Archie Comics Introduces Gay Character

(CBS)  Riverdale High, the stomping grounds of perennial teens Archie, Veronica, Reggie and Jughead, is about to get its newest student . . . and yep, he's gay.

Archie Comics has announced that it will be introducing its first openly-gay character when Kevin Keller joins the cast of the comic books in an issue to be published this fall.

"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive," said Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater.

Issue #202 of "Veronica," to appear September 1, will feature the story "Isn't it Bromantic?" in which Veronica sets her sights on the new guy in town, not getting that he's just not that into her.

Not one to accept rejection, Veronica's flirtatious pursuit of Kevin becomes increasingly persistent, while he tries to let her down easy.

As the press release states, "mayhem and hilarity ensue."

More than 1.5 billion Archie comics - including spinoffs such as "Josie and the Pussycats" - have been sold since the character debuted in 1941.

[PiledriverPete]

While I'm not happy to see Riverdale getting yet another token character, I suppose there is some small comfort in their doing this rather than caving to the idiots who wanted them to "out" longstanding character Jughead.

Archie has long been trusted as a generally apolitical publisher, and has a reputation of serving idealistic Americana (you know, the kind of thing that used to be mainstream before everyone here got cynical). Archie fans are not typically cultural outsiders. Most of your mainstream gay community probably view their material as absurd kitsch. So after making happy noises about another victory in the crusade, they'll go back to deriding everything Archie represents.

I see this move by the publisher as just another instance of blowing with the winds of pop culture. It's a shame that Riverdale is becoming less and less a haven away from the issues of the world we have to live in.

[black_howler]

ellensmithee: What's wrong with having a gay character in Archie Comics? They are just as natural and normal as straight people. I don't see the problem.

[ellensmithee]

I'm not sure why the people who make Archie's Comics felt they had to do this. I'm all for gay people but not every single mode of entertainment must have a gay character.

[black_howler]

jade: Correction, what you are saying is that anyone who disagrees with you, or facts that prove you wrong, are "liberals" Merely supporting gay marriage does not make you a liberal. There are many issue that determine that. Just like there are Republicans who support gay marriage, and Democrats who oppose it.

[pragmatist1]

Wonder how long it will be before the gay character starts hitting on Archie, Reggie and Jughead or acting like Veronica? This is ridiculous.

[black_howler]

The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers state:

"There is no scientific basis for distinguishing between same-sex couples and heterosexual couples with respect to the legal rights, obligations, benefits, and burdens conferred by civil marriage."

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/documents/Amer_Psychological_Assn_Amicus_Curiae_Brief.pdf

Thus, mental health professionals and researchers have long recognized that being homosexual poses no inherent obstacle to leading a happy, healthy, and productive life, and that the vast majority of gay and lesbian people function well in the full array of social institutions and interpersonal relationships.

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/supreme/highprofile/documents/Amer_Psychological_Assn_Amicus_Curiae_Brief.pdf

The research and clinical literature demonstrate that same-sex sexual and romantic attractions, feelings, and behaviors are normal and positive variations of human sexuality.

http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/therapeutic-response.pdf

The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality per se is a normal and positive variation of human sexual orientation.

http://www.apa.org/about/governance/council/policy/sexual-orientation.aspx

[black_howler]

jade: Lol, according to you, anyone who disagrees with your view points or prove them wrong are "liberals" The problem with your argument is, merely support gay marriage does not make you a liberal. There are many things that define a liberal. Just like there are some Republicans who support gay marriage, and some Democrats who oppose it.

[black_howler]

jade: Correction, what you are saying is that anyone who disagrees with you, or facts that prove you wrong, are "liberals" Merely supporting gay marriage does not make you a liberal. There are many issue that determine that. Just like there are Republicans who support gay marriage, and Democrats who oppose it.

[black_howler]

Violence against a minority group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_LGBT_people

Gays are being beaten, shot at, sent to the hospital, killed. In the Middle East, they are killing gays among other groups out of hatred. Is this what we want America to become? Do we want America to revert back to the 1960's when groups were killed and segregated against for simply no good reason? Do we want to follow the ways of the Middle East and Al Queda? Let's push forward, it's time to end bigotry, discrimination, hate, and ignorance. This is modern America, not the Dark Ages.

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/hate.htm

[black_howler]

To those of you using the Bible as a weapon against homosexuality, you are wrong. Homosexuality is not a sin. The Bible is constantly being taken out of context to support anti-gay views. Scholars who have studied the Bible in context of the times and in relation to other passages have shown those passages (Leviticus, Corinthians, Romans, etc) have nothing to do with homosexuality. These passages often cherry-picked while ignoring the rest of the Bible. The sins theses passages are referring to are idolatry, Greek temple sex worship, prostitution, pederasty with teen boys, and rape, not homosexuality or two loving consenting adults.


http://www.soulfoodministry.org/docs/English/NotASin.htm
http://www.jesus21.com/content/sex/bible_homosexuality_print.html
http://www.christchapel.com/reclaiming.html
http://www.stjohnsmcc.org/new/BibleAbuse/BiblicalReferences.php
http://www.gaychristian101.com/

Thats why Jesus never mentions it as well. There is nothing immoral, wrong, or sinful about being gay. Jesus, however, clearly states he HATES hypocrites. If you preach goodness, then promote hate and twist the words of the Bible, you are a hypocrite, and will be judged and sent to hell. Homosexuals will not go to hell, hypocrites will.

This is very similar to the religious bigots of the past, where they took Bible passages to condone slavery, keep women down, and used Bible passages to claim blacks as curses who should be enslaved by the white man. People used God to claim that blacks marrying whites was unnatural, and not of God's will.

[black_howler]

The National Library of Medicine pubs confirm that sexual orientation is natural, biologically induced in the first trimester of pregnancy, morally neutral, immutable, neither contagious nor learned, bearing no relation to an individuals ability to form deep and lasting relationships, to parent children, to work or to contribute to society.

From the American Psychological Association: homosexuality is normal; homosexual relationships are normal.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychological Asociation and American Psychiatric Asociation have endorsed civil marriage for same-sex couples because marriage strengthens mental and physical health and longevity of couples, and provides greater legal and financial security for children, parents and seniors.

America's premier child/mental health associations endorse marriage equality.

[black_howler]

For those of you claiming homosexuality is a "lifestyle", that is a false and ignorant statement. Homosexuality is not a choice. Just like you don't choose the color of your skin, you cannot choose whom you are sexually attracted to. If you can, sorry, but you are not heterosexual, you are bi-sexual. Virtually all major psychological and medical experts agree that sexual orientation is NOT a choice. Most gay people will tell you its not a choice. Common sense will tell you its not a choice. While science is relatively new to studying homosexuality, studies tend to indicate that its biological.

http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/03/differential-brain-activation.pdf
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/sex/dn14146-gay-brains-structured-like-those-of-the-opposite-sex.html
Gay, Straight Men's Brain Responses Differ
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,155990,00.html
http://www.livescience.com/health/060224_gay_genes.html
http://www.springerlink.com/content/w27453600k586276/
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/06/16/172/