As someone who got exposed to 4chan far too early in life, I think I can answer the first bit. Ever heard of Hoarders? My 600lb Life? It's the same reason peopl

As someone who got exposed to 4chan far too early in life, I think I can answer the first bit. Ever heard of Hoarders? My 600lb Life? It's the same reason people watch that garbage. Being gay isn't a mental illness, and it isn't the same thing as reality TV. The LGBT community is, at present, an easy target. There are also a large number of LGBT people who struggle with mental illness (shocking in a society where KiwiFarms exists, I know), and mentally ill people are also easy targets.