The proposal was a fake. Ben knows he can't legally marry. He had to modify his position in an interview afterwards and say he was not interested in a gay marriage as such, but rather a gay wedding. This has set back the movement for marriage equality.
It's not just the marriage issue Ben has lied about. He said he wanted a family, then he had to backtrack and redefine "family" to mean gay partnership without children. This is another setback for the marriage equality movement.
These were more than just gay. His blue suit for the evictions was pure camp. That is the image of himself that Ben was promoting.
In the end, his alter ego took over. It was Brenda who won, not Ben.
I would like to think that too, but realistically, I know it's not true. Ben had no intention of raising awareness. His only interest was winning the $$$... at any cost. That cost meant persecuting and destroying those around him.
If the gay community or the marriage equality movement want him as a role model, they are going to have a hard time removing all the hatred and craven narcissism from that model. No, Ben is damaged goods. They don't want him.
If anyone wants him as a gay role model, it's Channel Nine, and you'd have to be suspicious of their motives.