Xena and Gabrielle were not gay!

Yes, that's what I remember. Both Xena and Gabrielle. I read some interviews with the showrunners and I got the impression that they did not originally intend either character to be lesbian or bisexual. But then a subset of the fans were really interested in seeing the two in a relationship and so it was folded into the show in a subtle way. From what I remember of the interviews with the showrunners, focus groups and stuff indicated that most of the fans wanted Xena and Gabrielle to be straight and have boyfriends etc. The group that wanted them to be in a relationship with each other was small but outspoken and their interest was driving some of the show's good publicity? So I think that is why their relationship with each other was mostly in the subtext.