Velma Dinkley’s queerness has always been at the centre of her character. Scooby-Doo’s resident brainbox has never been that interested in boys, and when she has (with Shaggy and Johnny Bravo, for example) that romance felt like an obligation rather than a faithful examination of who she really was.
For decades we have drawn queer subtext from her hobbies, behaviour, appearance, and attitude towards the world she exists in, especially as her fellow Mystery Incorporated members fall head over heels for one another. Yes, she dated Shaggy once in the cartoons and the second live-action film saw her hook up with Seth Green, but I take far more from her care for Daphne’s wellbeing and sideways glances towards other women in her life.
Velma is queer, and that fact has been cemented in canon for quite some time now, currently confirmed in three distinct Scooby-Doo universes that have her thirsting over women or showing specific romantic interest in the same sex. Never has this been more clear in the recently released Trick or Treat, where our lovable genius falls for a convicted felon who also happens to be a sexy evil scientist. This is some top tier sapphic shit and I’m chuffed for her.
Brought to life through the classic designs and a beautifully expressive animation style, this adorable Halloween caper has Velma and company stumbling across a number of classic villains, as is typical of the spooky season. Among them is Coco Diablo, a charming rogue with a smart mind, jazzy style, and love for animals - all things that Velma immediately falls head over heels for. There is no debating her attraction, given their first meeting has Velma’s glasses fogging up before reciting her classic catchphrase. Jinkies indeed.
Throughout the film this attraction is only further solidified in cute, affirming ways that make it clear the gang has no issue with Velma’s sexuality, and go a long way in encouraging her to make a move. One scene has Daphne teasing Velma about having feelings for a playful criminal, with Velma trying to deny it before revealing that she is crushing hard and way in over her head. I never pictured Velma as an ‘I can fix her’ type, but I suppose she’s full of surprises. Another moment in the car has Coco touching Velma’s shoulder, causing her to pull off an expression of equal parts panic and admiration. Our girl is down bad.
Despite her villainous identity, Coco Diablo is enlisted to help Mystery Inc. deal with the sudden outbreak of baddies due to her intelligent mindset and clear knowledge of those making a comeback. She doesn’t belong, and constantly puts our crew on edge, but that only makes Velma’s attraction even more scandalous as we’re eager to root for them to get together even if it gets them in trouble. Velma is usually a timid nerd with only a passing interest in romance, so to see her so nervous in the presence of a spellbinding mistress is quite a treat. Scooby-Doo is playing no tricks here, and this payoff after decades of digging through subtext is so worthwhile. Even more so when we’ve come so close in the past.
Mystery Incorporated producer Tony Cervone made a post about Velma’s sexuality on Instagram a couple of years back in celebration of Pride, sharing details about her story that sadly didn’t make it to screen. It turns out she isn’t bisexual, but instead a lesbian, and her relationship with Shaggy occured at a time when she was still struggling to find herself. The post has her pictured alongside Marci Fleach, a romantic interest who was intended to go much further.
In a now deleted thread, Cervone claimed that her character arc in the series was originally set to culminate with a kiss between her and Daphne, but Warner Bros. kept watering down the idea until it ceased to exist. Only passing references and subtext remain, because corporations are still afraid of girls kissing girls. I can’t wait for middle-aged men who apparently still love Scooby-Doo to come out of the woodwork and complain about this film corrupting children, because we all know that is going to happen.
This new step forward is worth celebrating though, with Trick or Treat being a definitive expression of Velma’s queerness that for so long the franchise has been afraid to show. I’m unsure what exactly changed, but now nothing stands in the way of her becoming a deserved lesbian icon.