Man haters in the series were both actual lesbians and not just lonely girls with pillow friends. RJ did try to dig himself out of that a bit with women like Tarna and Pevara, but he too easily equated red Ajah, lesbianism and man hating into one package.

I don't disagree about Merise and her relationship with her warders, it i don't think Narishma needed to be gay to make the point you describe. No gay man would have let himself get caught up with a woman like her anyway ... Of course it would have been funny to find out Narishma wanted Merise to pass his bond to Emarin