Kevin Walker is an openly gay corporate attorney with multiple romantic arcs, including kisses and bedroom scenes with partners Scotty and Chad, plus storylines addressing his orientation and family acceptance; these recur across episodes like "Date Night," "Sexual Politics," and "All In the Family." Conflicts arise when sister Kitty joins a Republican senator's campaign that opposes gay marriage, creating direct dialogue on the issue. Episode titles such as "Patriarchy" and "Sexual Politics" frame family dynamics around these themes, and creator Jon Robin Baitz explicitly described the series as exploring a shift from patriarchy to matriarchy while commenting on gay marriage and the Iraq War.

Casting shows no race- or gender-swapping of established characters, with the ensemble reflecting a conventional network drama lineup. The LGBTQ+ elements drive specific subplots and character development without collapsing the overall family-melodrama premise, placing the influence at a significant but not foundational level.