I think a lot of it is just that people are too stupid to realize that "faggot," "gay," etc. are just as bad as the n-bomb, even without harboring any serious hate.
Interesting you bring up Elissa Steamer, Whiteley, because I think there's still plenty of that stuff going on. I can't watch Marisa Dal Santo footage in a public setting without hearing someone talk about whether she's attractive or declare that they can probably beat her in a game of skate. If that's the case, I don't know how soon the homophobia stuff will fade away.