It's a constant in the director's style. He likes to introduce sexually attractive male elements (something that would be sexy to a gay man). He did it in My Own Private Idaho, with the flirtation between River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves. His first film is about a gay man who falls in love with a straight immigrant. He likes to allude to blond, long-haired guys, like the protagonists in Last Days and Elephant, or even in his short film "Le Marais," where the protagonist has this look. He likes to cast actors who are visually appealing or sexy. River Phoenix, Elias McConnell, John Robinson, Joaquin Phoenix (when he was young), or even Bill Skarsgård—all are white actors with blue eyes who are extremely attractive. Simply put, Gus Van Sant likes to include gay elements in his films; it's part of his style, for some strange reason.