Standing in for

Does "standing in for a homosexual subtext" mean "conveying a homosexual concept"?

Context:

Here two saddles face each other, implying that the riders will face each other in romance, in a game etc., although they are floating in the air, as the horse’s presence is just implied. The work is completed in the mind of the viewer when he or she imagines someone, or a couple, riding on the piece and imagines the horses (horses being also a symbol of prince charming coming to claim his bride, in a sense, as we might imagine red saddles resting upon a white horse). The work is sensual, humorous and absurd, as the saddles hang from the ceiling as temptations, as potential riders really could not get very far. The temptation is there, however, for romance, performance or farce. In addition, the concept of symmetry (two saddles) standing in for a homosexual subtext is an important part of the piece.