Koertge touches on several issues that may be of concern to some readers, including homosexuality, AIDS, and premarital sex. While some may find his treatment of these issues somewhat cavalier, he actually handles them with great sensitivity, including them in the novel as part of the story, not drawing attention to them by making them seem out of the ordinary.

In some respects, Wes fits the stereotype of a gay man. He runs a successful jewelry store, wears designer clothes, and maintains an exquisitely designed and clean home, but he is also much more than that. Koertge portrays Wes as a person who happens to be gay, not as a "gay man." While the gay community and its issues take up a great deal of his energy and time, they are just one part of his life. As he explains to Billy, "My dentist isn't gay...