I see it more as a sign of mainstream, middle-American acceptance of gay people. I don't think Archie's taking a big controversial risk here -- indeed, they're adding a token. The fact that this is news at all means we've still got a ways to go, but the fact that fucking Archie is doing it means we've come a long way already.
A certain kind of gay character, yes. One carefully constructed so that any distinguishing characteristics are boiled out, leaving him bland and inoffensive. It seems kind of sad, being the only gay guy in Riverdale... at least until his love interest, Big Leon the Leather Bear rides in.
I get the impression that middle America doesn't mind gay characters anymore in their media because they've come to realize that gay people
exist. They aren't some tiny minority that can be easily ignored and chalked up to deviance or some kind of obvious and rare mental deformity.
But I think that despite this, a lot of people still see them as
wrong and still think that if their young children see them too much then they will catch
the gay even if they are heterosexual and that somehow this won't be self fixing.
