That's how I feel. Still, I try to be realistic enough to realize that publishers will treat their characters as they please, in an attempt for profit or publicity.
A good writer might have done an interesting story where the Rawhide Kid feels uncomfortable when he finally does settle down with a girlfriend, and slowly realizes his real orientation is not what society taught him to feel. It could be handled well if done with some respectfulness and I'd read it to see what happened. (Especially since the Old West was not a culture friendly to gays.)But it would need a creative team that didn't treat it as a joke.