I’m aware of both RAS’s sexuality and his play, anon, but considering that he’s already had the opportunity to develop and give focus three separate queer romances (Choni, Joavin, Kevoose), but has constantly backed away from giving any of them significant screen time every time. And while it could be said that Kevoose is still in early days, he had all of season two to have them be together but instead only had them hook up in the final episode of the season–after Moose’s het love interest had been killed off. He also teased Kevin/Fangs only to have nothing come of it, and barring the very final episode, keep Kevin alone and celibate while the main het couples were literally getting montages of them having sex. Does this sound like a man interested in queer romance in any way beyond scoring diversity points by talking about it interviews and yet spectacularly failing to actually include it on his show?
RAS may be gay, but he really doesn’t seem to care that much about actually having gay romance or gay characters. I mean, look. There have been multiple characters who have been queer from the very beginning–Toni, Kevin, Moose, and Joaquin. None of them have had any significant focus. Yes, I know Moose and Joaquin are minor characters and that Toni has only been a main character since season three. But that doesn’t excuse that complete lack of trying to make any kind of arc for Toni right now, and it also doesn’t excuse not giving Kevin any significant characterization throughout all of season two. Seriously, we had to suffer through ten episodes of Betty’s imposter brother, but Kevin still didn’t get any kind of ongoing plot, or, for the first twenty-one episodes, a love interest, even though RAS was constantly hinting around about it.
In fact, the one queer character who has gotten focus or development is Cheryl, who was only revealed as queer halfway through the second season and was immediately tossed in conversion therapy after the revelation. And since then, scenes with her and Toni have been continually cut. Make of it what you will, but from where I’m standing, it doesn’t really seem like RAS cares very much about his gay characters. Him being gay himself doesn’t change that.
So I’ll believe Joaquin/Archie is a thing when I see it (again, RAS is very into Varchie, so I have severe doubts even without his utter disregard for queer characters), and I’ll believe it’s an actual developed relationship with focus when I actually see that, too.
But that being said, I’d be really curious about the psychology of his decision if he does goes with Archie being gay or bi and gives that focus while continually shunting Kevin and Toni aside. Is the appeal just making previously straight characters like Cheryl and Archie queer for the sake of getting credit for it rather than including the characters who were queer all along? Does he think that it counts less to do a story with Kevin because he’s already established as gay, whereas the story is fresh and exciting with a newly queer Archie? Did Dan Parent (Kevin’s creator and someone who actually wrote the character, unlike RAS) just steal his parking space one time, and Kevin’s continued total lack of screen just his petty revenge? Who knows.
