"). But there is a particular Fan Yay for Big Macintosh. RuleThirtyFour of him is also abundant, including as a [[PettingZooPeople Petting Zoo Person]] and even {{Race Lift}}ed as a human male.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheRenAndStimpyShow'', later aided by WordOfGay.
* ''WesternAnimation/RoadRovers''. Exile and his "weird boy" Blitz. Hunter seemed oddly disinterested in the flirtatious Colleen, [[SorryImGay for some odd reason]].
* ''Disney/RobinHood''. Specifically the Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1973 {{Disney}} animated feature.
* ''SamuraiJack''. How can he not, when he spends half the show [[ShirtlessScene nearly naked]] (and one episode fully naked)?
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', to the point where extreme conservative religious figures occasionally [[MoralGuardians condemned it]] as part of "[[ConspiracyTheory the homosexual agenda]]".
* ''WesternAnimation/SWATKats''. Take a wild guess. Fans had no trouble picking up the HoYay between the two main characters, even with them both being clearly interested in the opposite sex.
** They were just too damn close, even for best friends who were also room-mates. And partners. [[HeterosexualLifePartners And co-workers]].
** A lot of Fan Yay either has them being [[BiTheWay bi]], or only [[HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday pretending to be straight]].
* ''[[Disney/{{Tarzan}} Disney's Tarzan]]''. Admit it, you saw it coming from miles away.
* ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''. Especially [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 Bebop and Rocksteady]]. And, [[RuleThirtyFour more controversially]], [[{{Twincest}} the Turtles among themselves]].
** Although the implications associated with the above vary depending how you think, since there's no official word on whether the turtles are blood-related or not.
*** Also, who else are the turtles going to be paired with? They're self-exiled giant anthropomorphic turtles. Not many options there.
** This is also helped along with various incidents along the way that were borderline HoYay.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers''. [[MrFanservice Brock]] [[TestosteronePoisoning Samson]]'s character design was totally asking for this. Creator/PatrickWarburton's voice and the occasional FanService helped even more.
* ''WildWestCOWBoysOfMooMesa''. More manly anthropomorphic characters, in the form of three [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Cowboys]].
* ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' gets this a lot. Considering Prince Adam is soft-spoken, likes to cook, and wears pink and lavender with furry underpants over his tights, and he transforms into a muscular barbarian when he 'holds his sword aloft'...
** ''SheRa'' tends to attract a lot of this as well. Just look at Bo.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Daria}}'' is now on {{Logo}}. Granted, many fans tend to see LesYay in Daria and Jane's relationship, but pretty much every major character is canonically straight.
** Daria's repeated struggles with everyone who [[HaveYouTriedNotBeingAMonster kept trying to change her]] just for the convenience of [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer easily grouping her together with the other kids]] [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything resonated with many Gay fans]].
* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''. Marceline/Bubblegum had quite a bit of [[YuriGenre fanart]]. But thanks to the "What Was Missing" episode and the Recap video, the pairing has garnered a huge following with lots of fanart. Natasha Allegri, the show's character designer, made suggestive art of the two as well. They now star in a comic book series together.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]
* Many [[HotMenAtWork job occupations]] have earned the FanYay of gay men everywhere, especially the [[BaraGenre manliest]], [[ManlyGay most rugged]] and [[FetishFuel hottest-looking]] careers. [[BadassBiker Bikers]], [[PecFlex bodybuilders]], construction workers, [[GayCowboy cowboys]], [[FiremenAreHot fire fighters]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_wrestling oil wrestlers]], [[FairCop police]], [[HelloSailor sailors]], soldiers...the list goes on. Scores points if someone can be [[ShirtlessScene barechested]] or [[HellBentForLeather wear leather]]. The gay appeal of TheVillagePeople should be crystal clear. Certain careers have since been additionally glamorized in FanYay because of either a famous [[TruthInTelevision gay person]] or a person who otherwise achieved gay icon status -- for example, divers, after the fame of gay American diver Greg [[SignificantName Louganis]].
** [[TransparentCloset Anderson Cooper]] appears to have also done the same for newscasting.
* Sometimes the HotMenAtWork don't have to be from modern times, but can be from occupations OlderThanDirt. Warriors, hunters, athletes, gladiators, blacksmiths and even fishermen, farmers and artisans from non-recent historical times have long [[FetishFuel captured the imagination]] of men for centuries, if they are perceived in modern times to have been particularly HotMenAtWork back then, and most especially if they are [[NationalGeographicNudity naked]]. Interests may also feature any combination of BaraGenre (you think all those Greek pottery paintings were just documentative?), BodyPaint, BoysLove (yeah...), CarpetOfVirility ([[FridgeBrilliance men had hair back then, didn't they?]]), FullFrontalAssault (because I'm brave!...and too poor to afford armor), GayBravado, GoingCommando (underpants weren't always fashionable yet), HellBentForLeather (not everyone has sheep for wool!), HeroicBuild ([[RuleOfSexy a requirement]]), HoYay (of course), MaleFrontalNudity (or get pneumonia while net-fishing?), NakedApron (or let blacksmiths burn themselves without it?), PecFlex, RatedMForManly, WalkingShirtlessScene (shirt? what's a shirt?)... It [[CoconutEffect doesn't always have to be]] perfectly accurate TruthInTelevision, [[RuleOfSexy as long as it's hot]]. Overlaps somewhat with {{Mythology}} FanYay.
* Various famous people past and present have developed significant gay admiration today, and often believed to have been gay or bi. Examples that are either straight or of [[AmbiguouslyGay unclear sexuality]] include:
** Famously with AbrahamLincoln, believed by [[GayConservative Log Cabin Republicans]] to have been possibly the first gay President of the United States.
*** Either that, or Buchanan.
** ColePorter. He was in the closet (and had a [[TheBeard beard]]), but some of his lyrics are believed to contain HomoeroticSubtext.
** Similarly, James Whale, the gay director of ''Film/{{Frankenstein}}'' and ''Film/BrideOfFrankenstein''. The film ''Film/GodsAndMonsters'' is about his life. His films are also thought to have homoerotic subtext, especially ''Bride''.
* This tends to happen with medieval Arabic and Persian poetry, since in order not to ruin a woman's honour, Islamic poets often wrote odes to beautiful young boys. And in mystical Sufi poetry, God was seen as a distant, teasing beloved, also male--the poems were about agape but presented through eros. Historians and translators often throw apoplectic fits when gay readers ''dare'' love poets like Rumi because of the m/m symbolism.
* There are a number of straight male athletes who have large gay followings, to which they respond with varying degrees of warmth; some, like rugby star Ben Cohen, go so far as to pose for nude pictures and market them to their male fans.
* Kellan Lutz ([[{{Twilight}} Emmett Cullen]]) has quite a few gay fans. He has lampshaded this in interviews, but has said that he really loves his gay fanbase.
* Creator/DougWalker is more than happy to flirt with his male fans, indulge them in the occasional marriage proposals or brag about them finding his ''WebVideo/SuburbanKnights'' PantyShot hot. His getting married to his long-term girlfriend has not lessened this {{fanservice}}.
** In terms of his shows, WebVideo/DemoReel, with the [[CastFullOfPrettyBoys cast of attractive men]] (and one {{badass}} lady played by an hilarious [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer model]]) who constantly participated in bromance, was the one most loved by his queer audience.
[[/folder]]

----

Fan Yay tends to manifest itself not just in FanArt and FanFiction (not to mention the ubiquitous RuleThirtyFour), but occasionally also in BrokenBase, UnpleasableFanbase or InternetBackdraft. HoYay can be considered a subtrope of Fan Yay when the fans are gay, but YaoiFangirls and YuriFans do that too. Whichever way you put it, the fans are here, and the fans are queer.

* ''WesternAnimation/KimPossible''. MostFanFicWritersAreGirls, almost all Kim Possible FanFic is about a [[LesYay lesbian relationship]] between [[FoeYay Kim and Shego]], so [[YuriFangirl some girls]] must be working out some issues for one of the two.

** One of the characters in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' is Dick Gumshoe, a buff, scruffy, battered puppy of a man who is
in desperate need of some love. The fans deliver, though they [[ButtMonkey aren't particularly kind to him]].

* Tali'Zorah, resident WrenchWench and BadassNormal of ''Franchise//MassEffect'' has a substantial lesbian fanbase for her personality, close relationship with Shepard, and LesYay in the second game. It's been hinted that Tali was intended to be a romance option for a female Shepard, but her voice actor found the idea uncomfortable.

** His counterpart from SPD's source material, TokusouSentaiDekaranger, is submissive (and VERY muscular) in almost every erotic pic of him (even if it's straight!)

* Tali'Zorah, resident WrenchWench and BadassNormal of ''VideoGame/MassEffect'' has a substantial lesbian fanbase for her personality, close relationship with Shepard, and LesYay in the second game. It's been hinted that Tali was intended to be a romance option for a female Shepard, but her voice actor found the idea uncomfortable.
** Tali's male counterpart in this field is [[GoodLookingPrivates Kaidan Alenko]], which really skyrocketted when datamining revealed that a romance between him and a male [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]] was seriously considered as an option at one point. The combination of the [[DummiedOut scrapped content]], {{Woobie}} points, BadAss points, [[MrFanservice being very attractive in general]], and a boatload of HoYay with [=MaleShep=] made Kaidan so popular with the gay male fanbase that MassEffect3 made a [[RomanceSidequest romantic relationship]] between him and [=MaleShep=] [[AscendedFanon a legitimate option for the player]].

** The release of MassEffect3 also triggered a spike in Fan Yay directed at [[MrFanservice James Vega]].

* ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney''. This behavior is encouraged by the absolutely massive [[http://community.livejournal.com/anon_press/ kink meme]].
** One of the characters in ''VisualNovel/AceAttorney'' is Dick Gumshoe, a buff, scruffy, battered puppy of a man who is in desperate need of some love. The fans deliver, though they [[ButtMonkey aren't particularly kind to him]].

* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'': Especially [[SacrificialLion Leomon]], [[BigBadassWolf WereGarurumon]] or [[OurDragonsAreDifferent WarGreymon]]. [[ManlyGay Yum]].

Not always is the reason known. Maybe it was intentional {{Fanservice}}. Maybe it was merely unintentional FetishFuel. Or maybe just relatable CharacterDevelopment of an AudienceSurrogate (whether intentional or not). It can be "acceptable" HomoeroticSubtext by creators who are otherwise straight, as with ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''. When something has its gay appeal, but has more than enough mainstream appeal for the gay appeal to blend in with the crowd. Or even something that started unintentionally but was later made official to please the acknowledged fans, as famously happened with ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''.

Not all FanYay is unintentional; quite a bit revolves around canon gay or bi characters or relationships.

Fan Yay tends to manifest itself not just in FanArt and FanFiction (not to mention the ubiquitous RuleThirtyFour), but occasionally also in BrokenBase, UnpleasableFanbase or InternetBackdraft. HoYay can be considered a subtrope of Fan Yay when the fans are gay, but YaoiFangirls and YuriFans do that too. But whichever way you put it, the fans are here, and the fans are queer.

Nobody knows quite why, but sometimes a work resonates really strongly with the LGBT community. Maybe it was intentional {{Fanservice}}. Maybe it was merely unintentional FetishFuel. Or maybe just relatable CharacterDevelopment of an AudienceSurrogate (whether intentional or not). But for some reason, a sizable LGBT fanbase develops, out of proportion to their population in the world at large. This is Fan Yay.

'''When Fan Yay was unintentional:'''
* It can be entirely accidental.
* It can be "acceptable" HomoeroticSubtext by creators who are otherwise straight, as with ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack''. When something has its gay appeal, but has more than enough mainstream appeal for the gay appeal to blend in with the crowd.
* Or even something that started unintentionally but was later made official to please the acknowledged fans, as famously happened with ''Series/XenaWarriorPrincess''.

* ''AceAttorney''. This behavior is encouraged by the absolutely massive [[http://community.livejournal.com/anon_press/ kink meme]].
** One of the characters in ''AceAttorney'' is Dick Gumshoe, a buff, scruffy, battered puppy of a man who is in desperate need of some love. The fans deliver, though they [[ButtMonkey aren't particularly kind to him]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''. [[RatedMForManly Sabin René Figaro]] occasionally shows up in BaraGenre. [[GrandmaWhatMassiveHotnessYouHave Cyan Garamonde]] would also seem like a good candidate, but FanYay of him is surprisingly [[AvertedTrope scarce]].

** A tolerance campaign once went around quoting [[http://www.wouldjesusdiscriminate.org/biblical_evidence/david_jonathan.html verses]] pertaining to David/Jonathan and Ruth/Naomi, with [[InternetBackdraft predictable reactions]] from people who use Bible verses to defend [[ValuesDissonance less tolerant positions]].

* ''Anime/DragonballZ'' is also prone to bara FanYay, being an anime about giant muscle-bound men and filled with bromance. It's just oozing testosterone. Nappa is the most common candidate, being giant dumb beefcake. Since Goku is naive as a brick, many fantasize that they could lure him to bed with promise of candy.

* ''Manga/DragonballZ'' is also prone to bara FanYay, being an anime about giant muscle-bound men and filled with bromance. It's just oozing testosterone. Nappa is the most common candidate, being giant dumb beefcake. Since Goku is naive as a brick, many fantasize that they could lure him to bed with promise of candy.

* ''Calamity Jane'', which has some [[HoYay Les Yay]] between the main female characters. The song "Secret Love" has been interpreted by modern viewers as Jane realizing her love for [[HeterosexualLifePartners Katie]] rather than Bill.

* ''Calamity Jane'', which has some [[HoYay Les Yay]] between the main female characters. The song "Secret Love" has been interpreted by modern viewers as Jane realizing her love for [[PlatonicLifePartners Katie]] rather than Bill.

* ''AssociatedStudentBodies''. Back in the 1990s, this was the first significantly successful gay FurryComic. So much so, that later Furry Comics are a significant improvement if they can [[AvertedTrope avert]] predictable comparisons to being "''ASB'' [[RecycledInSpace with X]]". Though groundbreaking at the time, it [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny has not aged well]] compared to newer even more successful gay Furry Comics, and new fanart seldom appears anymore. Nevertheless, considering how influential it has been, reading ''ASB'' is still something of a gay furry comics reading rite of passage.

** ColePorter.

* The [[{{LOGO}} After Elton]] website, has a section dedicated to live-action shows like this called "Gays Of Our Lives".
** Anthony D. Langford also started uploading parts of shows on YouTube that focused on male relationships. For example, uploading the Luke and Reid parts of ''AsTheWorldTurns''.

* ''TheCatherineTateShow'' has an InUniverse example of a female pop star who had many gay fans.

* ''ThreeHundred''. Blatant FanYay bait.

* ''AllAboutEve''
* ''MommieDearest''
* ''SherlockHolmes''. Holmes and Watson. Most prevalent in the 2009 film where the homoerotic angle was purposefully pushed.

* ''SunsetBoulevard''

* ''WhateverHappenedToBabyJane''

* ''Calamity Jane'', which has some LesYay between the main female characters. The song "Secret Love" has been interpreted by modern viewers as Jane realizing her love for [[PlatonicLifePartners Katie]] rather than Bill.

* ''PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' has a lot of lesbian and bi/pansexual female fans. Not surprising, as it was ranked [[http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2011/05/08/top-10-yuri-anime/ the best yuri anime]] by Biglobe ('''NSFW'''), despite not actually being {{yuri}}.