The male vs. female and gay vs. straight thing is a total non-issue where I work. The only people I have EVER heard comment on the sex of the nurse are the very elderly, who still find it a rarity (which it is not). And it's usually in a very positive light, eg. "Oh, you know I had a male nurse when I had my gallbladder removed; he was the best nurse I ever had." As for the gay thing, the vast majority of male RNs are straight. At my hospital, I can think of only three RNs that are gay out of the several dozen that I know. In my department alone, we have approx 15 guys and I'm the only one that's gay (although I have my suspicions about 1-2 others).
I basically hated nursing school. Out of 55 students there were 8 of us boys. Two gay, six straight. Again, a total non-issue to everyone. Nursing school was merely a means to an end and is where I learned only about 20% of what I need to know to do my job. The rest is OJT.
What I like about nursing: the days go fast, you're on your feet all day so you get good exercise, working with pretty intelligent people, the occasional patient who tells you you made a difference, the docs that treat you as if they trust you, the portability of the job, the ability to swap shifts and get any days off you need (usually), you don't spend a lot of money on clothes.
What I hate about nursing: dirty patients, uncooperative patients, patients with unrealistic expectations, grown men who cry like little girls at the sight of a needle, drama queens, the docs who treat you like scum, nursing assistants who resent that you occasionally ask them to do stuff even though that's their job (if they don't like it, they should probably consider going to nursing school), administrators who consider nothing but the budget yet still expect high "customer service" scores.
I don't necessarily agree with the previously-posted comment that "you'll either LOVE nursing or HATE it." I'm in the middle. It's a job, period. One that I'm happy to have, however, in today's economy of layoffs and plant closings. Good luck. You'll do great and school will be over before you know it.