Steal the Show

If you are uncomfortable with the gay community, I would not suggest taking up residence in New York City, particularly in the West Village. New York has some of the largest communities in the United States for individuals whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexual. And there are many orientations, as seen in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center at 281 West 13th Street. You can read about them here.
The gay community suffers from many stereotypes. As with any group, those that stand out are not necessarily those that typify the group. In fact, usually not. Religious fanatics don't generally represent the constituents of their faith.
Many of the gay men or lesbians seen acting out i.e. involved in wild activity, excessive promiscuity or gyrating on floats in the Gay Parade are just a small sampling. This may be something which is discussed frequently, but I believe it is perhaps only given lip service. The real problem is that most individuals in the straight community do not have interactions with or friends within the gay community.
I have worked with gay men and employed them. At one time I made close acquaintances with a large number of gay men who I saw on a semi-regular basis. At parties, my girlfriend at the time and I were the only heterosexual couple who attended. This was a great opportunity for me to really get to know a number of gay men well. I was always made to feel completely comfortable. The personalities, temperaments and livelihoods spanned the gamut. There were artists, pharmacists, bankers and real estate developers. Many were in very long term committed relationships. Some were quite conservative - "you would never know." Of course, as to be expected, the flamboyant always stole the show ...