If the sexual orientation and origin of the characters don’t make a difference in the story, …
I would argue that the sexual orientation of the characters does make a difference in the story.
They’re living in a world with little trust, and they have to overcome that. Neither one can be sure that the other is trustworthy, and won’t kill them when they’re not looking. And they have to overcome the remaining stigma of same-sex relationships, which could end very badly in the same way. They are both walking through two minefields, in a way which is different from how a similar heterosexual story would play out. Maybe?
It is definitely first and foremost a love story, but it’s not only a love story, and looking away from other aspects does a disservice to everyone.
I would argue that the sexual orientation of the characters does make a difference in the story.
They’re living in a world with little trust, and they have to overcome that. Neither one can be sure that the other is trustworthy, and won’t kill them when they’re not looking. And they have to overcome the remaining stigma of same-sex relationships, which could end very badly in the same way. They are both walking through two minefields, in a way which is different from how a similar heterosexual story would play out. Maybe?
It is definitely first and foremost a love story, but it’s not only a love story, and looking away from other aspects does a disservice to everyone.
But the same story could have been told with an heterosexual couple or even two people that had a platonic relationship…
Each of those (especially the platonic relationship one) would be a different story, even if they would all be first and foremost “love stories.”