Why put gay in quotes?

Uh.... k.

You know it's bad when a character gets on a cracked.com list on the merit of being offensive.

Wasn't the MAX series out of continuity?

It's a great series and a lot of fun. As a longtime fan of Rawhide from waaaaaay back, I don't think it's at all out of character, and it's the only significant thing they've done with the character in over 30 years. Well-written, well-drawn, and most of the people 'offended' by it aren't frankly worth listening to at all.
 
They toned it down with The Sensational Seven, which is a shame because the humour and satire of the first Rawhide Kid series, referenced in this amusingly misspelled topic, made things much more amusing. 
 
It is by no means a stretch to have the Kid be gay. His sexuality was pretty much never much of an issue in the original series, and the assumption that if they don't say otherwise, people are heterosexual by default is just asinine. Another thing to consider is the fact that since American comics tend to have unlimited scope, a series might have been running for decades, and in earlier times was written by people who could not or would not deal with anything but the standard mainstream issues or beliefs. While it is more accepted and encouraged to have characters of a greater diversity now, it was not always that way. Taking a different look at a character or changing aspects -- especially with a character who has not had a strong fandom since the early 70s -- is not a bad thing.
 
Coming from a gay guy, I frankly think that both the people getting 'outraged' that the Kid's openly gay and the people who are 'offended' that he's a bit queeny at times are all taking it far too seriously and missing a really good read. And to the latter, I would like to point out that the Kid may be fussy, but he's also the best durned gunfighter in the West! He's not some prissy cream puff who can't handle himself; he's more intelligent, more stylish, more handsome, and a better shot than most everyone in both series so far. Hardly something to find offensive. He flirts? It's implied he's sexually active? He cares about his appearance? Oh, the world is over!
 
Please, guys. The two most recent Rawhide Kid series have been the best thing to happen to the character in a long time. At least somebody gives a care about him now. Even the last 50+ issues of his original series were, sadly, just new covers on endless reprints.
 
I'm much happier to see him as a character people can enjoy.

Frankally, I'm discusted two!

Discusted Two: Electric Boogaloo! :D

I find it ironic that he claims he has no ill will ... sorry, ill well, towards gay characters yet he uses words like appalling, tragedy, and discusted (lol)  to describe how he feels about the character being gay.  sheesh, some people.

Yeah. Though I can see why sometimes people get unhappy when characters they loved or love are changed, there are a lot of things that are done to characters that are a lot worse than taking their heretofore unexplored sexual orientation and bringing it to the fore. The Kid didn't change as far as his ability, his charm, or his look. If anything, the Slap Leather series made him more distinct than most of his contemporary characters, by making him more intelligent, more coherent, and a more refined guy. It was actually rather strongly in line even with the Rawhide Kid series Marvel put out in the mid-80s, though much more upbeat and entertaining in my opinion. I don't see a problem with it.
 
I'd much rather see that than see him made into an incapable ninny or brought back to be made into a footnote in some overwrought 'serious business' series by a whippersnapper with something to prove. Also, you kids get off my lawn!
 
Seriously though, the Kid wasn't changed hardly at all, and all the changes I think were decidedly for the better. They could have done a lot of things with him that they've done to other characters who have sat idle for decades, but they kept him true to what he always was. They made him better, but they also stayed true to him.
 
I'm not honestly sure what the problem is with the Kid being openly (inasmuch as he could be at the time) gay, it's not like he was a huge casanova in the original series or anything. In fact, the few times -- you can count them on one hand and have fingers to spare -- he even seemed slightly interested in women were debatable and had nothing to do with anything. I could see someone getting out of sorts if the Kid were some kind of philanderer, but Johnny? Not at all!