While some fans were still in denial about Velma, pointing out how “Mystery Incorporated” never actually outright said what was going on with her, the 2022 Halloween film “Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!” went and removed all doubt. This version of Velma sees a woman she likes and responds by blushing and having her glasses steam up. Gone are the hints and winks; this Velma is undeniably lusting over a woman, and the scene is not just included in the finished product but advertised by the network ahead of time.
The creative decision got a lot of praise from some fans and a lot of groans from others, but perhaps the most notable reaction came from Hayley Kyoko, who played Velma in the live-action films “Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins” (2009) and “Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster” (2010). She tweeted in response: “I remember booking Velma in 2008. It was my first big role in a movie. I also remember thinking ‘I wonder if they know they hired a lesbian as Velma.'”
But does this mean that every version of Velma is gay? Tragically, no. The “Scooby-Doo” franchise has dozens of different continuities and timelines, and every new project tends to give its own unique spin on the gang. Velma’s core characteristics are her cleverness, her booksmarts, and her inability to see without her glasses. Her being a lesbian is not a core part of her character, but now we know that being straight isn’t a core part of her either. Not every new version of Velma will be gay, but now any new version of Velma could be gay without much controversy, and that at least is worth celebrating.
It’s also worth noting just how much Velma has risen in popularity in recent years. Velma was once treated as an afterthought by the broader culture, so much so that in the ’80s the marketing team for the (now-discontinued) Vita-Fresh kids’ chewable vitamins decided not to include Velma in their “Scooby-Doo”-themed vitamins. If kids wanted to take their daily vitamin, they had the option of pulling a Fred, Shaggy, Scooby or Daphne-shaped vitamin out of the bottle, but no Velma one.
You may be thinking, “Oh, maybe the company was limited somehow to only four gummy shapes,” but no, they had a fifth option, and they chose to give it to Scrappy Doo. That annoying brat Scrappy was considered a bigger priority to the Vita-Fresh marketers than Velma was. This omission led to an investigation by Spy Magazine in November 1993, titled “No Velma, No Peace.”
Whether you’re a fan of explicitly gay Velma or you prefer the times where we got to read between the lines, at least we can all take solace in how Velma is now an undeniably popular character. The “Scooby-Doo” vitamins of today wouldn’t dare give Velma the snub.
