Though bishōnen are not exclusive to yaoi, the androgyny of bishōnen is typically exploited to examine notions of sexuality and gender in yaoi works. Female characters typically have small roles in yaoi, or are absent completely. Helms termed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "the solitary most perilous piece of laws at any time introduced in the Congress", and sponsored legislation to either prolong it to the whole state or scrap it completely.