In the introduction to my book I talk a little bit about Velma Dinkley, the Scooby-Doo character who became an LGBT+ icon. If you’d like to know more about that, this piece by Maggie Chirdo is a great overview of how a cartoon character became part of LGBT+ culture:

Throughout the 43 films, 14 television series, and various Scooby-Doo spinoffs created since 1969, Velma’s character has generated a massive following of lesbian and bisexual women who grew up watching those meddling kids unmask costumed culprits.

I love this detail:

William Hanna and Joseph Barbara drew inspiration for the character from child actor Sheila Kuehl, who played a tomboy in the 1950s family series The Stu Erwin Show and, years later, became the first openly gay California legislator.