After decades of rumour and innuendo, one of animation’s worst kept secrets has finally been confirmed: Scooby-Doo’s Velma is lesbian. Clips from Halloween special Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo, released this week, show the brainy sleuth’s glasses fogging up and her cheeks reddening when she first meets villainous costume designer Coco Diablo. “OK, who am I kidding? I’m crushing big time Daphne! What do I do? What do I say?” she asks her friend in another scene. The gang of amateur detectives in Scooby-Doo have been solving mysteries since 1969, delighting generations of children as they unmask a villain who invariably declares he “would have gotten away with it, if it weren’t for you pesky kids”. The titular oversized dog, who will do anything for a “Scooby snack”, stumbles through crimes discovering clues with the help of friends, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred and Velma, who collectively make up “Mystery Incorporated”. Fans have long agreed that Velma is queer, but the new movie marks the first definitive confirmation. Producers of the franchise’s various series and movies have previously spoken about Velma Dinkley’s sexuality, even if they were not able to make it explicit on screen. In...
