Oh boy, Golden Wind. It’s a dark gangster thriller filled with the most brutal Stand battles in the entire franchise where the loser almost never escapes with his life, but everyone dresses in day-glo stripper attire and drapes themselves over their teammates with no shame. There are two gay couples (Gelato and Sorbet, as well as Squalo and Tiziano) and no prominent female characters besides the romantically unavailable Trish, so it’s no surprise that this part is drenched in queerness.

Giorno and Mista get the lion’s share of the gay subtext, as they’re frequently shown in risqué poses and would die for each other. The healing scene that Narancia misinterprets as a blowjob is obviously a joke, but Giorno embracing Mista from behind to steady his gun (while surreptitiously slipping his fingers into Mista’s pants) is part of a climactic scene that’s played entirely seriously. Even Joseph and Caesar weren’t this close...

Giorno and Mista – probably gay
Everyone else – we wouldn’t be shocked if they’re gay, too

Just from one look, you know that Jolyne can kick your ass. Unlike other female JoJo characters (even powerhouses like Lisa Lisa), she has a muscular, tattooed body and scowls at anyone who looks at her funny. She swears, masturbates, gets into heated arguments with her father Jotaro, and ends most battles just as bloody and battered as her male protagonist predecessors. Jolyne is butch as hell and doesn’t care that everyone knows it.

Araki originally wanted a female version of Anasui to be Jolyne’s implied girlfriend, but had to change Anasui’s gender because of editorial meddling. To his credit, Jolyne shows no interest in male Anasui and seems to get along much better with her gal pals Hermes and Foo Fighters. He also wrote main villain Pucci as gay for Dio (even more so than Dio’s minions from part 3) and/or worshipful of him, so at least some of Araki’s intended gay subtext made it into the final product.

Jolyne – probably lesbian
Pucci – either gay or unhealthily obsessed with Dio
Dio – still as fabulous as ever

Johnny and Gyro’s relationship is at the very core of Steel Ball Run, to the point that Gyro is just as much of a protagonist as this part’s JoJo. The two men grow to understand and care for one another over the course of the race, and we get to see every step of that growth.

Johnny sarcastically plays along with Gyro’s lame jokes, they deal cards and share coffee in the cold, and they each become better people because of the other’s influence. By the end, their relationship is so meaningful that Johnny and Gyro both give up their own precious ambitions just to save the other’s life. It makes sense for them to be romantically involved, especially since their interactions intentionally echo those of Joseph and Caesar. But even if they’re not, their bond is one that can never be broken.

Johnny and Gyro – possibly bisexual due to their extremely close friendship

Part 8’s Josuke (usually called “Gappy” to avoid confusion) is a mysterious youth with four testicles who wears a suggestively cut sailor outfit and has a Stand called Soft & Wet, but he’s actually the most unambiguously heterosexual JoJo protagonist in the entire series. His one true friend is Yasuho, who he cherishes so much that he cries when he sees that she’s safe after a harrowing battle.

The only queer subtext that we’ve seen so far in Jojolion is between Kira and Josefumi, the two fateful comrades who fused to form Gappy (...it’s complicated). They’re bound together by a shared event from their past and fought to the death against a much stronger foe to protect each other, eventually becoming Gappy and “living on” inside of him. Perhaps we’ll eventually learn more about these two and what they really meant to one another.

Gappy – no reason to believe he isn’t straight, especially since he and Yasuho are so cute together
Kira and Josefumi – possibly gay