Well, I certainly don't appreciate Doi, but he strikes me as interesting for a few reasons.
The first is Shimura's ever impressive skill to create what seems like a minor character that will only serve for one peculiar arc, then make the most out of this character throughout the story. From a dramatic standpoint, I thought it was a genius move to make Doi Shû's only familiar face in the new class.
Besides that, I think the character is interesting because he seems to struggle with the mere existences of people like Shû and Hiroyuki, at an age when sexual attraction is usually popping up in ways which you don't control or fully understand yet. The youth element is especially important here, as compared to when an adult bigot falls in love with a girl who happens to be a tranvestite or transexual. Doi is conflicted between his instincts (he is attracted to two beautiful women) and the moral and social conventions he has been brought up with, which make up for his inexperience of real life. The fact that he is an asshole specifically makes him more complex than a nice guy like Riku (Maho's boyfriend), for example.
A good story needs interesting bad guys. I think the two bullies have proven to be much more interesting than in most mangas and more subtle/useful characters than I would have ever imagined.
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Originally Posted by frubam
Well, I think she's experienced firsthand the trials and tribulations of a confesser/confessee relationship
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Good point; I had not thought of that.