Re: Queerbaiting. Perhaps this wasn't exactly the right phrase. In this, it should be queer ROMANCE baiting. In media, ___baiting isn't using something in your story to lure in readers. It's making promises that aren't there. Which is to say: false advertising. Shows are notorious for this, teasing that two male characters have sexual tension, without delivering anything from it, or even acknowledging it. The suggestions here (ie putting romantic situations in the thumbnail) would be roughly in that same area--promising something that isn't there.
And I want to make something clear. I know yaoi/BL comics are popular around here. But there is a VAST difference between BL and LGBT content. There is overlap, yes. But they are not the same thing. They are intended for different audiences. Most BL is targeted at young women. LGBT content has a target audience of LGBT people and isn't necessarily romance.
I'm guessing a lot of people weighing in on this don't have much experience in trying to find/market stories like this. Things that have something like a trans flag on the cover or a rainbow motif. Those are overwhelmingly stories about being that thing. IE the story about a character's transition and coping with everything that comes with it. So coding this story in a similar fashion would again be making false promises. It's not a story about being queer, it's a story with queer characters. Look up "LGBT books" on google images and just look at the covers. Spot the "queer experience" tales vs stories where queer people exist.
@kelheor In the moment, it might seem out of place. But in just a few pages, he makes a comment that makes it relevant. And the scene after that, it becomes super important. It's just the reverse of why it was included for Crawford, which was to explain a comment he'd just made. But page 13 also assumes you saw page 8. It's establishing a theme.
@HGohwell Yeah, that's the problem I'm falling into. It's definitely not cyber punk, as that's usually a MUCH more futuristic world. And neo-noir might fit, but that's not a genre most places have as a category you can select. Then there's the fact that it's special abilities like super powers, but it's not super heroes or supernatural. So it's not an easy thing to summarize.
And on your last point: It shouldn't just be a pleasant surprise while you're reading. It should be easy to find stories with LGBT characters doing things outside of romance. And that's something I will NOT budge on. It's the reason I'm making this story.