In honor of the passing of Kevin Conroy, I highly recommend reading his entry in the DC Pride anthology (it's the last one in the volume). It's about how he drew on his experiences growing up as a gay man in a repressive environment, facing discrimination as a gay actor working during the AIDS epidemic, to find the voice of Batman.

Knowing that MY generation's Batman was created from these struggles and the yearning for a sense of identity...it makes his portrayal all the more powerful.

Rest in peace, Kevin Conroy, you'll always be my definitive Batman.