Archie, That’s so Gay

Finally after almost 70 years, that corporate comic giant, Archie Comics is finally going to introduce a gay character in the fall. I was already whooping like crazy, “OMG! Maybe they will have a lesbian character! I hope Betty goes out with her!” But just when I get back down to earth, I remember the history of queers in pop culture: not a pretty picture:
Gay men being portrayed as fashion accessories for straight women
Gay men not having a love life outside of interior decor
Lesbians pictured as psychos
Queers with tragic ends
Lesbians pictured as butchy gym teachers that torture their students
Gay men not having a love life outside of straight women chasing them.
Ok, you can see why I’m worried. This is a series of comics that purports to be “good, clean, wholesome fun” yet show cheesecake pictures of Betty and Veronica, where the idea that a violently jealous boyfriend is hilarious, thinks that dyslexia is funny (see aforementioned boyfriend),hasn’t created a fat female character that isn’t a hag or hausfrau or the butt of jokes and yet she has the love life of a Dilton, and hasn’t had a black character until the 70s. About Kevin, is he just going to hang around the gang? I mean even Dilton has a love life!!!! But for all my ranting, this is a large progressive step for mainstream, “family-friendly” American pop culture. If you found my ranting perplexing or if you have to be that frank, annoying, consider this: when I was little, I always suspected that I wouldn’t fit in a hetero relationship and almost always rooted for the boy to win the heart of the girl. I was that hungry for queer images as a little girl. So sue me if I seem like I’m overreacting over it.
For Further Resources:
In Praise of Ethel Muggs, Who Should Archie Marry? , Asshole Archie , Archie and the annoying cheesecake