https://www.businessinsider.com/hbos-the-last-of-us-episode-three-review-bombed-homophobic-2023-1
Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the series who also developed the video game, told The Hollywood Reporter that Bill and Frank's relationship "went over a lot of people's heads" in the game.
"At the time, [the subtlety is] what helped get it in," he said. "It's sad to say, but it would have been controversial otherwise."
It wasn't even very subtle in the game, Bill straight up calls Frank his partner, and Bill has a gay porn magazine collection in his car lol. How did people miss that?
Same people who missed out on the meaning of the Confirmed Bachelor perk in New Vegas