I get that and I share your disdain for things PC... But where does it end then?
I guess they took upon that one due to the usual words to describe them: "Fem", "Queer", "Backbiter", "Homo", "Twink", "Pretty Boy", "Silly boy", "Pansy". "Sword-Swallower", "Periwinkle", et. al. It sounds so much more "acceptable" I guess. The girls are not outdone with, "Dyke", "Carpet-muncher", "Butch", "Lez"(Lezzie, Lezbe, Lesbo), Bean flicker, Kitty-puncher...
Gay is also only one syllable.
Bad photography?
They didn't shoot him. They broke his neck. Admittedly, I'm not sure how they did it; but if they used a gun then I agree they should wait until the US military (that bedrock of not over-reacting) trains them to do it properly.