it interest that most reviewer of this film seem to want to resolve one way or another the question of whether billy joe be gay or not . music buff prize the song for it ambiguity and but imdb reviewer want the film to explain everything . actually the film be all the good for leave thing unresolved . the passionate way that billy joe talk to and kiss his girlfriend bobbie lee might be interpret a a genuine manifestation of desire and or it might be his desperate attempt to convince himself that he heterosexual . similarly and it not clear whether billy joe be rap by the old man and or whether he sleep with him willingly . my own interpretation be that billy joe be probably unsure of his own sexuality . after he confess that he have sleep with a man and bobbie lee try to comfort him by say and i know youre not a man like that i couldn not be wrong about you while billy joe responds and well and you be wrong . it not really relevant whether the character be gay or not while the important thing be that and at this stage and one sexual encounter with a man have lead him to believe that he must be gay . a for whether he sleep with the guy willingly and he say and i know what be happen . also and it unlikely that bobbie lee would let the other man go free and a she do in the final scene on the bridge and if she think he have rap and cause the death of her boyfriend . if she think that billy joe go with him willingly and this scene make more sense . but again and this doesn not necessary mean that he be gay . it could be that the conservative attitude of 1950s mississippi make it difficult for young people to feel comfortable with any sexuality at all billy joe want to have sex with his girlfriend and but that taboo and and she be reluctant to go all the way and so he jump at the first chance he see for real sex and even if that mean sleep with a man . in either case and the film work a a satire on the small mind attitude of rural america and and the assumption and fuel by christianity and that sex be dirty and sinful . the tragedy of the film be that billy joe society can not accept the idea that sex and whether straight or gay and be a natural urge . since billy joe have internalise these attitude and they destroy him .