The human drama is the central focus, the mechs is just changing the set pieces.

there's only so many plots.

For example: It's a standard workplace love story exploring the ego and id. It's just that the workplace is an underground base where some dudes are letting teenagers pilot alien hybrid mechs to bring about the end of humanity.

Heated Circuit Rivalry

Battletech is basically all of that except gay. I'm trying to think of any gay characters in Battletech...Rhonda Snord? Maybe a couple of the clanners?

Katherine Steiner-Davion (Victor's crazy sister; not her grandmother, Actual Katrina Steiner) might be considered aromantic...or a psychopath, which I think is an overriding factor.

I wonder if it's more illegal to be gay in the Draconis Combine or in the Capellan Confederation.

There's a "rumored" lesbian love affair between Heather Durant and Terens Amaris which results in house Amaris ruling over the Rim Worlds Republic, teeing up her great x5 grandson Stefan to essentially ruin civilization forever. So that's...kind of canon.