Sentence:  That a writer who is gay cannot be serious is a common professional illusion , sedulously fostered by all too many academics who mistakenly believe that their frivolous efforts should be <WSD>taken</WSD> seriously because they are expressed with that dreary solemnity which is the only mode of expression their authors are capable of . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  interpret something in a certain way; convey a particular meaning or impression