> Has anyone else noticed that the homosexual characters (Maya and Kaoru) are
> look and portrayed in a stereotypical way??

*blinks* They are? (More on this later)

> Maya is butch and boyish looking (short hair, flat chest, she dresses like a
> guy too). She knows a lot about how to fix things and her voice is almost
> gruff for a woman. I wasnt surprised to read that we later find out that she
> is a lesbian - she looks like a dyke.

And there's no real hint that she thinks of Ritsuko as anything other
than a role model except that one ambiguous scene in EoE.  If she
conforms to any stereotype, it's the "younger student has an almost
crush-level worship of older, more wise person".

> Kaoru is drawn to look effeminate, he acts camp, likes 'arty' things (eg
> classical music), makes blatant come-ons to Shinji, minces around and has
> what I can only call a "faggy" voice.

As it is mentioned before, Kaworu's dialogue is much more vague in the
original Japanese.  Plus, Kaworu probably isn't aware that guys just
don't take well to touchy-feely proclamations of love.  Or suggestions
that they spend the night together.  Or...

Yeah, it's suspcious that his Japanese seiyuu is infamous for
characters accused of being a "fruitcake" (Slayers' Xelloss, anyone),
but by this standard, then what are we supposed to say about Rei
(whose seiyuu is otherwise infamous for being ubergenkikawaii)?

> Do the writers and character disigners have no better way to show that these
> people are gay without resorting to all these crappy cliches??

Actually, I consider NGE a refreshing change from the usual
stereotypes.

Near the end of Dragon Ball Z, for example, there's a character called
"Otoko Suki"--"Likes Men".  Now _here's_ a guy who's blatantly gay,
since he's blinking coquettishly and fawning over poor Trunks, who is
obviously not happy that this huge biker-type guy is gushing about how
"cute" he is.

As far as the bishonen ones, Sailor Moon's Fisheye was mistaken for a
girl several times, and Zoicite even got a gender change in the
American version due to his extreme devotion to Kunzite (um, that is
his name, right? Haven't seen the show in forever, so I don't remember
if that's correct.)

And let's not even get into Michiru and Haruka...
(Okay, just a little, from the Sailor Moon SS movie...
Michiru: I prefer being an adult.  Adults get to have more fun.  Isn't
that right, Haruka?
Haruka: *blushes and coughs*)

And then there's CLAMP's works, and _Gensomaden Saiyuki_, and the
leagues of yaoi doujinshi *shudders*, and...

If you've seen more anime (and I doubt you have, given what you've
written), you would have realized that the Japanese are not at all shy
to be extremely politically incorrect and use the most outrageous
caricatures to portray people.  In this light, NGE is hardly an
offender.

-"Dot"