I think you are missing my point. By the time many couples are approaching their 60's, sex isn't really part of their relationship. Most men of 57 find hot young women very attractive, but they don't get praised for coming out and saying it. My point is, why can't he just behave like most men who aren't attracted to their old wife? Being gay hasn't got much to do with it, unless you plan on being sexually active outside of your marriage. If you aren't planning on being sexually active, then why do you need to tell anyone you are gay? It seems to me that Phil is just announcing that he's planning sexual relationships outside of his marriage, as he's more attracted to men than his he is his wife. I'm not sure he's be met with the same levels of understanding if he said he'd prefer sex with younger women than his wife. Ultimately, at approaching 60, not too many people are going to want to shag their wives, gay or not.
I'll be completely honest here, as she has no idea this forum exists, but now in her early 40's, my wife is not what she used to be. But at the same time, I'm now balding, have put on weight and keep putting my back out. Neither of us are going to get more physically attractive in the years to come either. But I'd hope our relationship can withstand the natural process of not be sexually attracted to one another in the way we once were. So whether Schofield is gay or not, isn't the issue. The issue is that he's getting praised for effectively saying he is sexually attracted to people who aren't his wife and thus is seemingly going to act on it. I don't see how that makes him any different to millions of middle aged family men.
If he was younger and hadn't had a family, then I think you could argue it's completely different. I'm not saying he should be criticized, but simply that he shouldn't be praised or called brave etc, is it seems to totally distract from what is really going on here. A 57 year old man is announcing he wants sex outside of his marriage or that he is ending his marriage for that reason.