Describe symbolism in The Beautiful Room Is Empty by Edmund White

During his first year of college, in the midst of a string of anonymous sexual encounters, the narrator has somewhat more substantial relationships with three men. They are the masculine and world weary Tex, the effeminate and outspoken Morris, and the secretive Lester. These three characters embody and/or symbolize important aspects of homosexuality that include self-loathing and rejection of relationships in Tex, flamboyance in Morris, and shame-filled unhappiness in Lester that the author is desperate to avoid, having seen how they trigger hatred in others.