'We always planned on Velma acting a little off' - Scooby-Doo's Velma steps out of the closet and Into the spotlight

Even a decade after James Gunn told a fan, "I tried!", in an attempt to make Velma Dinkley from the iconic Scooby-Doo franchise an openly gay character, the world is now ready to embrace our brainy detective as a lesbian icon.

 Back in the early 2000s, during the creation of the two live-action Scooby-Doo films, the studio seemed hesitant about this narrative. Yet here we are, in the animation era where Velma’s preference for girls has not only been acknowledged but celebrated.

Velma's Journey: From the Mystery Machine to a Lesbian Icon

In the latest Scooby-Doo film, "Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!", our beloved Velma steps into her truth, finding a girlfriend in the glamorous character of Coco Diablo. In response to this news, one tweet celebrating Velma’s coming out went viral with over 228,000 likes, reflecting the long overdue need for such representation, especially considering the scarcity of lesbian portrayals in movies.

The Silent Understanding: Velma, the Tomboy We Adored

Many of us have grown up with the Scooby-Doo cartoon, and our admiration for Velma was deeply ingrained. We loved her intelligence, her exasperation with the boys, and her defiance of femininity, all of which made her the most relatable character. As children, we might not have labelled her as a lesbian, but she definitely was a "tomboy," just like many of us.

In 2020, Tony Cervone, a supervising producer on the Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated series confirmed that Velma was indeed meant to be lesbian, further illuminating her actions throughout the show. He said, "We always planned on Velma acting a little off and out of character when she was dating Shaggy," highlighting how her character was constructed to subtly hint at her true identity.

Velma Finds Love: A Lesbian Rom-Com in the Making

Fast forward to today, our very own Velma finds herself smitten at first sight in the new film, embodying the classic rom-com trope but with a fresh, queer twist. Velma blushing, the delightful touch of lesbian flirting, all of it works to inspire young lesbian viewers everywhere.

More than fifty years since its inception, Scooby-Doo thrives, in no small part due to the evolution of Velma's character. We adore her, right down to her iconic orange socks, and now, she serves as a beacon of representation for the sapphic sisterhood.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)