Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane may not be gay, but Stewie "almost certainly" is

The "Big Gay Following" feature over at The Advocate can be a hit-or-miss affair. Sometimes the subjects (straight entertainers with considerable gay fanbases) seem uncomfortable with the line of questioning, sometimes they aren't very entertaining subjects, and sometimes I'm left wondering who on earth the gay fans of this person are in the first place, and how I can contact them to stop. (Yes, Nick Carter fans, that means you.)

But the latest BGF victim is a doozy: Family Guy and American Dad creator, showtune enthusiast and equal-opportunity offense artist Seth MacFarlane.

I'm a big fan of The Family Guy, which regularly tosses gay jokes into its caustic and hilarious mix without ever seeming mean-spirited. And MacFarlane's brilliant interview makes it clear that he's a big supporter of gay marriage rights (as evidenced by ant episode in which Brian's gay cousin visits with his boyfriend) and reveals that deranged, matricidal, football-headed rugrat Stewie is probably gay.

A few choice excerpts:

• On gay marriage: "A couple of years prior I had teamed up to write a pilot with two writers, both of whom were gay. One of them said that when he travels through the Midwest with his partner they have to go through this fucking dog and pony act when they stop at a hotel and the guy behind the counter says, “You want one room or two?” They have this charade where they’ll say to each other, “Is one room OK with you?” “Yeah, I’m cool with that if you are.” “Yeah, no big deal, we’ll just take one.” That was one of many conversations I had with them where I thought to myself, Why is it that Johnny Spaghetti Stain in fucking Georgia can knock a woman up, legally be married to her, and then beat the shit out of her, but these two intelligent, sophisticated writers who have been together for 20 years can’t get married? It’s infuriating and idiotic."

• On the Parents Television Council: "They’re literally terrible human beings. I’ve read their newsletter, I’ve visited their website, and they’re just rotten to the core. For an organization that prides itself on Christian values—I mean, I’m an atheist, so what do I know?—they spend their entire day hating people. They can all suck my dick as far as I’m concerned."

• On which character the gays like best: "Generally they respond to Stewie, because he’s arguably the most complex character. He originally began as this diabolical villain, but then we delved into the idea of his confused sexuality. We all feel that Stewie is almost certainly gay, and he’s in the process of figuring it out for himself. We haven’t ever really locked into it because we get a lot of good jokes from both sides, but we treat him oftentimes as if we were writing a gay character."

• On which gay celebrity he would save from a burning house party: "John Travolta. But if he’s not there for some reason, how about David Hyde Pierce? I’m acquainted with him and he’s a good man. And if we ever did a Family Guy Broadway musical, we would need him to play Stewie."