He’s tall, blonde and handsome. He’s also openly gay. None of that would be exceptional but for the fact that Kevin Keller is the newest character in Archie Comics. If you’re wondering, “Who reads Archie Comics anymore?” then chances are you don’t know any young teenagers.
As the Archie website put it:
"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books," stated Archie Comics Co-CEO, Jon Goldwater.
Being excluded from Riverdale was a pretty small worry to those fighting for LGBT rights. But being welcomed there makes everything seem a little brighter, in Riverdale and beyond.
Educators who’d like to explore the use of comics in the classroom can try this Teaching Tolerance lesson [2].
Links:
[1] http://www.tolerance.org/author/sean-price
[2] http://www.tolerance.org/activity/cooperative-comics